We were approached by our international client, on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Police Force, to supply a fun Scalextric experience.
Our client approached us, on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Police Force, to supply a pedal-powered Scalextric experience for their public event in 2015. Although we had heard about pedal-powered Scalextric and have plenty of experience in this, it was a new challenge – something we always enjoy!
We researched the current market, finding suppliers in the UK that could offer a pedal powered Scalextric experience. However, the currently available sets were only short courses or two-player sets – whereas we wanted to replicate the feel of our giant 8-player set with added pedal-y goodness. So, we needed to create our own solution that would be unique in the UK and possibly further afield! Assessing the key technical requirements, we realised that controlling the power sent from the bicycles to the Scalextric track would be the most important thing… It turns out that when you’re pedalling away you generate a lot more electrical energy than you would maybe realise! We also made sure that our system would be adjustable so we could fine-tune its operation once we had the bicycles and track set up and working together.
With the greatest challenge overcome – changing human power into Scalextric power – we then looked at the track layout and our transportation method. Using some handy online tools we worked out that the track was going to be around 5m by 2m, far too large to transport in a single section - even in a shipping container! We decided upon a modular design that would allow us to break down the track for safe transportation but still give us a solid base when it was fully set up. Some quick thinking and custom-fitted joints between sections were required to ensure this was possible. In the remaining time left to us there were a couple of late nights finishing the paint job, but finally we completed the project just in time to make our shipping deadline.
Once the kit had arrived on-site in Abu Dhabi, we worked with our client to specify and purchase some suitable bicycles for the experience. Once these were installed we made some on-site modifications to the equipment to ensure that it would last through the duration of the event, tweaking the power sent to the circuit to take account of the additional temperature in Abu Dhabi compared to our warehouse in Burton on Trent!
"The activity was not only aesthetically pleasing but it was great to see people with constant smiles on there faces, apart from when they were out of breath!! The Events House once again provided us with a new and exciting activity that was one of the major successes at this years event."
