RoboCoaster Ltd.
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedDecember 2000 (2000-12)
Headquarters
Warwickshire
,
England
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Gino Daniel De-Gol
ProductsRoboCoaster
SubsidiariesSimworx
Websiterobocoaster.com

RoboCoaster Ltd is an amusement ride design firm based in Warwickshire, England. Through partnerships with KUKA and Dynamic Attractions, RoboCoaster has installed its namesake products at locations around the world.

History

In December 2000, RoboCoaster Ltd was founded with the goal of integrating robotic technology into the entertainment and leisure industry.[1] In the company's first year of operation, Gino Daniel De-Gol invented the concept of a robotic-arm-based amusement ride.[2] In December 2001, a partnership with German robotic arm manufacturer KUKA saw the patenting and manufacturing of the initial Robocoaster G1 design.[1][2] In 2004, RoboCoaster partnered with AMEC Dynamic Structures (now Dynamic Attractions) to develop the RoboCoaster G2 system, which utilises track-mounted KUKA arms.[3]

RoboCoaster's partnership with KUKA has also seen robotic arms integrated into films, including Die Another Day, The Da Vinci Code, and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.[4]

In 2015, The British Growth Fund invested £4.5M in a company called Simworx, a media based attraction manufacturer, allowing them to acquire RoboCoaster and boost their working capital as well as buying out their previous private equity investor.[5]

Ride systems

RoboCoaster G1
RoboCoaster G2
First and second generation RoboCoasters pictured at Epcot and Universal's Islands of Adventure
  • RoboCoaster G1 – the original RoboCoaster design, where pairs of riders are attached to a stationary KUKA arm. From 2014, four-seater vehicles from the G2 series will be offered in stationary form for smaller family entertainment centers.[6]
  • RoboCoaster G2 – the second generation of robotic product, where four-seater KUKA robotic arms run along a two-dimensional track throughout a show building. The track is designed by Dynamic Attractions.[7]
  • RoboCoaster G3 – a conceptual third generation of the technology, where trains of four-seater KUKA robotic arms run along a traditional three-dimensional roller coaster track.[8]
  • AGVs – automated guided vehicles for trackless dark rides developed with Dynamic Attractions.[9][10]
  • Motion Theatre – a flight simulator where rows of riders are elevated in front of a large dome screen.[11] The attraction is developed with Dynamic Attractions, who has previously developed the ride system for the Soarin' rides at Disney parks.[12][13]
  • HSA – high-speed amphibious vehicles developed with Gibbs Sport Amphibians Inc. of the United Kingdom.[14]

Installations

As of 2012, over 200 individual RoboCoasters have been installed, including some travelling models.[15]

RideParkLocationOpenedModelRef(s)
Dragon Age Hub Zero Emirate of Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2015 Robocoaster G1 [16][17]
Danse avec les RobotsFuturoscopeFrance Poitou-Charentes, France2006RoboCoaster G1[18]
Harry Potter and the Forbidden JourneyUniversal's Islands of AdventureUnited States Florida, United States2010RoboCoaster G2[19]
Harry Potter and the Forbidden JourneyUniversal Studios HollywoodUnited States California, United States2016RoboCoaster G2[20][21]
Harry Potter and the Forbidden JourneyUniversal Studios JapanJapan Osaka, Japan2014RoboCoaster G2[22]
Hero FactoryLegoland DeutschlandGermany Günzburg, Germany2004RoboCoaster G1
Knight's TournamentLegoland CaliforniaUnited States California, United States2005RoboCoaster G1[23]
Power BuilderLegoland BillundDenmark Billund, Denmark2004RoboCoaster G1[24]
RobocoasterGrand PierUnited Kingdom England, United Kingdom2010RoboCoaster G1[25]
RobocoasterMall of the EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates Dubai, United Arab Emirates2005RoboCoaster G1
Robocoaster Avenues MallKuwait Al Rai, Kuwait2009RoboCoaster G1
RobocoasterXscape Braehead RenfrewUnited Kingdom Scotland, United Kingdom2006RoboCoaster G1
The Sum of All ThrillsEpcotUnited States Florida, United States2009Robocoaster G1[26]
UnknownJurassic DreamChina Heilongjiang, China2013Motion Theatre[13]

References

  1. 1 2 "About Us". RoboCoaster Ltd. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 US patent 6776722, Gino Daniel De-Gol, "Ride apparatus", published 17 August 2004, assigned to RoboCoaster Ltd and KUKA
  3. ↑ US patent 6871596, Gino Daniel De-Gol, "Moving means, particularly for amusement parks, fairs and the like", published 29 March 2005, assigned to RoboCoaster Ltd and KUKA
  4. ↑ "Media Projects". RoboCoaster Ltd. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "BGF invests £4.5m in Simworx". BGF. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "RoboCoaster G1". RoboCoaster Ltd. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "G2 Robot Systems". RoboCoaster Ltd. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "G3 Robot Systems". RoboCoaster Ltd. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "AGV". RoboCoaster Ltd. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  10. ↑ "Dark Rides". Dynamic Attractions. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  11. ↑ "Flying Theatre". RoboCoaster Ltd. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "Flying Theatre". Dynamic Attractions. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  13. 1 2 "Dinosaurin' Over China". Park World Magazine. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  14. ↑ "HSA". RoboCoaster Ltd. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  15. ↑ "History". RoboCoaster Ltd. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "Hub Zero Dubai - The Ultimate Cyber Playground | All You Need To Know". Headout Blog. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  17. ↑ "Dragon Age: Flight of the Wardens - Hub Zero, Dubai". Simworx. 15 November 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  18. ↑ "French parks relent on rides". Park World Magazine. 29 March 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  19. ↑ "Wizarding World of Harry Potter". Park World Magazine. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  20. ↑ MacDonald, Brady (6 December 2011). "It's official: Harry Potter land to debut at Universal Studios Hollywood". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  21. ↑ "Universal Studios Hollywood Makes Unprecedented Investment in Epic Theme Park Transformation" (Press release). NBCUniversal. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  22. ↑ "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (Universal Studios Japan)". Parkz. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  23. ↑ Niles, Robert. "Innovative 'Robocoaster' Debuts at Legoland California". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  24. ↑ "Polar Land at Legoland Billund". Park World Magazine. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  25. ↑ "Grand Pier opening confirmed". Park World Magazine. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  26. ↑ "The Sum of All Thrills design-your-own-ride opens in Innoventions at Epcot - Video, Photos - Orlando Attractions Magazine". Orlando Attractions Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
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