- 7 weeks ago
Rollercoasters are essentially highly engineered machines designed to manipulate a mix of potential and kinetic energy, inertia, and gravity. The goal is to provide a "factory machine" experience that delivers an optimal, safe thrill.
揭秘世界上最刺激的游乐设施是如何运用物理学、工程学以及人体心理学来制造极致快感的...
揭秘世界上最刺激的游乐设施是如何运用物理学、工程学以及人体心理学来制造极致快感的...
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FunTranscript
00:03It's a huge adrenaline rush taking a ride on a monster roller coaster.
00:10Have you ever stopped to ask why?
00:12Just the amount of power is phenomenal.
00:16I'm Rob Bell, adventurer and engineer.
00:18I'm traveling the world to investigate the science behind some awesome theme park thrills.
00:29I want to know how engineers and designers build the biggest, baddest rides.
00:34And by using some state of the art technology, with insight from a leading urologist.
00:39His heart rate shot up to 127 beats per minute.
00:43And a top psychologist.
00:44Psychologically, that makes you feel uncomfortable.
00:47I'll find out how these extreme thrills affect my mind and body.
00:52As I explore the science of thrills.
01:03We've all got our favorite type of ride.
01:06Whether it's just a bit of fun.
01:08Or a heart-stopping thrill ride.
01:12This episode, I'm looking at rides that throw in bags of fun with their thrills.
01:17And ask the question, how do you add that extra magic ingredient, fun?
01:23It's a real human character trait to seek out thrills and adventure and danger.
01:29Think of that baby that you throw up in the air.
01:31And the minute you catch it, it laughs and loves it.
01:36First, I head to Orlando, Florida for a ride specifically designed to train the next generation of pleasure seekers.
01:43Those four-year-olds would never have been on anything like this before.
01:47Before I head to Germany, where I prepare for the unexpected on a crazy water ride with a hilarious difference.
01:54What is this?
01:55It's full of naked women.
01:57In the UK, I get my head in a spin on an amusement ride unlike any other.
02:02It's so long.
02:04Oh, yeah, hurry up.
02:05And finally, at Europa Park in Germany, I have buckets of fun getting wet on a hybrid water coaster.
02:17But first up, I'm in Orlando, Florida, to check out a ride that provides a vital service for budding thrill
02:24seekers.
02:25The psychological tricks roller coasters employ to generate the thrills we all love come from impulses, fears and anxieties that
02:33start in us from a very early age.
02:35And I've come to a park that believes in getting us while we're young.
02:39This is Fun Spot in Orlando, Florida.
02:42It's very much aimed at young families.
02:44There's a great opportunity here as a kid or a theme park beginner to take your first steps into the
02:49world of thrill rides and the excitement they bring.
02:54Fun Spot's kind of got more of a relaxed, amusement, classic style compared to other parks in Orlando.
03:02Fun Spot America in Orlando is a great place for youngsters to kind of cut their teeth and to go
03:07experience those thrill rides for the very first time.
03:12The park started out just as a go-kart track and families are centre stage here.
03:18Many of the rides are aimed towards children, which provides designers with a very particular set of challenges.
03:23With young children, there's an interesting relationship with fear, where there's a very fine line between knowing you're safe and
03:29having the time of your life and being absolutely petrified.
03:33When I was a kid, it was down to the confidence I'd built on more junior attractions that made me
03:38want to keep pushing my own limits.
03:40And so a junior section like here at Fun Spot almost becomes like a training ground for future adrenaline junkies.
03:49It's a real human character trait to seek out thrills and adventure and danger.
03:55There's something about being in a situation that feels a little bit dangerous at the time and then getting through
04:00it that creates a great feeling of relief inside.
04:03You kind of think of that baby that you throw up in the air and the minute you catch it,
04:07it kind of stops for a second, realises that it's okay and then laughs and loves it.
04:11One of the only ways we gain confidence is doing things that we didn't think that we could do.
04:14To come out of that comfort zone, being able to confront something that is scary and do it is key.
04:21And I think that's kind of a metaphor for life.
04:24And the ride I've come to see today has all the features of a regular coaster, just on a smaller
04:29scale.
04:31This is White Lightning.
04:35There she goes.
04:37Now, she's not a world beater by any means, but she's got good drops, good speed and plenty of airtime.
04:43This is pretty much the pinnacle of thrill-seeking at that entry level.
04:47It's the biggest ride here at Funspot, and I know as a kid, the anticipation of riding this thing would
04:54have been absolutely killing me.
04:57What?
04:59White Lightning is a fairly new ride with a fun-filled 619-metre journey.
05:06Its first drop is 20.5 metres, plunging down a steep 53-degree angle to reach a top speed of
05:1671.3 kilometres an hour.
05:19Built at a cost of $3.5 million, it's Orlando's first wooden coaster running on a wooden track, built into
05:26a steel frame.
05:27White Lightning is a perfect way to start off riding bigger coasters.
05:33It's got loads of little pops of airtime, it kind of winds around itself, goes up and above itself, and
05:38all around the outer perimeter of the park.
05:40The whole ride is just focused on fun from start to finish.
05:47White Lightning certainly knows its audience, and delivers the goods in spades.
05:52I speak to the park manager Jason Reynolds to find out why it's so popular.
05:57That's not like the world's extreme rollercoaster, but it's got speed, it's got airtime, it's got some pretty good drops.
06:03I mean, this drop here is pretty impressive, just for starters.
06:06Yes, it does.
06:07And I think it's eight airtimes we have on the ride.
06:10You've got eight airtime on it?
06:11Eight different sections of airtime.
06:13And so you have kids up to what kind of age who can ride this?
06:16I would say probably about the average four-year-old, well, at least here in America, the average four-year
06:20-old.
06:20They're a little tall here, over here.
06:21So four-year-olds, this seems like quite an extreme rollercoaster for four-year-olds.
06:25I mean, I'm guessing a lot of those four-year-olds would never have been on anything like this before.
06:31Yeah, you know, but sometimes, you know how you are when you're four years old, sometimes you're intimidated a little
06:35bit by rollercoasters.
06:36But once they get on, they want to go over and over again.
06:39Go on, go for it.
06:40Yes.
06:40And generally, what's the reaction when they come off at the end?
06:43They love it.
06:44Can we go again?
06:45That's normally the reaction.
06:46Can we go again?
06:47And when I ask Mom and Dad, they can do it again.
06:49And Mom and Dad, even if they go with them, maybe not.
06:51Yeah, maybe not.
06:52Sometimes Mom and Dad, they might rotate, parents.
06:55And for junior rollercoaster enthusiasts, White Lightning certainly gives them their fair share of fun and thrills.
07:02How was it?
07:02Were you scared?
07:03Yeah.
07:04Yeah?
07:05Is it kind of the scariness?
07:06We go, oh, I quite enjoyed that scariness?
07:08Yeah.
07:08Actually, sometimes it's like that.
07:10That was too much.
07:11No, I usually like it after I do it.
07:13You like it?
07:14Yeah.
07:14I like it too.
07:15You like it too?
07:17While it may be on a smaller scale, White Lightning is designed to play on exactly the same instincts as
07:23other, more substantial coasters.
07:27Present in us all from birth, these instincts are what have kept us alive for thousands of years.
07:32There's a small bit of the brain called the amygdala, which detects fear, and it says we need to do
07:37something here.
07:37And the fight-on-flight response causes your heart rate to go up, your blood pressure to go up, your
07:43pupils dilate.
07:45You have the heart palpitations and you have the stress and worry, but then it kind of cuts through with
07:51this sense of, you know, the more logical part of your brain knowing you're absolutely fine.
07:56I mean, I think it is that uncertainty, but juxtaposed with that clarity of, I will be okay.
08:02This is a ride that makes them so much fun and actually quite addictive.
08:07Orlando is a world-famous hotspot for coasters, but White Lightning is the only wooden coaster in the city.
08:13I speak to Mark Harrison, Director of Maintenance, to find out more.
08:17So, Mark, here we are really close underneath the first drop of White Lightning.
08:21But the first thing that you notice about this is it's a wooden coaster, but it's got a steel structure
08:27underneath it.
08:28The reason we did that is, you know, wooden coasters have a notorious for high maintenance because of all the
08:34wood and the contraction and expansion with the rain and the cold weather and hot weather.
08:38It rides just like a wooden roller coaster.
08:41Seems to pack quite a bit in.
08:42Yeah, it's very surprising.
08:45When you first ride it, you're not expecting much, but we've got a 90-degree hill on the far turnaround.
08:51We can get higher banks, sharper turns, and fit into a smaller area, and you can just get more G
08:57-forces, you know, with those tighter turns and all that.
09:00So there really is quite a lot packed into this one.
09:03Yeah, you're probably thinking it's going to be a quick, easy, simple ride, but I guarantee when you get back
09:08in, you're going to want to ride it again.
09:09So White Lightning is a metal-wooden hybrid that isn't strictly for kids.
09:15It's an intriguing ride, and I can't wait to get on it.
09:19All right.
09:20Let's get three, two, one.
09:23Let's go.
09:24Woo!
09:25Yeah!
09:27All right.
09:28Woo!
09:40Woo!
09:41Let's see this.
09:42Are we good?
09:44Let's do it, man.
09:45Oh, yeah!
09:47Woo!
09:49Woo hoo!
09:52Woo hoo!
09:55Woo hoo!
10:00Ohh, yeah!
10:03Woo hoo!
10:05Woo hoo!
10:23That's great! I am loving White Lightning.
10:27That is just fun. That is just 100% fun.
10:31I'm thinking to what little Robbie might have thought
10:34if he'd have been getting off here now instead of me,
10:36you know, 30-odd, however many years ago,
10:38he'd have been a massive grinning face.
10:42He would be going, Mum, Dad, I want to do it again. Let's go again.
10:46That is just 100% pure fun.
10:48So I clearly enjoyed myself.
10:50I'll be interested to see what my vital signs were saying, though.
10:54On White Lightning, the maximum G-force is about 3.5,
10:58and that means that Rob's heart rate is going up to 120 beats per minute
11:02and his breathing is 25 breaths per minute.
11:04To be honest, it's more than I expected, given the nature of the ride,
11:08but he's clearly enjoyed it and it's not been totally tame.
11:12Oh, yeah!
11:13If it can raise the pulse of a hardened old veteran such as myself,
11:17just imagine how this must feel for a youngster
11:20taking their first steps into the world of roller coasters.
11:23White Lightning might seem just like a scaled-down coaster,
11:27but it punches way above its weight when it comes to fun.
11:31But for my next stop, I'm going to check out a ride
11:34whose approach is a little more out there.
11:36What is this? It's full of naked women.
11:44The fun we have as we tear around a good thrill ride
11:47relate back to fundamental hard-wired features of our human nature.
11:52By wrenching us out of our comfort zone,
11:54roller coasters play on our fight-or-flight response,
11:57which raise our pulse and give us that visceral thrill.
12:00But it's not just plain old terror that rides can evoke.
12:06For my next stop, I've come to Germany,
12:09home of an eccentric theme park with an even more quirky ride.
12:12This is Tripstrill Park in southwest Germany.
12:16Its grounds are wonderfully landscaped
12:18and it's kind of pleasingly relaxing,
12:20just walking about exploring all its nooks and crannies
12:24hidden about the place.
12:25It's a real family fun park
12:26with plenty of references to traditional Swabia,
12:29the region of Germany we're in.
12:31Something tells me I'm going to like it here.
12:37Tripstrill Park really is a theme park unlike any other.
12:41Much of its character comes from the little touches
12:44that refer to traditional German stories and humour.
12:48Even if I might not understand all of it,
12:52it's certainly an experience.
12:56There's a real sense of humour throughout Tripstrill.
12:59There's just something there which kind of intrigues you,
13:02makes you want to explore further into the park.
13:04It's not like other parks.
13:06It's got a fun sense of humour to it.
13:10You dirty man.
13:12And the ride I've come to see incorporates this humour
13:15into a water ride that has to be seen to be believed.
13:19Amongst the 100 amusements here at Tripstrill,
13:22it's almost inevitable there's a water ride.
13:24But I've been told to expect the unexpected
13:27on what I've come here for today.
13:31This is the Badvanenfahrt zum Jungwunnen.
13:35Let's go check it out.
13:40Badvanen is a twist on that family favourite, the log flume.
13:44In fact, it has quite a few twists,
13:46the first of which is that it sends you round in a bathtub.
13:49It has plenty more surprises tucked away on its 553 metre length,
13:54including three drops, numerous bizarre themed story elements.
13:58And just when it's drawn you into its unhinged world,
14:01it hits you with one last surprise.
14:03Europe's highest water ride drop,
14:06a 16 metre plunge where you hit a top speed of 60 kilometres an hour.
14:10It also happens to hold the world record
14:13for the highest number of naked breasts on show.
14:15But more on that later.
14:17The water ride at Tripstrill, it's a strange one.
14:21You sit in these little bathtubs, it's almost sort of cartoonish.
14:25It's a really strange experience,
14:27but one of the most unique ones I've ever had.
14:37This has to be one of the strangest rides I've seen.
14:41To find out more, I speak to ride expert Uli Ehring.
14:44So they're all bathtubs, are they?
14:46All the cars are going round.
14:47All the ride vehicles are bathtubs,
14:49and you ride through this lovely castle over here.
14:52And there is a myth,
14:54a myth that there is a fountain of youth
14:56somewhere down there in the castle.
14:59Okay, we like that.
15:00We like a little bit of mystery about the whole thing.
15:03For example, one big surprise
15:05that our boats go backwards at some point.
15:08Okay.
15:08And then the big final is, of course, the big drop.
15:11That is a heck of a drop, isn't it?
15:14It is, definitely.
15:16Uli, have you got any advice for me before I take the plunge?
15:20Hmm, try to stay dry, maybe?
15:23I don't know, just try it.
15:25It seems impossible.
15:26I guess you won't be successful.
15:27That's your guess?
15:28So just do it, you will have fun for sure.
15:30Okay, that's good.
15:31That's good enough for me.
15:33Before I venture into the world of the Bad Vanden,
15:35let's see what its riders think.
15:40How's that, guys?
15:44Yeah?
15:45Great.
15:46It's great?
15:46Yeah.
15:47Who's the wet...
15:47Who got the wetters?
15:50I just picked up.
15:51Was that as a friend?
15:53Of course you did.
15:53Never go to the front.
15:55There we go.
15:55Or the bags?
15:56No, the bags.
15:57You did get the worst.
16:01Right, in the middle.
16:02That's where I'm going.
16:05There's definitely something about a log flume ride
16:07that's both thrilling and fun.
16:10But what's the psychology behind it?
16:14Water, of course, is one of those quirks
16:17that everyone loves or loves to hate.
16:19It conjures up two very different feelings.
16:22For a lot of people, water is very relaxing and serene,
16:25while for others, the whole idea of the storm
16:27and being on sort of scary waters.
16:30Again, very visceral.
16:34In a ride full of unique quirks,
16:36one of the more interesting from an engineering point of view
16:39is how it spins the riders round
16:41and then sends them on their way backwards.
16:43To find out about the science that makes this work,
16:46I meet with park engineer Richard Thornton
16:48for a peek behind the shower curtain.
16:50Just check both ways before I come in, Richard.
16:53Yeah.
16:54If the boat's coming in a hurry, they're coming in a hurry.
16:58In the ride here, we have two turning platforms.
17:01There's a part of the ride where the boat's coming down backwards.
17:03All right.
17:04As you see, the boat that's coming now at the moment,
17:06it's backwards.
17:07The boat comes onto the turntable,
17:08hits a shop absorber,
17:10and the boat is then turned,
17:12and with air, we push it out again.
17:14There it goes.
17:15We go back on the journey.
17:16I'm sure it must come to us as a surprise to some of the guests.
17:18Well, a lot of the guests get to see it beforehand
17:20because it's always happening in the back of the ride.
17:22Yeah.
17:22And that's why a lot of them,
17:23when they first head in the head of it,
17:25they're very surprised,
17:26especially driving backwards down one of the slides.
17:28Okay, okay.
17:30You can see on the turntable here
17:32the kind of pattern that the wheels and everything make
17:34over the years, I guess.
17:36They literally come in in the same place every time.
17:39And if you want to,
17:40we can stay on, stand here,
17:42and we can move with the train.
17:44It's not a problem.
17:45All right.
17:45Go in there.
17:46Let's try that.
17:47Come on, I'm clear.
17:48As long as you're not in front of that,
17:49it's not a problem.
17:50Let's see what happens.
17:52My boss is just doing this.
17:53He killed me.
17:55Here he comes.
17:56You can tell.
17:57Hey!
18:00Riding the wave.
18:02Now we get shot off again.
18:03There he goes.
18:05Who needs to ride?
18:06I'll just do this all day.
18:07As much fun as the turntable is,
18:09I suppose I'd better jump on board
18:11and prepare to get wet.
18:12Why didn't I pack my umbrella?
18:16As if this is going to make any difference at all.
18:19At least I'll start it with a dry bump.
18:23No, I won't.
18:26All right.
18:30Okay.
18:30Well, there's not much I can do now.
18:46It's quite relaxing, all this bit.
18:48It's quite nice.
18:49It's just a much more sedate pace
18:51than your average roller coaster.
18:54Oh, here we go.
18:56Okay.
18:58Oh, as you climb off with the water,
19:01it just falls back into your crotch.
19:03Oh, here's the first one.
19:06Yeah!
19:11That's all right.
19:12Feels like I got away with that one.
19:14What is coming up around the corner now?
19:17Oh, this is going to be another surprise.
19:21What?
19:22What is this?
19:24What is this?
19:25It's full of naked women.
19:27I should specify.
19:30They're mannequins of naked women,
19:31not actual naked women.
19:34What?
19:35What is this?
19:38Okay, that must be the fountain of youth.
19:41Oh, okay.
19:44Oh.
19:48Oh, get off.
19:56I'd say this ride just keeps throwing surprises at you.
19:59Okay, I recognize this.
20:01Feels like I know what's coming.
20:04There we go.
20:08Okay.
20:09This is a big one now.
20:14Feels like we're getting up to a good height.
20:16Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
20:17Just keeps going.
20:24You hear the screams.
20:25You know what's coming.
20:27You're right up amongst the other roller coasters.
20:28It is.
20:29Oh, we're entering the castle.
20:32Ha-ha.
20:33I'm in the turret of the castle.
20:35Look at this, dude.
20:39All right.
20:41Into the other turret.
20:43This is where it all goes big.
20:46Okay, we're going down.
20:50Yeah, here we go.
20:52Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
20:55Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
20:56Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
20:58Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
21:04Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
21:06All right.
21:07If I didn't get one of the first two,
21:09that definitely did it.
21:12Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
21:14Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
21:15Yeah, you get wet.
21:17That is excellent.
21:18That is absolutely excellent.
21:21That is a really cheeky ride.
21:23It just throws things at you.
21:25What?
21:26What is this?
21:27With the fountain of youth.
21:29Loads of naked people bathing around.
21:31That was a pleasant surprise.
21:33So, a quick wet analysis.
21:36Feet, lower legs, pretty dry.
21:39And then up top, shoulders.
21:41That last big drop is where you just get a huge splash.
21:44To be honest, I couldn't see how big it was because I had my eyes closed,
21:46but I felt it's all in your face.
21:49It's a brilliant ride.
21:50Really fun.
21:51Well, it's obvious what it's done to the outside of my body,
21:54but what was going on inside?
21:57Clearly on the Badwaden ride, it's not the greatest thrill Rob's had.
22:00And we see with the physiological changes in Rob's body,
22:04his heart rate maximum is 110 beats per minute.
22:07His breathing maximum is 20 breaths per minute.
22:10So, all in all, it's quite a gentle ride compared to some of the things he's been on.
22:14The Badwaden may not have sent my heart into overdrive,
22:18but it certainly did make an impression,
22:20a sort of wet impression on my backside.
22:24And that's all to do with a scientific principle discovered in ancient Greece.
22:29The fact that you ride the Badwaden sat in a bathtub is actually quite apt
22:34because it reminds me of the Greek mathematician Archimedes' eureka moment
22:39when he discovered the principle of water displacement.
22:42And it's actually fairly simple.
22:44When you lower a solid object into a volume of water, a volume of liquid,
22:49be that Archimedes getting into his bath,
22:51or me lowering this metal cylinder into this cup of water,
22:56you'll see that you get a water level rise on the outside of the cup here.
23:02Up it goes.
23:05And the reason it does that is because as the solid object goes in,
23:09the water gets moved away.
23:12What we see in the Badwaden are the effects of this water displacement,
23:15only taken to a whole new level.
23:18Now, the exact size and shape of a splash is governed by some pretty complicated fluid dynamics.
23:24But in a nutshell, spherical objects make bigger splashes than flat objects,
23:28making those rounded bathtubs perfect.
23:31Heavier objects create bigger splashes,
23:34meaning that a full carriage is going to get wetter than just me on my own.
23:37The speed of the object's entry into the water also affects the splash,
23:42hence that huge drop at the end of the ride.
23:44In short, the Badwaden ticks all the boxes for making a huge splash.
23:50And so, I just wonder if our comedies realised how much fun water displacement was going to be
23:56all these hundreds of years later,
23:58as it certainly seems that there's a heck of amount of water displacement going on on the Badwaden ride.
24:04For my next stop, I'm getting on a ride that will really put me in a spin.
24:13I'm in beautiful rural Hampshire,
24:16on the very edge of the New Forest National Park in the very south of England.
24:19I've come to explore a bit of a hidden gem,
24:22Poulton's Family Theme Park,
24:24the perfect spot for a few giggles on a family day out.
24:29Poulton's has been delighting families in the south of England since 1983.
24:33Across its 140 acres, it boasts 60 rides and attractions,
24:38a 4D cinema and three roller coasters.
24:41Poulton's Park is a great family park.
24:44Families will have a fantastic day out there.
24:48It's mainly aimed at, like, the young kids who want to kind of cut their teeth
24:51on, like, proper thrill rides.
24:54The attraction I've come to ride today plays on a recognisable favour
24:57from any children's playground, the roundabout.
25:00And it's bound to put my head in a bit of a spin.
25:02This is the Edge.
25:06With its spinning platform,
25:08the Edge looks like some sort of roundabout from outer space.
25:12And, unsurprisingly, it's the first coaster of its kind in the UK.
25:17With a height of just 15 metres, it may not look like much.
25:21But once the platform gets up to its top speed of 69 kilometres an hour,
25:26the combination of circular, vertical and lateral movements
25:30create a fun, head-spinning experience.
25:33The Edge is great fun because, depending on where you sit,
25:36will actually depend on the sort of ride experience that you get.
25:39It's debatable what's actually going on.
25:43So it's a really interesting experience.
25:48I meet up with Deputy General Manager James Mansi to find out more.
25:53Here we are, James.
25:55This is Edge.
25:56Would you say this is about your most extreme rollercoaster here at...
25:59I would agree with that, yes.
26:01It's probably our most exhilarating ride at the park.
26:03It's got different aspects to it.
26:05Yeah, there's loads of elements involved in it.
26:07It's a brilliant ride for spectators and people enjoying the ride itself.
26:11The ride, the disc itself, rotates three times a minute,
26:14so three, four rotations a minute,
26:15and the speed it travels along the track
26:17can get up to just over 30 miles an hour.
26:20So, all in all, it's a brilliant ride experience.
26:22We get a lot of smiles coming off this ride.
26:24It's a very enjoyable ride, to be honest with you.
26:26Surely you never get tired of watching people having fun,
26:28watching people come off the rides with big smiles on their faces.
26:31Brilliant. I mean, I'd say in the summer, when, you know,
26:33you get a good, good, warm day in the summer
26:35and people are having a good time,
26:37I'd say there is brilliant job satisfaction to be had, yeah.
26:40There certainly do seem to be plenty of smiling faces aboard the edge.
26:44Guys, how's the edge?
26:46It's cool.
26:46Yeah, exciting?
26:47Yeah, exciting, yeah.
26:48A bit different because it's going round the whole time as well.
26:51Is it one of your favourites?
26:53Uh, yeah.
26:54Why is it your favourite? Why do you like the edge?
26:56Because I like spinning round.
26:57I'm not so good on the spinning round.
26:59Have you got any tips for me how to survive this?
27:01Close your eyes.
27:02Just close your eyes. You don't think it's better to close your eyes.
27:08While it's very simple, it does the trick.
27:11Not only are you spinning, but you're also moving very quickly up and down.
27:15So it takes you by surprise.
27:16You get a bit of that G-force on your body.
27:19You get a bit of that disorientation.
27:20So it's not a surprise that whether you're a seven-year-old that's on it
27:23or someone Rob's age, you'll still have a lot of fun.
27:28To find out the science behind this bizarre ride,
27:31I meet senior engineer Dan Smith.
27:34Here you go, Danny.
27:35So we're just loading up the edge, ready to go once again.
27:38So you've got motors to get the rotational movement.
27:41That's correct, yes.
27:41And then you've also got motors that get the whole thing going along as well.
27:45Yes.
27:46OK.
27:46Is it gravity-fed as well, though?
27:48Is it a bit of a combination?
27:49There is a combination there, yes.
27:51Obviously, the motor gets it going in the first place.
27:53We'll give it the initial impetus to start climbing up the hill.
27:56OK.
27:56Then the motor will then more or less switch off.
28:00Yeah.
28:00Gravity will drive it back.
28:01When it reaches slightly up the other way,
28:04the motor will kick back in again, driving it a little bit further up.
28:06OK.
28:07And then the process continues.
28:09So it's a bit of a hybrid, then,
28:10between a gravity-driven ride and a powered ride?
28:15Yes, you could call it that, I suppose, yeah.
28:17It's always under-powered, but it uses a lot of gravity in order to save energy.
28:21So in that sense, it is quite an unusual rollercoaster ride, then?
28:25Yes, it is.
28:26I believe the technical name for it is a disco coaster.
28:28A disco coaster?
28:32But it still packs good punch for a ride, you know?
28:34It's not a bad ride once you're on it.
28:35It can be quite disconcerting if you're not used to these sort of things,
28:38and a lot of people do feel quite ill coming off of this one.
28:41I include the manager in that.
28:42Good, that's what we like, that's what we like.
28:44That's a good sign of a good extreme ride.
28:46Yes.
28:46Excellent.
28:46OK, it's time for me to take my seat.
28:50Am I good?
28:51Yep, I'll be.
28:52I'll be on the floor.
28:53All right.
28:56There you go.
29:00I'm a little bit dubious about this one.
29:03I'm not great on spinny rides, it has to be said.
29:07I much prefer your kind of ups and downs.
29:10All right.
29:11My feet are very close to the edge here.
29:14All right, let's see how close to the edge this really takes me.
29:20So far, so good.
29:21I'm just rocking back and forth, like a baby in the cradle.
29:27Now it's getting a bit more serious.
29:29Oh, it doesn't take long until you're up to speed.
29:31Oh, my word.
29:36It really pulls around.
29:39Yeah.
29:42That is weird.
29:48It's so hard.
29:50Oh, yeah, here we go.
29:56Oh, this is so much fun.
30:01It's so hard.
30:03The two movements are being spun around
30:04and being pulled back along this track.
30:10With a track that also builds you up and down over these bumps.
30:15This is amazing.
30:16This is a proper three-dimensional ride.
30:26Oh, my God.
30:28Oh, my God.
30:29That is fantastic.
30:31Absolutely fantastic.
30:33I'll tell you what's odd about that.
30:35I came on here just a bit apprehensive
30:38about the fact I was going to be spinning around quite fast.
30:40Once you're on here, you don't worry about that at all.
30:42It's cool that you're spinning around.
30:43What takes you by surprise is the fact that you're spinning.
30:45You're just about getting used to that.
30:47And then you're getting hoisted up.
30:48into the air on this track,
30:50when then you're going,
30:52you're being zoomed back that way linearly as well.
30:56So it's this contribution of rotational and linear movement.
31:01It just really screws your mind.
31:03Well, I can honestly say I've never experienced anything
31:07quite as enjoyably disorientating.
31:11But just how did it affect my vital signs?
31:16On this ride, the G-forces are somewhere in the middle.
31:20And we see that reflected in the physiological measurements that we made.
31:24So Rob's heart rate is around the middle of what we've seen
31:26for all these roller coasters.
31:28It's clear with The Edge that the reason why it's such an intriguing ride
31:31is the unpredictability of it.
31:34Rob's just about got used to the fact that he's spinning round.
31:36And then suddenly there's a new element with going up and down
31:39and also accelerating in all sorts of directions.
31:42And I think that's where the thrill comes in.
31:45To explain how The Edge does this,
31:48I've come to the park's science lab.
31:50A great addition that helps teach the park's guests
31:54the engineering behind their favourite rides.
31:56A subject that's obviously close to my heart.
32:00All right, this is what I've come here for.
32:03The model of The Edge.
32:05OK.
32:07That's good.
32:07Yeah, OK, so we've got it all going on.
32:10All right, well, this helps explain a bit
32:12how The Edge works.
32:14What happens when The Edge starts going is
32:16it starts moving very slowly, very slowly,
32:19but gradually it builds up the distance that it travels,
32:23rocking along this curve,
32:26before it can then go over the bump in the middle of the track
32:28and right up to the other end.
32:31And the way that works is by building up the amount of momentum
32:34put into this carriage.
32:36Momentum is the product of mass times velocity.
32:39So the mass of the carriage multiplied by the velocity speed that it's going.
32:44And that gradually builds on this.
32:46Now the way they do that on the ride itself
32:48is the wheels are driven.
32:50But we're going to use this little rocker
32:53to help put the energy into the system.
32:55So it starts off by rocking backwards and forwards very slowly
32:59and it gradually gets higher and higher up each side.
33:06And it eventually makes it all the way over and back again.
33:14Once the ride's up to speed,
33:16it's interesting to note the movement of a single point
33:19as it goes through the motions.
33:21To do so, let's simplify things a bit.
33:24Imagine a normal roundabout.
33:26As it spins, the single point makes a simple revolution.
33:31If we then make the roundabout move from left to right,
33:34the course the point takes gets more complicated.
33:37If we add to that some vertical movement,
33:40it complicates things further.
33:42And if we finally add the tilting of the platform,
33:45the path that point is taking now looks totally erratic.
33:50Which is why riding the edge is such a strange feeling.
33:53Now the physics at play here are actually quite simple.
33:56But out there on the ride,
33:58like everything in this lap,
34:00simple physics are really fun.
34:06So far on my journey to discover the most fun and zany thrills,
34:11I've seen an oddball disco coaster that puts a whole new spin on fun.
34:16That is weird!
34:18And a water ride whose off-the-wall theming
34:21kept me laughing from start to finish.
34:23What is this? Full of naked women!
34:25But my final ride combines brilliant water theming
34:28with the high-speed twist and turns of a roller coaster.
34:35You'd be forgiven for thinking
34:36I was perhaps in a small Greek village
34:38on an island in the Mediterranean.
34:40The only thing giving it away really
34:42is the sign here to the Bahnhof.
34:44In fact, I'm in Germany at Europa-Park,
34:47one of Europe's largest theme parks.
34:49And it's the Greek section I've come here for today.
34:54Nestled on the border triangle of Germany, France and Switzerland,
34:58Europa-Park is a celebration of all things European.
35:02It features 13 European-themed zones
35:04and over 100 rides and attractions.
35:06Europa-Park is a perfect park for escapism.
35:10There's not many theme parks in the world that put so much detail
35:13and so much effort into theming, creating an atmosphere.
35:17Attracting thrill-seekers of all ages from across the continent,
35:21last year it broke the 5 million visitors mark for the first time.
35:25And amongst all this mayhem,
35:27there lies a ride that offers a fun-filled trip back in time.
35:31When I think of Greece, I think of fishermen in small boats,
35:34lively tavernas.
35:36I also think of ancient temples, philosophers, mythology.
35:40And the ride I've come here for today is all themed around
35:43the ancient Greek god of the sea.
35:45This is Poseidon.
35:47And like its namesake, it's a force to be reckoned with.
35:55This epic water flume-cum roller coaster hybrid
35:58puts the woe in H2O, offering riders plenty of thrills
36:03and spills along its 800-metre length.
36:07It climbs to a maximum height of 24 metres
36:10and plunges its terrified guests down
36:12at a top speed of 70 kilometres an hour.
36:15With two splashdowns, you have to expect a thorough soaking.
36:22Poseidon at Europa-Park is a thrill ride of two halves.
36:26It's a roller coaster and it's a water ride,
36:29so it's that perfect middle ground.
36:32It's a really well-thought-out, well-themed experience.
36:45Half the boats celebrating because they stayed dry,
36:48the other half soaking wet.
36:52To get the full story, I speak to park manager Jacob Vahl.
36:57We're here, stood right next to Poseidon.
36:59Yes.
36:59Which is kind of crazy.
37:01Where do you categorise it?
37:02Is it a roller coaster?
37:03Is it a water ride?
37:04Well, we call it a water coaster.
37:07Actually, because we thought, you know,
37:09coasters and water rides are the most spectacular
37:12and most popular rides, so we thought,
37:14why not combine both of them?
37:15So we did and we got Poseidon,
37:17and it's among our most popular rides in the park.
37:19You should definitely give it a try.
37:21Well, I will give it a try, Jacob.
37:24You know, I'm just not sure how wet I want to get right now.
37:27Then I can tell you just sit in the back, you know,
37:30there you get less wet than in the front seat.
37:32Brilliant.
37:32Some insiders.
37:33Strategy.
37:34I love a good roller coaster strategy.
37:36You do get wet, but you're not getting soaked.
37:38You know, the Germans are not the Vikings of Northern Europe.
37:42They like to get wet, but not completely drenched.
37:46I love that.
37:47Well, these guests may not be Vikings,
37:50but they do seem to have taken a liking to Poseidon.
37:54Wonderful.
37:55It was wonderful.
37:56How wet did you get?
37:58Not that much.
37:59Not that much.
37:59A little bit.
38:00A little bit?
38:01Yeah.
38:01Exactly.
38:03What was the best bit about the ride?
38:05The second hit?
38:07The second hit?
38:07The second hit?
38:08The second hit?
38:08Excellent.
38:09Excellent.
38:09Great.
38:10It was excellent?
38:10Yeah.
38:11What did you love best about this ride?
38:13I think the very last part, when it goes down,
38:16it just takes off your stomach,
38:17and it's just an awesome feeling.
38:19And the big splash?
38:19And the big splash, of course, yeah.
38:21That's awesome.
38:25The brilliant detailed theming of this water ride
38:28creates a wonderful fantasy of ancient Greece.
38:32Riders experience a really fun and entertaining time.
38:36It's such an interesting ride,
38:38because you've got a nice relaxing part,
38:40where you kind of go through almost like a lazy river
38:43and look around.
38:44It's really beautifully done.
38:45And it kind of lulls you into this false sense of security,
38:48and then it kind of, you know, drenches you in effect,
38:50because it turns into a big water ride.
38:51And I think because of that, it's actually a really cool ride.
38:55Combining the thrills of a roller coaster
38:56with the fun of a log flume
38:58must present some very particular challenges
39:01in keeping this ride afloat.
39:03To find out more, I meet ride operator Patrick Solmer.
39:08Okay, so this is part boat, part coaster?
39:11Yeah, you can say it like that.
39:13What technically is different about this,
39:15because it's a boat from Poseidon?
39:18The difference is because it's used for roller coaster
39:21and the water coaster at the same time.
39:23At a normal water ride, they're only floating the boats,
39:26but here they have wheels underneath
39:29to get on the normal coaster.
39:31Okay, so on a normal water ride, you wouldn't have any wheels?
39:35No.
39:35At all?
39:36Yes.
39:37Wow.
39:37So these are your pretty typical roller coaster wheels?
39:41Yeah, that's one of them.
39:42And is it the same on the back as well?
39:44It's almost the same on the back,
39:46but there we have one more wheel.
39:48One more?
39:48One more.
39:49What's that for?
39:50Can you show me that?
39:51Yeah.
39:52It's okay, yeah.
39:52So what does this little guy here do?
39:54That's a special wheel in the back.
39:56It's because when the boat's in the water,
39:59it's getting water in it.
40:00From the big splash, obviously.
40:01Yeah, from the splash.
40:02To get the people wet, you've got to get the boat wet.
40:04Yes, that's right.
40:05And so we have to get the water out of the boat.
40:08And that's what this wheel is doing when it comes in the station.
40:11In the station, it gets up, and then the water's coming out.
40:16Oh, yeah, okay.
40:19So this is a little kind of drain wheel, is it?
40:21Yeah, that's a drain wheel.
40:22So the only other thing I notice around all of this, Patrick,
40:25is these little yellow marks on all the bolts and the nuts.
40:29What are they there for?
40:30That's for our mechanics.
40:31The mechanics check three times per day the screws all on the boat,
40:37if they're moving, and that's why they put the marks on it.
40:39So it moves, the mechanics can see if the screws are moving.
40:43And they check that how many times?
40:45Three times per day.
40:46And how many boats will you have in on any day?
40:49On the normal day, we use up to 18 boats.
40:53Wow.
40:54That many boats times 18 times three times a day.
40:57Yes.
40:57That's a lot of checking.
40:58Yeah.
41:00We're happy.
41:01Taddle has checked.
41:02The boat is good to go back into the water.
41:05So as the boat's going back in, they've got two brakes,
41:09one in front of it and one behind it.
41:12The one in front of it is to prevent the boat from shooting off
41:15before it's ready.
41:16So the one, the brake behind it, is to stop any boat from coming up behind,
41:20although they haven't released one from the station,
41:23but just in case, so there's no collision between the two boats.
41:26And when it's ready, they release the front brake.
41:29Hey.
41:30And away it goes.
41:31It's back on the ride.
41:33Let's go get some passengers wet.
41:36I'm not sure why I'm looking so pleased.
41:38It's almost time for me to be one of those passengers.
41:46Just trying to determine how wet people get on their way in.
41:49Seems like a mixed bag, really.
41:52Just how wet is the boat when you get in?
41:59Let's have a look.
42:00Oh.
42:01Yeah.
42:03It's a bit wet.
42:05Woo.
42:06It's a little bit wet.
42:09All right then, let's go check out what Poseidon's got in store.
42:18The theming of this whole ride is fantastic from the moment you walk into the station.
42:24Even the music through here is epic.
42:29This is great, all of this around.
42:32I am in ancient Greece.
42:36Oh, here we go.
42:38Okay.
42:43Okay.
42:44Okay, after a first little leisure boat cruise section, we're now into proper rollercoaster
42:50again.
42:51Woo.
42:51Yeah.
42:52Hey.
42:53Woo.
42:57It's got height.
42:59It's also got speed.
43:01Woo.
43:01Woo it's got weight too tonight.
43:05Woo!
43:07That was a bit bumpy.
43:11What's next?
43:12Woo-hoo-hoo.
43:14The tunnel.
43:16No, here it is.
43:17ROCKING
43:19HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
43:21I had no idea that was coming up.
43:22It's just blind corners.
43:27That's really clever what they've done there.
43:29you're in a boat then you're on a roller coaster and then they just completely take you around
43:34these corners with speed the drops you forget that this is a wet ride until you hit that great
43:41big splash nice relaxing little little float around the river oh i can't believe i didn't
43:53get any wetter than i did considering the size of the splash that it comes down with
43:59all right more roller coaster
44:07another steep steep climb there's more and more height you can kind of see what's coming up here
44:14i know we're getting near the end of the road yeah i can see it right ahead
44:22oh dear
44:39that's good that is not just a water ride it's part roller coaster part boat river cruise
44:48and you kind of forget when you are in the roller coaster section that this is actually
44:52going to get you wet but you'll quickly remember when you come crashing or splashing back down
44:58that second splash is huge i thought i'd done all right halfway around but
45:08i just got a soaking it's going dry off let's have a look at what the stats say about my
45:14body's reaction
45:18rob's reaction was really out because he came off and he spoke about being lulled into this false sense
45:23of security kind of forgetting where he was and for a veteran of roller coasters that says a lot about
45:28this ride of the full rides we've seen in this program then poseidon is the one which is the most
45:34gentle as judged by the increase in rob's heart rate so his maximum heart rate is 98 beats per minute
45:40which suggests that this ride is probably the gentlest
45:47poseidon may not have got my heart racing but i loved it and it's got me thinking about another
45:54scientific principle i really enjoy the fact that rides like poseidon here where you've got
46:00boats floating and traveling around a waterway are referred to generically as water flume rides
46:06because a water flume is what an engineer uses when they want to study the behavior of a wave in
46:12a
46:12liquid a water flume refers to a container where the length is much greater than the width and the
46:18depth and that's exactly what you've got on a ride like this and you'll see the wave now in front
46:24of
46:24the boat splash the boat's movement in the water creates the disturbance creates the wave and you
46:30can see it moving away from the boat now around the bend around the right hand bend and coming around
46:37this big sweeping left hand bend before it eventually just dies out a water flume constrains water's
46:45movement limiting it to vertical and horizontal motion in fact scientists use them to study water's
46:50behavior in different circumstances for example to test flood barriers and break waters and in a ride
46:56like poseidon here having that water contained also gives a much bigger splash
47:05it's been one heck of a journey through some crazy fun thrills starting with a pint-sized white lightning
47:12a small ride that really punches above its weight
47:16before entering the quirky world of the bad banan with its bizarre bathtubs naked women and ending with
47:23that massive water drop followed by the stomach churning spins of the edge which was turning me every
47:30which way but loose and then the wonderfully themed poseidon ride with its perfect mix of relaxing on a boat
47:39in
47:39ancient greece with the pure excitement of a fast roller coaster but my pick of the bunch was white lightning
47:46it got my pulse racing up to 120 beats per minute it's a great ride and a brilliant one for
47:53new thrill seekers to
47:54take another step into the fun and thrilling world of roller coasters