Some researchers study carbon nanotubes — and then there are these guys. Thomas Wagner and his students from Kaiserslautern University in Germany have used an Oculus Rift headset to transform a real rollercoaster into an virtual experience. That’s been done before on the sly, but this time it was legit: the group teamed up with rollercoaster builder Mack Rides, and developed several apps for an Oculus headset and built-in laptops. The VR “rides” are all synced to the motion of two different coasters by tracking their wheels. They include various themes like a wacky flying horse chariot ride, a submarine tour and a space shooter complete with game controller, as shown in the video below. It’s still just a (really fun) experiment, but the coaster maker and researchers are keen to commercialize it at some point. There are still bugs and patents to work out, but probably not the ones you’re thinking of. As shown in the FAQ, the headset won’t fall off, the Oculus sensors work despite extreme g-forces, and no, the VR won’t make you barf.
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