WhyNot?

Safe thrills

Category: Entertainment
Responses: 3 (2 in support, 0 neutral, 1 in opposition)
Number of views: 196
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I have experienced the strange disorientation manifested in the 360 degree projection screens of Circlerama where the audience would sway with the swing of the camera which created the moving scenes of going up and down hills at high speed. Modern roller coasters have suffered a series of disastrous accidents in recent years indicating real dangers in the apparatus.If the projection screen were not a circle, but a full sphere, the wild experiences of flying and falling could be simulated with much more verisimilitude. The "passengers" could be supported on n floor made of a steel grill which would be suspended in the center of the sphere and the seats would be placed far enough apart to give the audience a view through the openwork of the floor to the hemisphere screen underneath. The screen itself could be an inflated sphere of white vinyl canvas. I know this sphere is possible because I used it in an exhibition in Germany in the 1960's.The movement of the audience would be virtual, but very convincing. The same principle could be used for a planetarium which would give the audience the impression of being suspended in space.

sand, Jan 12 2004

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I have considered this before but always get stuck on one point. WHere does the projection come from? If it is a sphere screen then the projecter must emitt the picture outwards from a sphere. The audience would be in the way. and Is this even physically possible? The only other way to do it would be to have the screen project inward as if the entire sphere was a plasma screen but the sphere shape makes this unlikely

JKelsey05, Aug 23 2004

The circarama system has projectors in the posts that divide the screens. A spherical system could have multiple projectors in a central small sphere much as planetarium projects from a central mechanism. Alternatively the projectors could be mounted exterior to the sphere and the sphere screen material could be translucent enough to transmit the light to the interior surface.Another very expensive alternative would be an active screen composed of leds much as the large screen advertising screens used on Times Square in New York.

sand, Sep 06 2004

These rides exist, but they are not as fun. The sensation is nowhere near comparable to that of a rollercoaster. The amount of accidents in roller coasters have been very few. The atractions ou propose cost about as much as a rollercoaster to build but do not last as long. The novelty of an movie with a moving floor wears off within a few years. The movie might be topical and loose its appeal soon, though the movie could be replaced the ride is basicly the same. This might be acceptable if it was actualy thrilling. 100+ year old rollercoasters still sell and get lines. Mantinence is necisisary but they pay off. How long would you propose your ride be, if it is short people will feel ripped off and if it is long it will be boring and make huge lines. 2 minutes is a fine length for a rollercoaster though some would consider it long and others short. Also, rollercosters can run multiple trains, something that movie theaters cannot without doubling the cost of their building.

DrLZRDMN, Dec 06 2004