German manufacturer Maurer Rides is putting its Bolt Ultimate Sea Coaster – the first rollercoaster to be installed aboard a cruise liner – through special testing, to ensure its vehicles can remain up to scratch on the open ocean.

The company will begin production and pre-assembly of the 220m-long (722ft) electric Spike coaster ride during Q3 2019. The coaster will be installed on the top deck of Carnival Cruise Line’s new ship, Mardi Gras.

Among the challenges of the installation is factoring in the design and movement of the ship, which doesn’t have to be accounted for with a land-based coaster, but Schmidt said the biggest challenge was allowing for the "aggressive atmosphere" at sea, caused by salt in the air.

"We have to see which components are sensible to use in this atmosphere," says Torsten Schmidt, business development manager at Maurer. "The wind and movement of the ship are not so much of a challenge, because with Bolt we will have 100 per cent traction control all of the time."

The ride accommodates two cars at a time, each holding two passengers and each able to reach speeds of nearly 40mph (60 kph), with an acceleration of 1.2g. The track reaches a height of 57m (187ft) above sea level, culminating with a hairpin bend around the ship’s funnel. Riders’ speeds are posted after the race.

According to Maurer, the ride will have capacity for 190 people per hour. At full throttle, the cars can complete a circuit in about a minute, with changeovers possible in 25 seconds. Passengers can control the speed of the cart with a pedal, so the experience will be different for all.

The Mardi Gras is set to launch in 2020 and will be based at Port Canaveral, Florida, US. Carnival Cruise Line said the ship will be the "ultimate playground".

attractions-kit keyword : MAURER

The Bolt Ultimate Sea Coaster will be on the top of the outdoor deck of the Mardi Gras, which is set to launch in 2020

Realtime Environment Systems (RES), a London-based visual tech firm, has completed the world’s largest ever permanent video installation at the National Museum of Qatar.

The museum, which opened in March, features a number of cinematic display zones showcasing specially created film content that takes visitors on an immersive and experiential journey through the country’s history, as well as showcasing its current identity and future aspirations.

The attraction features custom content commissioned by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) and is powered by 112 Panasonic 4K projectors and 172 media servers that process 21 billion pixels per second.

To ensure all the AV equipment is synchronised, HIVE Media Control – a UK-based company formed by RES and Harrison Digital Media – created HIVE, a bespoke software package capable of controlling and monitoring systems across the site.

RES installed 112 Panasonic 4K projectors and 172 media servers

"This is the biggest project RES has ever undertaken," says co-founder Mark Calvert.

"When we first learned about the ambitions for video playback, projection mapping and technical planning, the sheer size of it became apparent. It took all of the skills, experience and technical wizardry we possess to make it happen. This is visual technology on an unprecedented scale."

attractions-kit keyword: RES

RES installed 112 Panasonic 4K projectors and 172 media servers

Italian coaster designer and manufacturer Zamperla has revealed details of its involvement with Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi.

Managed by project development firm Miral Asset Management under licence from Warner Bros Consumer Products, the park is the first Warner Bros-branded indoor theme park in the world and features zones dedicated to a host of its own IPs, including the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman, Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo and The Flintstones.

Zamperla supplied a number of key attractions across the park, including Tom & Jerry’s Swiss Cheese Spin, Zamperla’s Super Twister Coaster, located in Cartoon Junction. In the Gotham City area, the supplier installed its Disk’O Coaster, named The Riddler Revolution after the Batman villain of the same name. In Dynamite Gulch is the AeroTop Jet; named the Jetson’s Cosmic Orbiter and the Bumper Cars, called Marvin the Martian Crate Crashers, whilst in the ACME area is Tweety Wild Wockets, the MiniJet ride and back in Cartoon Junction is the Speedway attraction, named Ricochet Racin’ with Taz.

"We’re honoured to be part of this new tourism destination and we are very satisfied with the outcome of our work," says Zamperla’s CEO and president, Alberto Zamperla.

"We thank Miral for choosing us and for giving us the opportunity to demonstrate Zamperla’s engineering and theming capabilities."

attractions-kit keyword: ZAMPERLA

The Jetson’s Cosmic Orbiter is among the Zamperla rides at the park

Legacy Entertainment has partnered with Trans Studio to create Road Rage – the world’s first ever stunt show dark ride.

More details are due to be released later in the year, however, the attraction, billed as a ‘world-first’, is set to break new ground with the inclusion of live performers and high-octane stunts inside a more traditional dark ride set up.

To serve as the signature attraction at Trans Studio Bali, Legacy were responsible for the design and production of the ride, while engineering firm Oceaneering provided the dynamic ride system. Benoit Jutras, the composer behind Cirque Du Soleil and Dragone, has created the musical score for the attraction.

"For the first time ever, visitors to an Indonesian theme park will experience a dark ride that exceeds those in many of the world’s top international theme parks," explains Lee Roe, creative director at Legacy Entertainment.

"Trans Studio are pioneers. They have no interest in rehashing what’s been done elsewhere. Our teams are united by a singular creative challenge – to create the best regional park dark rides ever imagined."

attractions-kit keywords: LEGACY ENTERTAINMENT

Road Rage will be the first attraction to combine a stunt show with a dark ride experience

Madgix has announced the launch of its ScreenPlay kit, which is designed to transform existing spaces into play and gaming arenas without operators having to modify their screens.

Developed in collaboration with Alterface, the ScreenPlay kit is based on Alterface’s NOMAD camera detection technology. It uses real-time technology to operate wireless ‘point and shoot’ devices, while individual ID tracking enables operators to identify and link device IDs with loyalty cards or bonus systems, incentivising players.

The solution is simple to install, users just have to plug Screenplay into their existing projection systems and motion seat hardware and software.The technology is capable of accommodating a large number of players at one time.

"For the first time a multi-user interaction kit is available as an open architecture, says Thibault De Lestré, MD of Madgix.

"The ScreenPlay kit contains parallel independent hardware for playback and shooting detection, designed for seamless integration with existing 4D theatres and cinemas. This new solution offers great potential to various markets."

Benoit Cornet, founding president of Madgix, adds: "ScreenPlay opens a world of new opportunities for cinema and attraction venue owners. Content, format and gameplay can be adjusted to fit their infrastructure and audiences.

"The future lies in interactive non-linear storytelling, so this is a perfect solution to bring interactivity to everyone, everywhere."

attractions-kit keyword: MADGIX

The Magdix technology has now been launched worldwide