Announced at IAAPA in Amsterdam Maurer Rides have showcased a brand new ASM (Adaptive Spike Motor) technology which blows the possibilities wide open with regards to ride design and attraction layouts.
Whilst traditional coasters mostly rely on gravity to carry through the motion of the ride after a lift or a launch allowing freedom of movement across a track there’s no control of that energy around the track at any given movement, it’s rolling freely with gravity aiding the movement.
What if the energy could be freely controlled?
That’s where this brand new technology comes into play because unlike gravity-based rides these new ‘powered coasters’ would feature built-in motors and brakes that provide constant speed control meaning the ride’s speed can be adjusted in all positions including vertical and overhead creating a smoother, controlled experience.
This new gear-driven system allows the energy to be optimised for each ride element which allows designers to create unique, larger-than-life elements such as ‘Mega Loops’ and even ridiculously ambitious elements like a ‘Standing Eight’ or a ‘Four Leaf Clover’.
Whilst I would be genuinely terrified of a rollercoaster with a figure of 8 vertical elements in front of my eyes it would step up not only the thrill level of coasters but also the compactness of any coaster’s layout.
Conventional coaster designs could be a thing of the past but it’s also a technology that would require a lot of monitoring as the more you ‘program’ into any particular coaster outside of just letting gravity to do the work the more there is to maintain and look after.
If this can be made reliable and consistent ASM technology could really redefine a coaster experience as old coasters with rough transitions could now have programmed trains to traverse the rougher elements at more comfortable speeds and many many more customisable experiences could be tailored per track, per park.
Welcome to the future of Maurer amusement rides!
