Ames Room is a form of optical illusion.
 Optical illusions are visually perceived
images that differ from the images
reality.
 Ames Room was influenced by Physicist
Hermann von Helmholtz’s writings (1934)
and constructed by ophthalmologist
Adelbert Ames (1935).
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This idea and its’ design relate to many topics
in physics. For example;
› Optics and
› Gravity

Ames room design gives explanation to;
› “Magnetic” and “Gravity” hills
 A gravity hill is an incline in which when a ball is placed
at the bottom, the ball appears to move upwards along
the incline, thus, “defying” gravity.

As stated optical illusions are visually perceived
differently than the actual image. Ames Room
and “Gravity” hills are both examples of optical
illusions.
The unique design of Ames room makes people see
drastic height differences between the people
standing in it. But in actuality… (click link to see an
actual Ames Room)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsCow7Xc58w&f
eature=related
Room Design
Ames room is built so that from the front (or viewer hole) it looks
like an ordinary cube - shaped room, with a back wall, two side
walls parallel to each other and perpendicular to the horizontal
floor and ceiling. BUT, this is a trick of perception and the true
shape of the room is a trapezoid. The side walls are slanted and
the ceiling and floor are at an incline. The right corner is much
closer to the front of the room and the observer than the left
corner (or vice versa).
 As a result of the optical illusion, a person standing in one corner
appears as a giant to the observer, while a person standing in
the other corner appears to be a dwarf. The illusion is convincing
enough that a person walking back and forth from the left
corner to the right corner seems to grow or shrink!
 Studies have shown that this illusion can be re-created without
the use of walls. All that is needed is an apparent horizon for the
human eye to percept the height differences “incorrectly.”

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Ames room, like all other optical illusions,
is possible because we have figured out
the physics of sight and the human eye.
Without this knowledge, things like Ames
room and Gravity hill would not be
possible.