COLLAB ARTS GOES 2 MARS
(week 1)
The prompt was to create a vehicle or device to transport my dog, Becky, between my house and the terminal relay station (15 ft away) to get her to my ex‘s house (30 ft away). The catch is that it’s 2089 and we live on Mars which is experiencing 120 mph winds and temperatures of -243°F. I don’t know why I agreed to move to Mars with them in the first place, but I wanted to make the most of the situation by building something really cool for Becky (a dog roller coaster).
The inspiration:
The concept and prototype:
I based the visuals of this project on a couple real roller coasters, mainly Millenium Force (Cedar Point) for its visuals and color palette, though my original idea was to have a launch with magnetic fins similar to those found on rides such as Maverick (also Cedar Point). The track is distinctively based on Millenium Force’s, designed to look like the signature track of Swiss company, Intamin. The vehicle is kind of an amalgamation of several different rides, such as the ones previously mentioned as well as the enclosed jungle coaster cars at Legoland Windsor.
The most space effective way to get Becky to the terminal relay station would probably be a magnetic LSM launch, which is the strongest, fastest, and most reliable kind of launch in the coaster industry right now. That may change in the future but let’s stick with what we know for now. However, it is safe to assume that by then, a launch that can combat 120+ mph winds would be possible even on Mars considering that the current fastest roller coaster reaches ~155 mph. I considered a hydraulic launch, but while they are extremely powerful, they are famously a maintenance nightmare (ex: Kinda Ka... RIP).
The final product!!!!
I created the track using small wooden dowels cut to size and attached to two long wooden dowels using wood glue, then painted with acrylic paint. The track’s width was based on the prototype, though the final vehicle ended up being made larger so it’d slide across more easily. Becky’s car was made using cardboard and hot glue, then painted with acrylic. It doesn’t use wheels like I originally planned, rather it uses two glide rails to slide across the tracks which was made smoother with some clear packing tape.
Size comparison between the prototype and final product:
The demo!!!!