POTSDAM, New York (WWNY) – Roller coasters are an essential part of any amusement park. But what really goes into making these high-speed adrenaline-inducing rides?
That’s what a group of campers is trying to figure out at Clarkson University.
The virtual reality rollercoaster experience is all part of a three-day program at the school.
Campers from grades 7 to 12 are figuring out the science that goes into making roller coasters such a fun experience at the amusement park.
The camp, in its 16th year, is funded by the state Department of Education.
Kathleen Kavanagh, the camp director, loves that campers get a chance to test their skills.
“Seeing them have those aha moments where they get something, seeing them respond to questions that we ask and apply the knowledge we’ve given them to some of the hands-on experiments we’ve been working on is just awesome to see,” she said.
Kavanagh and other Clarkson professors encourage kids to go deeper into the physics and engineering of these rides.
Clarkson student and camp counselor Dalton Dowd enjoys teaching campers how fun science can really be.
“They’re seeing a lot of this for the first time, so seeing them get excited about stuff that I like is really fun, and then seeing them build that passion and bring it forward into whatever else they might want to do is really cool,” he said.
Part of the project is using data from heart rate monitors the kids wore when they rode a rollercoaster this week at Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury. They run that data through the virtual reality coaster.
Kavanagh says it’s rewarding to see how the kids improve from day 1.
“Well, at the beginning it’s very chaotic, I think, and the kids are really just excited to be here and all over the place but then once they hunker down, I feel like on the last day of camp we really see all that they’ve learned and what they’ve taken away from it and it’s super rewarding,” she said.
When finished, not only do campers learn important lessons on physics and motion, but they are given the drive to create the next big thrill ride.
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