RoboCoaster

RoboCoaster Ltd.

Industry	Entertainment
Founded	December 2000 (2000-12)
Headquarters	Warwickshire , England
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Gino Daniel De-Gol
Products	RoboCoaster
Subsidiaries	Simworx
Website	robocoaster.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

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]

Ride	Park	Location	Opened	Model	Ref(s)
Dragon Age	Hub Zero	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2015	Robocoaster G1	[16] [17]
Danse avec les Robots	Futuroscope	Poitou-Charentes, France	2006	RoboCoaster G1	[18]
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey	Universal's Islands of Adventure	Florida, United States	2010	RoboCoaster G2	[19]
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey	Universal Studios Hollywood	California, United States	2016	RoboCoaster G2	[20] [21]
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey	Universal Studios Japan	Osaka, Japan	2014	RoboCoaster G2	[22]
Hero Factory	Legoland Deutschland	Günzburg, Germany	2004	RoboCoaster G1
Knight's Tournament	Legoland California	California, United States	2005	RoboCoaster G1	[23]
Power Builder	Legoland Billund	Billund, Denmark	2004	RoboCoaster G1	[24]
Robocoaster	Grand Pier	England, United Kingdom	2010	RoboCoaster G1	[25]
Robocoaster	Mall of the Emirates	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2005	RoboCoaster G1
Robocoaster	Avenues Mall	Al Rai, Kuwait	2009	RoboCoaster G1
Robocoaster	Xscape Braehead Renfrew	Scotland, United Kingdom	2006	RoboCoaster G1
The Sum of All Thrills	Epcot	Florida, United States	2009	Robocoaster G1	[26]
Unknown	Jurassic Dream	Heilongjiang, China	2013	Motion Theatre	[13]
Batman: Knight Flight	Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates		RoboCoaster G2
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment	Universal Epic Universe	Florida, United States	2025	RoboCoaster G2

References

1. "About Us". RoboCoaster Ltd. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
2. USpatent 6776722,Gino Daniel De-Gol,"Ride apparatus",published 17 August 2004, assigned to RoboCoaster Ltdand KUKA 
3. USpatent 6871596,Gino Daniel De-Gol,"Moving means, particularly for amusement parks, fairs and the like",published 29 March 2005, assigned to RoboCoaster Ltdand 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. "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.

External links

• Official website