For more than 100 years, every Ferris wheel on the planet was roughly the same size and height as the 1893 original. But in 2000, something changed: London debuted the London Eye, an enormous juggernaut of a tourist trap. Its success sparked a global race to build higher and faster wheels in the sky—and it’s only heating up. So who’s winning?
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What would you do if you had a time machine? Go watch the ancient Egyptian pyramids being built? Hang out with Jesus and turn some water into wine? Kill Hitler, maybe? These are all, no doubt, noble endeavors. But I’ve often said—and I stand by this—that if I had a time machine, I’d go visit the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.
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I love a good amusement park ride as much as the next guy, but even I might have some second thoughts about riding on this unusual double ferris wheel if it ever showed up at my local Six Flags.
Designed by the frequently whimsical, always creative team at Art Lebedev Studios, the Attraktsionus concept would link two ferris wheels together with a single set of cars that can travel between them.
Presumably, some sort of giant belts or cables would drive the cars between the two wheels, thus combining the sensation of riding a ferris wheel with that of a gondala ride. Thanks to the different wheel sizes, the whole thing looks like a giant bicycle chain when viewed from a distance.
I’m doubtful that we’ll ever see this ride turn up at real world amusement parks, but I do think it would be cool to create a whole series of fantastic and impossible rides like this. Oh yeah, there already is…
1893 marked the 400 year anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the New World. To commemorate the anniversary, the 51st US Congress of 1890 declared that a great fair—the World’s Columbian Exposition—would be held on April 9th of 1893 in Chicago and Daniel H. Burnham, father of the skyscraper, would oversee its construction. If only he could find enough civil engineers to pull it off. More »
I am quite sure that many of us who are in our early 30s and older would have had fond memories of heading off to the fun fair when we were little kids, and the ferris wheel was always one of the attractions which should not be missed. Of course, those with less intestinal fortitude would be happy with bumper cars, disturbing clowns who get around on stilts, as well as sitting in one of those spinning teacups. Well, here is a way for you to commemorate your childhood memories with the $129.95 Motorized Ferris Wheel Construction Set.
This particular construction kit will form a motorized, rotating Ferris wheel, and in total there are 890 parts so you know for sure this is not the toy to get for your hyperactive 5 year old. The 890 parts will comprise of plastic girders, connectors, and gears which require no glue as they snap together in order to form the 23″-tall Ferris wheel’s platform, frame, and eight swiveling passenger cars.
The motor is battery-powered, where a quartet of spur gears will help rotate the wheel clockwise or counter clockwise at eight revolutions per minute, helping recreate the intricate mechanical design and leisurely pace which rolls back the years. It requires a couple of AA batteries to run, and comes with a color, step-by-step instruction manual to help the uninitiated.
[ Motorized Ferris Wheel Construction Set copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
I’ve always thought one the most interesting landmarks in England was the London Eye. I would call it a ferris wheel, as I think most people from the US would, but it’s simply known as the Eye in the UK. A former British Olympic athlete named Daley Thompson has come up with a plan to help use the massive ferris wheel to promote the London Olympic Games kicking off soon.
Working with EDF Energy, the wheel’s sponsor, an algorithm will sort through positive and negative tweets sent with the tag #Energy2012. The wheel will be lit up depending on the portion of positive comments sent with the tag. The algorithm was designed by experts on sentiment analysis. For example, if 75% of the tweets are positive, 75% of the wheel will be lit. The more positivity, the more lights.
The wheel will also be lit up in various color patterns to celebrate major sporting moments of the day. If you want help control how much of the massive wheel is lit, you need to start tweeting when the games kick off. The last show will be held each night at 2100 BST that the Olympics are underway.
[via BBC]
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