Water parks are constantly evolving and their attractions are incorporating facilities with increasingly advanced features and a greater technological component. Water slides are an example of this trend.
One of the most common slides in water parks is the so-called Black Hole, which consists of a closed, opaque tube. However, thanks to the darkness in its interior, it is possible to add diverse special light and sound effects to the ride. In this way, the user will enjoy a surprisingly immersive experience when riding down the slide at full speed.
The technology used to achieve these lighting effects is known as Digital Multiplex (DMX). It is a system widely used in the leisure and tourism industry, amongst others, to control intelligent lighting equipment and special effects devices. The DMX protocol mainly focuses on RGB LED and Neon-LED technology, as they offer high efficiency and a wide variety of colours.
With the appropriate devices (Drivers, Splitters, Decoders and the USB-DMX controller) it is possible to program different lighting scenarios, previously defined and sequenced by means of specific software.
The combination of lighting effects and the speed of the slide’s descent offers a memorable, unique and attractive experience, much appreciated by users. The possibility of recreating multiple lighting scenarios on the same slide, at the user’s request, encourages its use and repeat visits by the public.
By Francisco Lozano, senior MEP engineer in Amusement Logic’s Architecture Department.
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