This Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion is a peripheral drift illusion. The Ferris wheel appears to rotate, but the image is completely static. If you are having trouble getting it to work for you, try staring directly at the blue dot in the center or diverting your gaze slightly to the left or the right.
The Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion is a fascinating example of how our brains can be tricked into perceiving motion and movement in static images. It’s a testament to the power of our visual system and the way that our brains interpret the world around us.
If you are interested in learning more about the Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion, scroll down to read more about it.
Table of Contents
- What is the Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion?
- How does the Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion work?
- Some Similar Illusions
- References and Resources
What is the Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion?
The Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion is an example of a type of optical illusion known as a “peripheral drift illusion,” which creates the impression of a moving Ferris wheel in a static image.
The Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion is a fascinating example of how our brains can be tricked into perceiving motion and movement in static images. It’s a testament to the power of our visual system and the way that our brains interpret the world around us.
How does the Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion work?
Peripheral drift illusions, like the Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion are a type of optical illusion that creates the impression of motion and movement in static images. They work by taking advantage of the way that our visual system processes information about edges, contrast, and orientation.
In a peripheral drift illusion, a pattern of lines or shapes is arranged in a way that creates an impression of rotation or movement, even though the image itself is static. The key to this illusion is that the edges of the pattern are tilted at different angles, which creates an impression of motion in our peripheral vision.
As we move our eyes across the image, the edges of the pattern appear to move and shift, creating the impression of motion and rotation. This effect is strongest in our peripheral vision, which is more sensitive to motion and less sensitive to fine details than our central vision.
Peripheral drift illusions work because our visual system is constantly processing information about edges, contrast, and orientation in the environment around us. By manipulating these visual cues in a precise way, peripheral drift illusions can create the impression of motion and movement in static images, leading to a fascinating and sometimes perplexing visual experience.
Some Similar Illusions
There are many other optical illusions that rely on similar principles to the Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion. Here are a few examples:
- The Pinwheel Tiling illusion: This illusion features a series of overlapping circles with curved lines, which create the impression of rotating pinwheels.
- The Cafe Wall illusion: This illusion features a series of black and white horizontal lines that appear to be tilted due to the way that the lines and spaces between them are arranged.
- The Rotating Snakes illusion: This illusion features a series of concentric circles with curved lines that create the impression of rotating snakes.
- The Hermann Grid illusion: This illusion features a grid of black squares with white spaces in between, where gray dots appear at the intersections of the white spaces. These dots seem to disappear when the eye moves to look directly at them.
- The Motion Aftereffect illusion: This illusion occurs when the eye becomes adapted to looking at a moving stimulus, and then looks at a stationary scene which appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
- Slithering Snakes Illusion: This Slithering Snakes Illusion by Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka is a type of optical illusion known as a “peripheral drift illusion,” which creates the impression of motion and slithering snakes in a static image.
All of these illusions rely on manipulating our perception of edges, contrast, and motion to create a visual experience that differs from the reality of the image itself.
References and Resources
In addition to the Rotating Ferris Wheel Illusion, check out our complete list of illusions.
A Ferris wheel is a large, rotating amusement ride that consists of a giant wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim. The wheel is typically supported by a large steel frame, and the passenger cars are attached to the rim of the wheel by spokes. The ride is powered by an electric motor, which turns the wheel and rotates the passenger cars.
Ferris wheels are a popular attraction at amusement parks, carnivals, and fairs, and they provide riders with a thrilling view from high above the ground. The world’s tallest Ferris wheel is currently the High Roller in Las Vegas, which stands at 550 feet tall.