Toyota and engineering team Deeplocal converged their skills and efforts in an attempt to create a self-sustaining Toyota Prius roller coaster. The coaster car was a 2011 Prius donated by Toyota, and the steel coaster track was custom-created by the team. The idea was that as the car sped down drops in the track and braked near the bottom, the intense friction would convert into energy to be stored for future use.
The completed Toyota Prius roller coaster did just that; the project was a success and is inspiring to see. A single drop alone collected enough energy to light up an amusement park, proving that the future of natural energy production isn't so dark.
The Deeplocal and Toyota Prius roller coaster project is a groundbreaking and enlightening one.
Self-Sustaining Roller Coasters
The Toyota Prius Rollercoaster Creates and Collects Energy
Trend Themes
1. Self-sustaining Roller Coasters - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop roller coasters that generate and collect energy to power amusement parks.
2. Friction Energy Conversion - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Find ways to convert the intense friction of roller coaster cars into usable energy for various applications.
3. Natural Energy Production - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore innovative methods of harnessing natural energy sources like roller coaster technology for sustainable power generation.
Industry Implications
1. Amusement Parks - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement self-sustaining roller coasters in amusement parks to reduce dependence on traditional power sources.
2. Automotive - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Collaborate with engineering teams to develop energy-efficient and energy-generating vehicles, like the Toyota Prius roller coaster.
3. Renewable Energy - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Apply the concept of friction energy conversion to other renewable energy sources and explore their potential for efficient power generation.