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Spinning tunnel
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Spinning tunnel
Spinning tunnels—which are also known as vortex tunnels or rotating tunnels—are devices used at haunted attractions and amusement parks. When people walk through the center of a spinning tunnel they can experience vertigo and a loss of equilibrium as their brains receive conflicting signals from their bodies and senses. Also a pseudo force (imaginary) is felt by them when walking through the tunnel since the brain tries to make sense of the things happening around the patron, hence a pseudo centrifugal force is felt by them.
The traditional version of the spinning tunnel consists of a tube made up of a series of rings which is typically up to 10 feet (3.0 m) high and up to 20 feet (6.1 m) long. The tunnel liner bears images or designs that create the illusion of movement while the tunnel is in motion.
Another type of tunnel uses a stationary tube with LEDs or rope lighting embedded in the walls which light up in patterns designed to mimic motion.
Laser tunnels that can be contained in a domed enclosure are favored by the home haunting industry. Made from parts acquired at local hardware or discount department store, the tunnels are built using LEDs, incandescent or fluorescent lights, blacklights or lasers—or any combination thereof—paired up with a laser vortex. The laser vortex lighting system projects a rotating pattern onto the mist or fog provided by a fog machine, creating the illusion of a moving vortex.
Traversing the tunnel is a beam bridge, usually about 36 inches (91 cm) wide and about 15 inches (38 cm) high, which provides the pathway for visitors to pass through the attraction. Handrails securely fastened along the length of the bridge are necessary for the safety of the participants. Lighting for the tunnel can be mounted under the eaves of the bridge or beneath the handrails, and may consist of rotating colored lights, high-powered LED lights, laser lights or blacklight fixtures. In the case of the laser vortex tunnel, the lighting may be mounted on the floor. The bridges or walkways can be designed to tilt, wobble or vibrate as visitors proceed along the path, providing unstable footing and causing a further loss of balance.
For those tunnels not enclosed in buildings, there are various types of enclosures designed to protect the tunnel from the weather and vandals, and to keep visitors safe from contact with moving parts.
Spinning tunnels depend upon creating sensory confusion between the kinesthetic system, the vestibular system and the visual system. The body's sense of the motion and the position of the limbs is provided by sensors in the joints, the semicircular canals within the inner ears provide sensory data for the head's position relative to the ground, and the eyes provide input concerning where the body is in relationship to its external environment. The spinning tunnel creates an optical illusion affecting the visual system that is in conflict with the other two sensory systems. Because vision is the most developed of the human senses, the visual system overrides the other sensory systems, causing the brain to believe that the bridge is moving. This belief interferes with the sense of balance and induces dizziness and vertigo. Aristotle noted the effect while observing a waterfall, noticing that over time the water seemed to stop moving and the rocks protruding through the waterfall seemed to be moving upward. This phenomenon has come to be known as the waterfall illusion.
The rotating tunnel consists of a cylinder made of large rings secured together by trusses, rods, or braces. Typically 8–10 feet (2.4–3.0 m) in diameter and 10–20 feet (3.0–6.1 m) in length, the rings of the cylinder ride on hard rubber tires, large pulleys or spoked rims (as found on a bicycle without the tire). One of the wheels is connected by a belt or chain to an AC motor which drives the cylinder at a rate of 4–10 revolutions per minute (rpm). Some varieties use a motor mounted above the tunnel. The tunnel is easily stopped as there is no direct connection between the motor and the tunnel. The tunnel is lined with fabric or plastic sheeting that has been painted or imprinted with various designs or images. When the tunnel is rotating, the designs or images create the illusion of movement counter to the rotation. Running through the tunnel is a suspended bridge, usually 28–36 inches (710–910 mm) wide and 8–16 inches (200–410 mm) high. At 36 inches wide, the bridge is wheelchair-accessible. Handrails line the bridge to keep patrons from falling off the sides into the rotating tube, preventing injury to themselves or damage to the tunnel.
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Spinning tunnel AI simulator
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Spinning tunnel
Spinning tunnels—which are also known as vortex tunnels or rotating tunnels—are devices used at haunted attractions and amusement parks. When people walk through the center of a spinning tunnel they can experience vertigo and a loss of equilibrium as their brains receive conflicting signals from their bodies and senses. Also a pseudo force (imaginary) is felt by them when walking through the tunnel since the brain tries to make sense of the things happening around the patron, hence a pseudo centrifugal force is felt by them.
The traditional version of the spinning tunnel consists of a tube made up of a series of rings which is typically up to 10 feet (3.0 m) high and up to 20 feet (6.1 m) long. The tunnel liner bears images or designs that create the illusion of movement while the tunnel is in motion.
Another type of tunnel uses a stationary tube with LEDs or rope lighting embedded in the walls which light up in patterns designed to mimic motion.
Laser tunnels that can be contained in a domed enclosure are favored by the home haunting industry. Made from parts acquired at local hardware or discount department store, the tunnels are built using LEDs, incandescent or fluorescent lights, blacklights or lasers—or any combination thereof—paired up with a laser vortex. The laser vortex lighting system projects a rotating pattern onto the mist or fog provided by a fog machine, creating the illusion of a moving vortex.
Traversing the tunnel is a beam bridge, usually about 36 inches (91 cm) wide and about 15 inches (38 cm) high, which provides the pathway for visitors to pass through the attraction. Handrails securely fastened along the length of the bridge are necessary for the safety of the participants. Lighting for the tunnel can be mounted under the eaves of the bridge or beneath the handrails, and may consist of rotating colored lights, high-powered LED lights, laser lights or blacklight fixtures. In the case of the laser vortex tunnel, the lighting may be mounted on the floor. The bridges or walkways can be designed to tilt, wobble or vibrate as visitors proceed along the path, providing unstable footing and causing a further loss of balance.
For those tunnels not enclosed in buildings, there are various types of enclosures designed to protect the tunnel from the weather and vandals, and to keep visitors safe from contact with moving parts.
Spinning tunnels depend upon creating sensory confusion between the kinesthetic system, the vestibular system and the visual system. The body's sense of the motion and the position of the limbs is provided by sensors in the joints, the semicircular canals within the inner ears provide sensory data for the head's position relative to the ground, and the eyes provide input concerning where the body is in relationship to its external environment. The spinning tunnel creates an optical illusion affecting the visual system that is in conflict with the other two sensory systems. Because vision is the most developed of the human senses, the visual system overrides the other sensory systems, causing the brain to believe that the bridge is moving. This belief interferes with the sense of balance and induces dizziness and vertigo. Aristotle noted the effect while observing a waterfall, noticing that over time the water seemed to stop moving and the rocks protruding through the waterfall seemed to be moving upward. This phenomenon has come to be known as the waterfall illusion.
The rotating tunnel consists of a cylinder made of large rings secured together by trusses, rods, or braces. Typically 8–10 feet (2.4–3.0 m) in diameter and 10–20 feet (3.0–6.1 m) in length, the rings of the cylinder ride on hard rubber tires, large pulleys or spoked rims (as found on a bicycle without the tire). One of the wheels is connected by a belt or chain to an AC motor which drives the cylinder at a rate of 4–10 revolutions per minute (rpm). Some varieties use a motor mounted above the tunnel. The tunnel is easily stopped as there is no direct connection between the motor and the tunnel. The tunnel is lined with fabric or plastic sheeting that has been painted or imprinted with various designs or images. When the tunnel is rotating, the designs or images create the illusion of movement counter to the rotation. Running through the tunnel is a suspended bridge, usually 28–36 inches (710–910 mm) wide and 8–16 inches (200–410 mm) high. At 36 inches wide, the bridge is wheelchair-accessible. Handrails line the bridge to keep patrons from falling off the sides into the rotating tube, preventing injury to themselves or damage to the tunnel.
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