Moog Puts Motion in Dark Rides at IAAPA’s Euro Attractions Show 2018

13 September 2018

At this year’s IAAPA Euro Attractions Show in Amsterdam, Moog will show attendees how we collaborate with our customers to provide expertise, engineering and technical support for unparalleled reliability and fun for theme park dark rides and 4D theaters. By visiting booth 3-217 at RAI Amsterdam, attendees can see a sample of the six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) motion technology underpinning the next generation of dark rides and 4D.

“We want to show creators and operators of theme park dark rides how we can take their concepts and develop a motion system that makes their vision come to ‘life,’” said Tobe Ehmann, business development manager for Simulation & Test at Moog Americas. “Our engineers also have the entertainment industry experience to create motion bases with theme park needs in mind. Our motion systems balance safety with a small footprint and heavy payload to increase throughput on rides.”

For example, Moog’s 6DOF/10/3000KG motion base, used principally for dark rides, accommodates a payload of up to 3,091 kg (6,614 lbs) and provides for a maximum acceleration of up to 3.0 m/s2 for a breathtaking experience.

Moog has spent years working with builders of simulators for automobiles, military vehicles and aircraft to improve algorithms, ensure fidelity and refine feel so that the experience is judged by professional racecar drivers, soldiers and pilots to be as real as it gets.

Moog long ago entered the entertainment industry. The company’s motion systems power dark rides and 4D theaters that give amusement park guests remarkable twists, turns, and acceleration to heighten excitement and the desire to return again and again.

“Integrating technology is only part of what we do; we also interpret a concept for a ride, translate that into a high-performance solution that meets global safety standards and produce and implement the design,” adds Ehmann. “And we support a ride as long as it’s in service.”