'Robo' ride makes British debut

A roller coaster based on giant industrial robots is opening to the public for the first time on Tuesday.

The Robocoaster is the brainchild of Gino De-Gol, from Warwick, who based the ride on robots that build cars on factory production lines.

A 22ft robotic arm seats two people, throwing them in a number of directions.

The Robocoaster, which has appeared in Hollywood films, makes its British debut at Star City in Birmingham.

'Flexible format'

People can choose the speed and motion they want - the highest level is dubbed "Raging Bull" because of its dramatic turns and spins.

Margaret O'Sullivan, from Star City, said: "It picks you up and it pulls you through many different motions and G-forces that are exerted on your body, it can feel every bit as exciting as any real rollercoaster.

"What makes it so different from traditional amusement park rides is that there are no tracks or chains - this means no two rides are the same."

Mr De-Gol said: "Robocoaster has ride dynamics, movements, and sensations that you can get from different rides like a coaster, or an ejector seat type of ride, plus many that can only be generated on a robot.

"What's different about Robocoaster is that it can put them all together in different combinations and in a flexible format that can be updated and changed."

The Robocoaster has appeared in the James Bond film Die Another Day and Tomb Raider II.