Ames Room Illusion

This entry was posted in cognitive psychology fun facts and optical illusions and tagged ames room ames room illusion attention perception philip zimbardo visual illusion on april 13 2012 by wip.

Ames room illusion.

He based his design on a concept originally conceived by hermann helmholtz in the late 19th century. Experience how a person walking back or forth grows and shrinks before your very eyes in this incredible room of illusions. In 1946 and constructed in the following year. Named for its creator american ophthalmologist adelbert ames jr the first ames room was built in 1946 based on the late nineteenth century concept of german scientist hermann von helmholtz.

To the audience it looks as an ordinary room but it is cleverly distorted so that visitors experience an amazing visual illusion. An ames room is a distorted room that creates an optical illusion likely influenced by the writings of hermann helmholtz citation needed it was invented by american scientist adelbert ames jr. In one corner a giant in the other a miniature. An ames room is viewed with one eye through a peephole through the peephole the room appears to be an ordinary rectangular cuboid with a back wall.

Upon viewing people or objects within an ames room there is a loss of normal perspective.