Impossible motion: magnet-like slopes

Winner of the Best Visual Illusion of the Year Contest 2010
http://illusioncontest.neuralcorrelate.com
Koukichi Sugihara
Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences, Japan

In this video, wooden balls roll up the slopes just as if they are pulled by a magnet. The behavior of the balls seems impossible, because it is against the gravity. The video is not a computer graphic, but a real scene. What is actually happening is that the orientations of the slopes are perceived oppositely, and hence the descending motion is misinterpreted as ascending motion. This illusion is remarkable in that it is generated by a three-dimensional solid object and physical motion, instead of a two-dimensional picture.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• MagnetLikeSlopes

[SehtestBilder]

Thumbs up for balls rolling up!

Well done!

[ealatis]

Fuckin' magnets how do they work?

[sexyinthegame]

NICE!

[CrazySteve113]

@ee7klt It only works because of the camera. You could look at it in real life from the angle shown in the video, and your eye would pick up on it. The 2D monitor of the camera (or your computer, better yet) makes it happen.

[CrazySteve113]

@anilsingh43 Did you pay attention in High School Science? It's just a matter of perspective. The camera is set to the side while the tracks are bent so that when they are viewed on a 2D camera display, the tracks look as if they are rolling up, while in reality, they are bent down toward the middle.

[AmeanAF]

I have a question is the whole model on a flat level table or something? Or is the whole model being held at an angle, I get how the columns are, and the ramps. but is the whole platform angled or flat leveled during the demo?

[ee7klt]

does this work only for this particular camera angle? what if we were to view it in real life?

[anilsingh43]

this cant be true

[sbwtws]

nice..

[HigginsObvious]

If you're quicker then me you might notice the fact that the balls take far longer to roll "up" the close ramp the first time around :P

[Voice301Blue]

super



[abenkbp]

i thought it because of magnets.. lol