# A poll: what do you call that thing... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-call-that-thing/390890 "2007-02-05T04:42:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-call-that-thing/390890/1 "2007-02-05T04:42:24Z")
…consisting of concentric metal circles, that a person is strapped into, and spins around… Oh, heck. Here’s a [picture](http://www.iluvaparty.com/childrens-rides.htm) on someone’s website. Scroll down, they call it a Gyro-Orbitron. ( :rolleyes: ) I’ve got one to sell, and I really don’t know what to list it as on eBay! Ta in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-call-that-thing/390890/2 "2007-02-05T05:02:41Z")
It _is_ called a Gyro-Orbitron, according to every outfit I’ve found that sells the thing. Google is your friend. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-call-that-thing/390890/3 "2007-02-05T05:03:55Z")
Moving statement calling for fact instead of opinion from IMHO to General Questions, just in case someone comes up with a different answer. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-call-that-thing/390890/4 "2007-02-05T05:21:28Z")
A more generic term for this type of device is a [gimbal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimbal), if you’d rather avoid the brand name for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-call-that-thing/390890/5 "2007-02-05T05:37:27Z")
I thought that thing was a Multi-Axis Trainer. Or at least, that’s what they called it in _Space Camp_, which I’m sure was a well-researched and educational documentary. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-call-that-thing/390890/6 "2007-02-05T05:47:15Z")
Thanks for the input so far; I neglected to mention that I’m in Australia, and restricting gyro orbitron Google results to Aussie sites gives [few results](http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=gyro+orbitron&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryAU). I was hoping for a more generic term. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-call-that-thing/390890/7 "2007-02-05T05:56:02Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] I thought that thing was a Multi-Axis Trainer. Or at least, that’s what they called it in _Space Camp_, which I’m sure was a well-researched and educational documentary. [/QUOTE] [It looks like you’re right, **Chronos**!](http://www.reachuplink.org/maclaunch/sim_mat.html) ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-call-that-thing/390890/8 "2007-02-05T13:21:15Z")
One season they had one of these in one of the bars at the resort I worked at. We called it the Hurl-a-tron.