3D Printed Powered Roller Coaster

This video marks the completion of a 6-month hobby project in designing and building a scale model roller coaster with simulated physics!
The video that inspired me to start this project:
• 3D Printed Launch Roll...
#3dprinting #rollercoaster #rollercoastermodel #physics #3dprintedrollercoaster

[@profgallaugher]

This is wonderful! Congratulations. You mentioned this was a hobby project but it is really interdisciplinary thesis quality work. Sure it’s fun but it includes physics, engineering, programming, design. This professor gives you an A+!

[@jonmendenhall5074]

Thank you very much! I'll probably be doing an individual project like this for the capstone requirement of my undergrad in the fall.

[@danielbruin]

Finally! A model coaster with realistic speeds! looks amazing!

[@Hooplaay]

I would have this running all day in the background, very relaxing.

[@jonmendenhall5074]

That was my hope too, but because it's battery-powered, I'm not able to do that. Right now, I'm thinking about some ideas for another one that wouldn't have to be battery powered and then could run continuously if someone wanted it to.

[@ttgydddsd6305]

@@jonmendenhall5074 I'm thinking you could possibly monitor the battery voltage and when it goes low have a routine where the train pulls into a station that automatically replaces the battery through a drop in/drop out mechanism. The station could use simple servo arms to replace the low battery with a fresh one, and then put the low battery on charge until the cycle completes.

[@nickg6312]

@@jonmendenhall5074 i have a suggestion since you already got the track switcher made up. how about you have multiple trains 2 charging and one running. have your microcomputer monitor battery power and when the levels get too low swap the train with one of the 2 that are charging. you could wirelessly charge them or have the cart indext some sort of port.

[@MACHINEBUILDER]

@@jonmendenhall5074 what about running ground and voltage wires along both sides of the track so the train gets power from the track rather than an on-board battery?

[@erikpip3024]

@@MACHINEBUILDER i was thinking the same thing but as a modal railroader, I've had my fair share of dirty track moments.

[@mitchellvanwagoner8119]

It would be really cool if you added a weight distribution function to the animation. So you could see how having a heavy loaded front end for example, might effect the motion of the car!

[@christopherlee4152]

This project is amazing! You capture the scale and nature of the coaster experience with a fine sense of abstraction. It doesn't need anything more really, but one tiny add. Please put a small speaker on the car so we can hear a few well timed screams! I think the model might have a Doppler effect that you would appreciate.

[@SANITIZEDINC]

Dude. You fixed it! Bravo! Finally a model coaster that looks accurate when in motion. You're awesome, bud. Well done.

[@CheapSushi]

I love that the speed is scaled down so you can actually enjoy watching it as it goes through the turns and curves!!!

[@KiemPlant]

Oh wow I thought the footage was simply slowed down. I always love it when people scale the video speed proportionally to the scale of the coaster to simulate real size speeds. This is even cooler.

[@RasmusSE]

If you came here to see the thing running, it starts at 6:20

[@RasmusSE]

@@XenonSCRB Indeed it was, thanks!

[@gregg5958]

This is absolutely fantastic. What an ingenious solution to the unrealistic look that model coasters have. And making the controls wireless was ingenious too. I especially love the colors and the use of the LED strip on lift hill. It looks stunning. I’d love to see multiple train operation on this track and if the station had a queue with opening and closing air gates that would just be the icing on the cake!

[@philipbyrnes7501]

Without a doubt this is about the most clever and deeply intellectual thing that I have yet seen on KZbin. For you to combine so many disciplines together to achieve your ends is simply superb. Just the thought of attempting to make the speeds to actual scale rather than just “let er rip” is a level of thought that most of us don’t possess and to come up with such simple, deeply well thought out solutions to combine together for such a stunningly successful result is breathtaking. Even the idea of not bothering to get the lights exactly synchronised tho you knew you could easily have done so added just another very, very clever layer of realism that few would have ever considered. How true to life is it that they are close but not just right in timing, it makes it look so real as normal wear and tear brings such a result in a full sized mechanism. Bravo and Bravo, what a remarkable young man you are and I pray and hope that your future is as bright as your intellect shines already. Thank you for sharing your remarkable and wonderful work with us all, you truly are up there with you tubers like Matt Cremona, Woodworking, Chris from Clickspring, Metalworking wizardry, and the dream of the crop of 3d printers. Thank you, what a privilege to share in seeing your incredible work, it truly is wondrous, thank you

[@roystevens4333]

I have wanted to do this for years, was planning on a continuous chain embedded in the track. Your application of the motor in the train with an ESP32 is genius.

[@klobiforpresident2254]

If you decide to do something like this on your own and with local power I would suggest using some kind of capacitor (or sc) and recharge it at the breaks / loading area. This would allow continuous operation, unlike a battery, for some added complexity.

[@CylerLink]

the speed makes it necessary to simulate real-life, and it’s satisfying

[@ChasePhilport]

Imagine an API that lets you export coasters from Planet Coaster, RCT, etc. to any size 3D print, and then calculate physical speeds for something like this. That would be amazing.

[@bowieinc]

Simply amazing. Just thought of a fun addition, wouldn’t be hard to make one of the storage areas an automatic charging station for the coaster battery:) Just set up some contacts on the base or side “homed” with an additional magnet post. Great Job!

[@DLCoates1]

Dude, this is literally a dream come true to a lot of different coaster modelers. Thank you good sir for your ingenuity!

[@NicAqueous]

What a cool project! Puts a smile on my face.

[@Jacob_the_Stinky]

The way the roller coaster moves is so calmingly realistic

[@WasatchWind]

Now this is absolutely beautiful. I hope to see model coasters with systems like this, they look way cooler.

[@bonafide9085]

You could use small magnets to help the alignment of the track with the storage track.

[@bytesizedengineering]

Great work! Thanks for sharing this!

[@MisterMosfet]

Wow wow WOW! This thing is beyond cool!

[@shashipancholi]

incredibly satisfying to watch in operation

[@15emo15luke15]

That's so cool, and really damn impressive! And there's so much more you can explore with this. honestly this is like my favourite thing I've seen someone do with 3d printing and hobbyist kit. Can't wait to see what you do next!

[@ianmccormick833]

This has been so cool to see built!

[@D4mations]

Absolutely one of theeeee best things I’ve seen on the net in years!!!!!

[@flowerstone3d]

Absolutely impressive!!

[@mark4prez20]

So cool! Mind blowing. Looks so realistic running!

[@gelatinskeleton8745]

My man, this is so utterly wonderful.

[@n3lis94]

That is so wonderful to watch! Mesmerizing to see it go through the track like that, amazing job!

[@andrewyates1789]

Great job! This is an amazing personal project with high-quality results.

[@joshuameldru4004]

Just amazing!! Very impressive work!

[@b9y]

NO WAY. I had this idea for YEARS to build a roller coaster that simulates real physics, and I searched for a LONG time for resources on how to build my own. Jesus man you're a genius, doing what I couldn't, because I'm a potato with no engineering skills. Honestly, I would buy one at a good price, I think there's a market for it...especially if you add the option to control the speed yourself as a "mode". Maybe even partner with theme parks and get famous coasters made. I would cry if I could build Nemesis from Alton Towers with all the scenery 😂

[@knoptop]

This is awesome! Great work

[@tommythetooth9395]

This is actually amazing!!

[@HappyAchterhooker]

Absolutely beautiful, well done!

[@user-pr5wp2om7x]

Incredible!

[@Tristan559]

I've been waiting for someone to do scaled physics and you pulled it off. Bravo!

[@sethdymondlee]

This real model coaster is dope! And funny how accurate with weight motion and sound it makes! Well done!

[@jamiekawabata7101]

Amazing! Great work!

[@LancerThomas]

Outstanding work!!

[@Scott-pk5mg]

Awesome!

[@Leafyfpv]

Props! awesome fun project

[@charlessnowgillingham9165]

This is amazing! Also love the coasters sounds as it goes around the track

[@OneAdam12Adam]

Very impressive! Not just the construction was astounding, but the whole planning, conceptualization, printing, engineering of the motorized car, the Raspberry Pi and your iPad app. Mind blowing!

[@amethystrose7647]

Wow, now that is cool!!!! I couldn't stop smiling, Thanks for sharing!

[@StevenStGelais]

Great work! Shows what you can do with a 3D printer! No tool more versatile for modeling things like this

[@CnfuD-Choticstreaming]

Awesome and inspiring stuff!

[@JerseyDevils21]

This looks awesome! I love it 😍

[@adrienguidat6805]

Brilliant!

[@Zebra_M]

That looks amazing. I always wondered if something like this was possible but had never seen it made real yet. Love the design choices you made, both visually and technically!

[@maxrage2104]

New sub bro! That's dedication I love watching people do things they love! Great coaster

[@philbro020]

That's awesome!

[@tortigos74]

This is actually very cool !!!

[@jescereal]

Freaking cool! On some rollercoasters I remember a distinct slow down right before getting on the large hill chain. Sort of felt like a delay before the chain would catch the car and pull it up

[@IanBradleytheinventor]

The amount of work that went into this was epic. Great work Jon!

[@FullFledged2010]

Now this is cool!!! 🙌🙌

[@tbc...]

This is brilliant. Amazing project.

[@HobbyGenix]

Holy smokes, this is awesome!!! One of the nearly insurmountable issues with scale models is scaling physics, but here you have done it superbly! This would translate to anyone trying to do motion at a scale, great job!

[@juliosnap]

This is awesome! It's nice to see people take on ambitious projects.

[@GiacomoMasciadri]

Dude, this Is Amazing! Very good job

[@brandoncanfield1725]

This is incredible! Fantastic stuff

[@coasterp2199]

Very cool project. Nicely done.

[@_Mackan]

This is amazing!

[@kobie4238]

This is insaneee💪🏾

[@briansherling5515]

Brilliant bit of engineering! Beautifully done!

[@baconatorman3770]

This is really cool!

[@thesleepydriver]

That is absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing it with us. :)

[@grantscott1686]

This is so cool!

[@Jeffreysuper61McELroy]

I love this it's so cool to see 3d printing being used for this. Are the files public?

[@jorianrennen2742]

This is so satisfying 😍

[@TheFringes.]

This is the greatest model I've ever seen, the consistent issue with all the other models is the speed making it look so unrealistic, but you solved it perfectly

[@MasterThief117]

This is SO HECKING COOL! The design methodology and your explanation is just wonderful. Thank you for sharing this with us!

[@inkydrinky2692]

Incredible... All dressed up I can see this in a nice office or house. How it moves is captivating!

[@OmniShadesGaming]

This is incredible!

[@adnamamedia]

this is one of the coolest things I've ever seen

[@kalashin1529]

awesome project! nice job! well done!

[@yogician]

Very cool!

[@PatJones82]

Outstanding! Well done sir. Well done!

[@jywilson99]

Amazing work and your use of a parametric design is brilliant!

[@sanches2]

i wanted to write the same thing!

[@malsuk]

Great project well done!!

[@crangos]

Definitely needs Rollercoaster Tycoon sound effects matched to the acceleration. Gorgeous and really cool!

[@jonnyf1948]

This is SO sick

[@I.no.ah.guy57]

Dude this is awesome! I dont think ive seen someone make a fully 3D printed rollercoaster. But its beautifully done, sir! Bouta sub right now

[@gamercj6501]

This is probably the coolest thing I've ever seen! As a maker myself, I wish I had the time and skills to do something like this!

[@maisaanmufeed438]

Now this is wonderful content, i swear dude if you make content like this for us, you would blow up, rn too you are hella under rated, the amount of incredible talent you have is amazing

[@NewEnglandModz]

That is so f**ing cool! I’ve always loved Knex, but seeing this operate in a slowed down version to match real physics at the scale it’s supposed to be at is unreal looking. Amazing work!

[@mitchib1440]

This is absolutely beautiful! I'm blown away by how well it all works together. Making it app controlled is just showing off hahaha Well done!

[@angryalbatross8948]

A very cool project. Such a simple idea of making a model roller coaster but the execution and the attention to detail is epic. Respect your work keep it up.

[@nthdesign]

I have a couple questions. My apologies if I missed the answers in your video. And, please don’t feel obligated to answer or divulge your “secret sauce!” 1. Did you print these FDM or SLA? 2. When you said that you printed the track pieces flat and then heated/bent/glued them into shape… did you print the entire track piece flat, or just the gear strip? 3. Does your custom software act as a script to “automate” Autodesk Inventor? In other words, does it read the CSV file and then use that data to automate certain actions in Inventor? I seriously hope this is your resume for Bolliger & Mabillard or Disney Imagineering. Very impressive and entertaining.

[@Slim1986]

Amazing!!!!! Never seen this before

[@alextheferret5674]

This was very cool!

[@Binxalot]

You're glossing over the massive amount of time spent coding this project, are you going to make a follow up video about the software you created to make the coaster design or the web app to control the train?

[@coledavidson5630]

Wow that is pretty realistic

[@cuocoexplores87]

This is an absolutely fantastic project! Very well built, super clean! Love the wireless controller setup! 😍💪👊

[@TheKnexMaker]

AMAZING! I want it!

[@StainOnRug]

Incredible

[@-djs]

Awesome,

[@nthdesign]

This is outstanding work, and I thoroughly enjoyed your explanation of the project. As others have said in the comments, interdisciplinary projects like this are fantastic because they give you the opportunity to solve problems across domains in service of building something impressive.

[@vrstepper1204]

Thank you for sharing your work! It is really cool! :D