Attracting Attention: Switches for Theme Park Attractions
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Attracting Attention: Switches for Theme Park Attractions
With the recent announcement that Universal will be building their new park just down the road from our office, we’ve got rollercoasters on the brain! But what would a theme park attraction be without the switches needed to control it?
In this blog we’re looking at all the best bits of a trip to the theme park and the components that make them work.
Rollercoasters
If you’re visiting a theme park, you will most likely be going on at least one rollercoaster while you’re there. But in order to give you that exhilarating experience, there was a whole team of people who had to design and engineer the ride, another team to inspect and test the safety of the ride, and another team to operate it.
Every rollercoaster has a control panel that plays a crucial part in keeping you safe while you’re on the ride, and these panels commonly feature the following switches:
These controls are fitted with at least one keylock switch, which makes sure that only the designated ride operator has access to them.
The other key safety feature on a rollercoaster control panel is an emergency stop button, which can bring the ride to a stop if needed.
Selector switches are used to operate certain functions of the ride, such as opening and closing the rider’s restraints and the ride gates.
LED illuminated plastic push buttons are another common control for functions such as raising and lowering the floor, and of course, starting the ride.
Interactive Rides & Amusements
A lot of rollercoasters and rides allow the riders to control certain interactive aspects themselves, using things like steering wheels, ‘guns’ and push buttons. For example, the ride may be a spaceship-style cockpit with controls to move the ship and fire at targets.
Many theme parks also offer a range of other interactive amusements and games that have similar push button controls and ‘guns’.
A very common sight on interactive rides and amusements is plastic gaming buttons, due to their large size, bright LED illumination and simple operation.
Another option for push controls is PCB LED illuminated tactile buttons. These smaller switches can fit close together on a panel and provide tactile feedback to the user.
Joystick-style navigation switches are also commonly used for these attractions, as they can be used to easily control movement of the ride or its elements.
Light, Sound and Animation
Behind the scenes of theme park attractions like shows, 4D experiences and some dark rides, there is a control system ensuring that the lighting, video, audio and other systems (e.g. 4D effects, automated elements or animatronics) are all synchronised. The control system for these attractions is often one unit that sends commands to each device, as well as receiving status and fault messages to keep things running smoothly.
As these units need to be able to control a lot of systems at once, tact switches allow you to fit a lot of buttons into a small space, as well as providing tactile feedback.
Utilising LED indicators allows the operator/supervisor to see exactly which systems are running, or alternatively, to flag any faults in a system.
Rotary encoders can be used to control functions such as turning volume up/down or adjusting audio. Plus, knobs can be added so they fit seamlessly with the unit design.
Conclusion
Theme parks are obviously purpose-designed to give every guest a fun-packed day out. But next time you visit one, maybe take a second to think about the hard work and engineering skill that has gone into every attraction.
If you are looking for components for your own theme park related project, you can contact our Sales Engineers today to find out more about any of our components.
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