Throughout the project, we designed and built model roller coasters. There were many different phases and dimensions to the project, but most of the pictures that you see here are from Project Open House in June, 2009, where we presented a big roller coaster that we had all worked together to design and build. Even though some people were nervous about presenting for such a large audience, everyone did very well and the crowd was justly impressed. This thing was amazing.
First, here are some videos of the big roller coaster working from beginning to end.
Now the pictures.
If you click on the pictures they get much larger.
Introduction by Tim
Showing the marble that will work on our roller coaster (Lucky Boy)
Rory presenting "The Big Hill."
Anthony and Skylar talk about "The Big Loop."
Razi talks about the "R&G Loops."
Chris and Erick present "The Mini-Loops" and "The Hill."
Jenny and Jocelyn talking about "The Sombrero Turns"
Next we go to "The Helix," presented by Yousef and Gavin.
Gavin trying to get in some words around Yousef.
Joshua tells the audience about "The Spilix" (part spiral, part helix.)
Now it's Teddy's turn.
Azra, Tatiana and Yolanda present about the amazing "Loop to the Jump to the Straight Track."
Anthony, George, Skylar and Teddy tell us about "The Serpent" and "The End."
Demonstration. All sections check. Dropping.
Standing ovation.
Here are some more pictures from Open House. In some of these pictures they are responding to questions and comments from the audience.
We had about 30 chairs set up, people sitting on the floor in front of the chairs, and a standing room only crowd that overflowed out the door.
Hoping it works.
Okay, it's working.
Some close up pics of the different sections.
The Big Hill
Rory and Jeriecho tested many different angles and curvatures to find the design that gave the marble the greatest velocity.
The Big Loop
Anthony and Skylar had to use some very complicated engineering to support a loop this large and make it stable.
Anthony and Skylar with an early version of the big loop.
The R&G Loops
Got their name because they were designed and built by Raziel and George, who wanted to do something creative. They definitely succeeded.
The Mini-Loops and The Hill
Getting these loops and this hill to make the marble decelerate just the right amount before it goes into The Sombrero Turns might have been the most difficult part, but Chris and Erick made it work.
The Sombrero Turns
Got their name when Jenny looked at the shape from above. The tape on the table marks exactly where the bases need to be for these turns to work. In one of the videos, you'll notice that the marble almost comes to a complete stop here, and then keeps going, which can be as suspenseful and exciting as when it is going fast.
The Helix
This one is 5 levels. Some earlier designs had as many as 9 levels, but this one worked better with the other parts of the roller coaster. Very difficult to control the marble's velocity in a helix, and even more difficult when it has more levels.
The Spilix
This was an idea that Joshua, Jeriecho, Skylar and Teddy had made work earlier and then re-created for the big roller coaster. This required some very complicated and precise work. I'd never seeen anything like this before.
The Loop to the Jump to the Straight Track
Really, this works - check the video. While we were building, visitors would come in to our room, point to this section, and say, "it's broken right there." When we told them that it was supposed to be that way, they wouldn't believe it. It's one of those things - you have to see it to believe it.
The Serpent and The End
In the original design, the Loop to the Jump was the end. I think we were all a little bit surprised at how much velocity it still had after making the jump, so a few kids just kept adding pieces of curved track and then a straight section at the end.
We will always remember Romil and we'd all be happy if he came back someday. Here he is with his group.
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