Modernizing the Phenakistoscope with Arduino

Invented in the 1830s, the phenakistiscope is regarded as the first widespread animation device that created a fluent illusion of motion. This ingeniously simple apparatus is a disc with a series of pictures that are broken up by slits. This allows an individual to spin it and view the images progressively through a mirror, similar to frames of film. The concept paved the way for movies and television that we see today.

In this project, Nick Lim (AKA jollifactory) has come up with his own take on the venerable phenakistoscope, employing strobing light instead of slits in a disk to create the illusion of motion. The benefit is that while the original p-scopes were a single-person affair, this setup can be watched by several people at once.

The device spins picture disks using a repurposed CD/DVD player brushless DC motor (BLDC), driven by an Arduino Nano with the help of two L293D ICs. To substitute for slits, the Arduino strobes overhead lighting via a MOSFET, breaking up the spinning images into distinct frames.

The build is demonstrated in the video below, showing off mesmerizing looping video like a very old-school GIF gadget. Instructions for making your own are found in this project writeup, and a kit is available on Tindie to get you started!