'The Smiler' - the new GBP18 million roller coaster due to open<br />at Alton Towers. These are the hilarious facial expressions of the first thrill-seekers to try out Britain's newest roller-coaster - which includes a record breaking FOURTEEN LOOPS. The stomach-churning ride - called 'The Smiler' - hits speeds<br />of up to 53mph and will open to the public at Alton Towers on May 23.<br />But technicians at the theme park were given a sneak preview on Monday<br />(13) and became the first to test the 18 million mega ride. Using a<br />video camera attached to a helmet, designers used facial recognition<br />technology to identify what emotions the rider goes through whilst on<br />the coaster. The footage has then been run through a complex set of<br />algorithms which track subtle changes in muscle group activation on<br />the rider's face. The final video features the rider's face overlaid<br />with a graphical representation showing fluctuations in the mixture<br />emotions they were experiencing at different points on the ride.
