Roller Coaster Data Center

stienman writes "The Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point Amusement Park may have more technology than your data center. From the article: "The parameters within which the Dragster has to operate are so finely tuned that variable load weights from people, wind speed and out-side temperature affect its performance. ... After every third launch, the data are averaged and compared with historic launch data in an effort to create that perfect ride - the roller coaster must go fast enough to clear the top of the tower, but slow to between 7 and 15 mph in order to give riders the maximum lift effect at the top."

Bah.

[ScaryMonkey]

How am I supposed to enjoy a roller coaster if I know that sophisticated computers are monitoring the experience and ensuring my safety? That's just being fed stimulus. Now, the Cyclone in Coney Island... that's a roller coaster! You experience a genuine fear of death, not because the ride is particularly scary, but because the roller coaster is about a hundred years old and feels like it is going to collapse at any moment! Woo!

Yeah but in the end

[Approaching.sanity]

I prefer the old wooden roller coasters. The artificial elation that accompanies the new ones just can't compete with the real fear that one of the old wooden ones will fall apart while I am riding it.

interesting failure mode

[menscher]

From TFA:

..."the cars on the Dragster sometimes fall below the minimum speed needed, and drop backwards down the same 42-story building"...

Re:Bah.

[uncqual]

Amen...

When I went to Magic Mountain many (many!) years ago, the rides were just a bit more thrilling just because the place didn't seem very well maintained. I particularly recall a ride where the operator pulled back with significant force on a couple levers about three feet long to brake the cars into the loading/unloading area. One of these levers had broken and been (sloppily) brazed back on at the bottom (and they hadn't even bothered to paint over the repair). I suspected that even if the operator did nothing, the car should have slowed down enough before the end of the track. However, I also suspected that the "failsafe" mechanism (and every other part of the ride) had probably been maintained by Mr. Brazing - which made the whole thing a bit more interesting.

Lawyers, insurance companies, engineers, lawmakers, public inspectors, and zero-tolerance drug policies in the workplace have made amusement park rides a bit less thrilling than they once were :)