On-ride camera

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An on-ride camera is a camera mounted along side the track of a roller coaster (or a similar ride) that automatically photographs all of the riders on passing trains. They are usually mounted at the most intense part of the ride, resulting in the funniest possible pictures. The pictures are available for viewing and purchase at a booth outside the ride's exit.

After exiting the ride, customers view their pictures on display screens in the on-ride photo building. The photographs are usually displayed in groups of two, four or include the whole ride vehicle. Signs placed around the display area warn of the time limit that customers have to purchase a photo. Most mention that their photo will be deleted within minutes unless they purchase it. This is to save space on the venue's hardware, and to make room for other riders. If the customer decides to purchase his or her ride photo, they take the accompanying number displayed on-screen to a cashier. The cashier usually displays the photo upclose, so the customer can make a final decision. After a successful transaction, the photo is sent to be printed, usually within minutes. A worker places the photo into a display device, usually a keychain or printed cardboard photo packet.

One of the more unusual camera configurations can be found on Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point and Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. It has two cameras, one during the launch and one at the end of the brake run. The two photos are displayed and purchased side-by-side as a single photo, and cannot be purchased separately. This system was designed and installed by ISI (Innovative Systems) of southern California.