Vekoma Madhouse
Encyclopedia
A Vekoma Madhouse is a flat ride manufactured by Vekoma
. The ride is designed to be an optical
and physical illusion
, consisting of several rows of seats attached to a swaying gondola
within a rotating drum. The ride creates the impression that the rider is turning upside down, whereas it is actually the room that is moving around them.
. Several Madhouses feature pre-shows explaining a story behind the ride. Once in the ride, lapbars are lowered onto the riders, before they gradually experience an odd sense of movement
. This is achieved through two mechanisms - the separate floor can move in a controlled swing from side-to-side by up to 15 degrees in each direction, but the surroundings of the room can rotate through a full 360 degrees. The pivot
mechanism for the floor is hidden by two large objects at the end of the room, which are themed to match the ride.
At this point, both the floor and the room are slowly moving in unison. As the ride continues, the floor starts a separate movement from the rotating drum which gradually gives the impression that the room is rotating backwards and forwards further each time. Vekoma offers theme parks the option of programming their own sequence of how the room and floor move. In many Madhouses, the lighting
subtly changes from moment to moment to add to the disorientation. Eventually, the drum mechanism turns through a full rotation and, by careful synchronisation with the sensation of the swinging floor mechanism, the riders are fooled into feeling as if they themselves are being repeatedly turned upside down.
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
. The ride is designed to be an optical
Optical illusion
An optical illusion is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give a perception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source...
and physical illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
, consisting of several rows of seats attached to a swaying gondola
Gondola
The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in...
within a rotating drum. The ride creates the impression that the rider is turning upside down, whereas it is actually the room that is moving around them.
Ride experience
Madhouses are often extensively themed during the ride sequence, and usually in the queue lineQueue area
Queue areas are places in which people queue for goods or services. Examples include checking out groceries or other goods that have been collected in a self service shop, in a shop without self service, at an ATM, at a ticket desk, a city bus, or in a taxi stand.Queueing is a phenomenon in a...
. Several Madhouses feature pre-shows explaining a story behind the ride. Once in the ride, lapbars are lowered onto the riders, before they gradually experience an odd sense of movement
Movement
-In society and the arts:* Social movement, a coordinated group action focused on a political or social issue* Political movement, a coordinated group action focused on a political issue* Art movement, a tendency or style in art followed by a group of artists...
. This is achieved through two mechanisms - the separate floor can move in a controlled swing from side-to-side by up to 15 degrees in each direction, but the surroundings of the room can rotate through a full 360 degrees. The pivot
Rotation
A rotation is a circular movement of an object around a center of rotation. A three-dimensional object rotates always around an imaginary line called a rotation axis. If the axis is within the body, and passes through its center of mass the body is said to rotate upon itself, or spin. A rotation...
mechanism for the floor is hidden by two large objects at the end of the room, which are themed to match the ride.
At this point, both the floor and the room are slowly moving in unison. As the ride continues, the floor starts a separate movement from the rotating drum which gradually gives the impression that the room is rotating backwards and forwards further each time. Vekoma offers theme parks the option of programming their own sequence of how the room and floor move. In many Madhouses, the lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
subtly changes from moment to moment to add to the disorientation. Eventually, the drum mechanism turns through a full rotation and, by careful synchronisation with the sensation of the swinging floor mechanism, the riders are fooled into feeling as if they themselves are being repeatedly turned upside down.
List of Madhouses
- El Hotel Embrujado, Parque Warner MadridParque Warner MadridParque Warner Madrid is a theme park located 25 km southeast of Madrid, Spain, in the municipality of San Martín de la Vega...
- Hex – the Legend of the Towers, Alton TowersAlton TowersAlton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
- The Haunting, Drayton ManorDrayton ManorDrayton Manor, one of Britain's lost houses, was a British stately home at Drayton Bassett, in the District of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England....
- ImpossibleImpossibleImpossible or Impossibility may refer to:-Law:* Impossibility, a valid legal excuse for non-performance of duties under a contract* Impossibility defense - a legal defense against criminal charges-Fictional characters:...
, Blackpool Pleasure Beach - Villa VoltaVilla VoltaVilla Volta is an attraction in the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It is a rare type of ride known as a Madhouse, which is a sort of haunted house, where the visitors get the illusion that either the building, the visitors themselves or both are turned upside down. It has been...
, EftelingEftelingEfteling is the largest theme park in the Netherlands, and as it opened in 1952, it is one of the oldest theme parks in the world. Efteling is located in the town of Kaatsheuvel, in the municipality of Loon op Zand, and has received over 100 million visitors....
(the first Madhouse in the world) - Houdini's Great EscapeHoudini's Great EscapeHoudini's Great Escape, also known as Boo-dini, is an indoor Vekoma Madhouse attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure. The ride is located in the park's Fantasy Forest section. The attraction opened in 1999, and was SBNO from 2008 - 2009 but was opened again due to popular demand...
, Six Flags Great AdventureSix Flags Great AdventureSix Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation... - Magic House, GardalandGardalandGardaland is the third-most-popular theme park in Europe and is between Peschiera and Lazise, at Lake Garda in Italy. Built on the eastern shore of Lake Garda at Castelnuovo del Garda, the park opened on July 19, 1975. It has expanded steadily in both size and attendance, topping 1 million visitors...
- Maison Houdini, Rainbow MagicLand
- Feng Ju Palace, PhantasialandPhantasialandPhantasialand is an amusement park in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany that attracts approximately 2 million visitors annually. The park was opened in 1967 by Gottlieb Löffelhardt and Richard Schmidt. Although starting as a family-oriented park, Phantasialand has also added thrill rides,...