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Bill Desowitz presented six questions to a host of schools and has compiled the first collection of some of the answers.

By Guest (not verified) | Friday, July 9, 2004 at 12:00am

Could the influence of the entertainment industry upon architecture actually go the other way? Arup right now is part of a collaborative research program that has developed the worlds first motion simulator to accurately reproduce wind-induced movement in tall buildings. The main goal of the research is to revise international guidelines used to assess occupant tolerance of tall building motion in wind.

The simulator reproduces the low amplitude, low-frequency, two-degrees-of-freedom, narrow-band random motion typical of that found in tall buildings during windstorms. Following visits to the simulator, their clients have experienced what their buildings will feel like during severe windstorms, which means they can make educated decisions on various aspects of building design.

So, hold onto your hats, folks. This could prove to be a vital innovation for the entertainment industry. Imagine what would happen if new theaters were designed to include a motion simulator. That day when you can sit in a theater and actually feel what it is like to sink on the Titanic or swirl around in a tornado or get caught in a hurricane at sea may not be far away.

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