VR rollercoaster ready for launch at Alton Towers

12th January 2016

Joe Bush

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Last year was something of an annus horribilis for Staffordshire-based theme park Alton Towers after ‘human error’ caused an accident on the park’s Smile ride which left five people with serious injuries. However, while the Smile ride remains closed, the park is looking ahead to the opening of a new attraction in 2016, with its new Galactica ride set to launch in April after two years of planning.

What makes this rollercoaster different is that passengers will wear virtual reality (VR) headsets during the three minute ride, which depicts a journey through several different galaxies of space, timed to coincide with the ride’s twists and turns. Lying facedown, passengers will experience a maximum g-force of 3.5gs.

The ride, which is a redesign of the current Air rollercoaster, was announced at a special event held at the Science Museum, where Gill Riley, Marketing Director at Alton Towers said: “Galactica uses ground breaking technology to give riders a breathtaking and completely unique rollercoaster experience.”

Alton Towers claim that Galactica is the first rollercoaster that has been dedicated to virtual reality. The ride includes shoulder straps that make it difficult to move your head left or right – which helps to alleviate any concerns over motion sickness.

The park has stressed that once the ride is installed, as with every other new ride and experience, it will be subject to comprehensive pre-opening assessment by Alton Towers and by an accredited independent inspection body.