The Vertical Drop Slide, also referred to as the "Devil Slide", is a new type of high-stimulus children’s indoor playground equipment that has become a hot item in recent years. It is valued for its vertical stimulation component and is an essential indoor theme slide used to attract visitors and boost a venue's reputation. The playground equipment design, manufacturing and operation require multidisciplinary knowledge and technical specifications and safety requirements. In this article, we will offer an overall analysis of this indoor slide. 1. Definition.
The Vertical Drop Slide is a professional term used to describe a type of kids slide designed on an extreme gradient on a near-vertical plane. The significant difference from conventional gentle slope slides lies in the fact that the objective of the Vertical Drop Slide is not to provide an ordinary ride for relaxation, but rather to deliver a high-intensity stimulation by making the rider be subjected to a sudden drop in altitude and a powerful feeling of acceleration and weightlessness. In the overall planning of an indoor playground, the Vertical Drop Slide is usually a challenging type of indoor playground. It is usually an important part of a soft playground or an indoor playground for sale. 2. Material.
The physical manifestation of the Devil Slide relies on advanced material science and accurate structural engineering. The main slide chute of the Vertical Drop Slide is universally manufactured from Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP). Its unique advantages such as high strength to weight ratio, excellent malleability, corrosion resistance and ability to be finished with smooth and vivid surface make FRP the perfect material for this kind of playground equipment.
From the perspective of structure, to meet the needs of manufacturing, transportation and installation, in order to accommodate the complexities of manufacturing, transportation and on-site installation, large-scale slides are typically manufactured in segmented and modular form. The entire slide is manufactured from several separately manufactured FRP parts which are accurately assembled with high-strength bolts on site. The joint is carefully finished to be perfectly smooth so that the ride is continuous and smooth.
The main types of slides are the straight slide which provides a pure and rapid drop and the wave slide which makes undulations along the path to control the speed and make the ride more interesting. The most popular configuration is usually the parallel multi-lane configuration with two, three, four or even six lanes. In addition, the wide straight slide is also available with one or two wide body lanes. The current trend of combining aesthetics and technology is to embed the programmable LED light strips into or along the edges of the FRP chute so as to achieve flowing light effects. This makes the slide more attractive and adds a strong technological flavor. In addition, the color, pattern and dimension of the slide are all customized according to the theme of the indoor playground and the specific site conditions, mainly the height of the platform and the available space for the run out section.
3. Gameplay.
User procedure for the Devil Slide is highly controlled to ensure the fairness of the experience and rider safety. Users climb up to the launch platform via the climbing structure and follow the instructions of trained staff at the launch platform using a specific sliding mat or pad and in a specific body posture,e.g. lying supine with arms crossed over the chest. Then the user lies on the slide and launches from the starting point and flies rapidly down the steep chute. The user will feel a tremendous acceleration and visual impact as the gravitational potential energy is quickly converted to kinetic energy. The ride ends on a calculated horizontal buffer section (run-out) that safely and smoothly decelerates the user to a stop.
4. Safty.
As a whole process from designing to operating, the safety of Drop Slide is highly controlled and managed by a series of standards. Design, manufacturing, installation and inspection of attractions must comply with relevant national mandatory standards.
In designing, the geometric profile of the slide, including the transition curve of start section, acceleration section and buffer section must be calculated accurately according to dynamics and ergonomics. The rider stays in constant contact with the slide surface during the high-speed travel and will not be ejected. At the same time, the slide must be surrounded by integrated protective sidewalls of certain height and meet the requirements of safety standards.
In installation, the stability and load-carrying capacity of the steel support frame are of utmost importance. All the connection bolts must reach the required torque.
The accuracy of assembly precision of FRP module is very critical. The joint must be smooth and seamless so that there is no possible abrasion or jolting.
In operation and management, professionally trained staff must be configured at the launch platform and landing area. The staff is responsible for guiding the user to ride in the correct body posture, maintaining the riding order and handling unexpected events. The requirements of restriction on rider’s height, weight and health condition must be clearly displayed at an obvious position. It is also essential to configure strict maintenance plan. Daily inspection of slide surface should be conducted. Periodic tightening of structure bolt should be carried out. The annual safety review should be conducted by a third-party qualified institution every year to guarantee the safe operation of facility.