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Aperture Science Unstationary Scaffold

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Testchmb a 080004.jpg
Aperture Science Unstationary Scaffold
General information
Faction

Aperture Science

Type

Moving platform

Usage
Used by

Chell

Game information
Entity

N/A

"Good. Now use the Aperture Science Unstationary Scaffold to reach the chamberlock."
GLaDOS[src]

The Aperture Science Unstationary Scaffold, also called the Track Platform,[1] is a testing element featured in several Test Chambers of the Enrichment Center.

Overview[edit]

Moving along a blue ray similar to the one supporting the elevators that link separate Test Chambers, the Unstationary Scaffold is often used to safely progress above pools of toxic waste. It can be activated by sending an Aperture Science High Energy Pellet in its catcher, putting a Weighted Storage Cube on a Super Button, or redirecting a Thermal Discouragement Beam into a receptacle.

In Portal, before the device starts itself, a mechanism lowers the platform towards the blue beam. Interestingly, the same platform is also included in the second variant of the Victory Lift. Unstationary Scaffolds can also travel downwards, as seen in Chamber 19, where one of them lowers at an angle into the pit of fire.

Unstationary Scaffolds in Portal 2 run on wall-mounted tracks, instead of the blue energy beam. Furthermore, these platforms can also move vertically. In older areas of the Enrichment Center ceiling-mounted Scaffolds can be seen.

As seen on one of its blueprints, the Borealis contains an Unstationary Scaffold.

Behind the scenes[edit]

According to Jeep Barnett, originally, the Scaffolds ran on electrified tracks. However, playtesters would hop along the rails to the exit, bypassing the puzzle entirely. The developers tried to solve this by killing players as soon as they touched the rails but that solution ended up being too much of an over correction, as even skilled playtesters were getting frustrated by these one-hit kills, in the more complex puzzles later in the game. Making the scaffolds run along immaterial beams of light solved both problems.[2]

Gallery[edit]

Portal[edit]

Portal 2[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Main games[edit]

Other[edit]

References[edit]