Cardboard Auto Flipbook
An Arduino was used to automate this mechanical moving picture display.
Way before the Internet, or GIFs to share a funny or instructional idea, one could make simple animations in a flipbook. Whether a few random sketches in an existing book, or a dedicated animation tome, flipping through these pages causes the series of pictures to appear to your mind as movement. It’s the same sort of concept used in modern display methods, and can still be entertaining if you want a short distraction.
To make his own custom flipbook, Barqunics used the Maker Tool on this flipbookit webpage, turning a short video into a series of printed pictures that make a sunrise. He then constructed a frame out of cardboard for a machine that you can crank by hand.
Taking things a bit further, he added on a frame to house an Arduino Uno, motor driver, and 9V power supply. The motor was attached to the opposite side of the device’s central shaft to the crank, and an ultrasonic sensor was also included to allow the sun to rise on paper automatically when you approach.
This flipping display methodology could of course be used for any sort of imagery you’d like. With careful timing, via a stepper or the like, one could even see it implemented as a numeric or character display.