Fully functional, Arduino‑controlled spring‑launch shuttle roller coaster
7.5 x 1.75 x 3.5 ft Compression Spring Launch Arduino Controlled Flywheel
Background
My first functional roller coaster prototype demonstrated that my design could complete a circuit, but it also exposed two critical shortcomings. First, I underestimated the train mass required for consistent circuit completion — a result of using the minimum calculated lift-hill height rather than building in a safety margin. Second, frictional losses along the track were higher than my calculations predicted. These lessons shaped where my designs needed to go next.
With the foundations I had set, I wanted to approach a new challenge, different from what I had taken on previously. Moving to a shuttle coaster created an entirely new set of design challenges to handle. This model was designed to be as different from the first as possible while pushing the mechanical complexity significantly further.
Below are various images of early-stage physical assembly
