LED stroboscopes and the Zootrope

The current zootrope consists of a wooden or plexiglass disc with a diameter varying from about 50 cm that can reach up to 160 cm. At the center of the disc there is a motorized rotation axis, for a rotation frequency of about 1200 rpm.

The structure of the zootrope consists of several floors or levels, arranged at equally spaced intervals in height, the number of floors depending on the complexity of the desired animation.

The tops can be made of lightweight materials such as plastic, thin wood or metal, and they must be sturdy enough to support the objects that will be placed on them. The planes are supported by vertical supports that connect them to the base plane, they must be stably fixed to the disc.

The objects placed on the planed structure are the heart of the zootrope, in fact they are the objects that, thanks to the stroboscopic effect, simulate movement: they are arranged in a circle on each plane, with each object representing a frame of the animation.

The objects must be placed equidistant from each other along the circumference of the plane.

Each object on a plane must be vertically aligned with the objects on the upper and lower floors, this creates a vertical column of objects that represents a continuous animated sequence.

To obtain the effect of movement, every single object must show a slight change compared to the previous object, this change depends on the type of object: in the case of a static object such as a food product, every single object will be positioned rotating it a few degrees from one another, to show all its faces over a 360° arc. Instead, in the case of a small statuette representing, for example, a blacksmith who works, each individual object will have a different phase of its work, so that the entire cycle of the work itself is represented, from when the hammer is in the air to when it hits the anvil. Finally, if you want to animate a running horse, the first object could show the horse with its legs in the starting position, the second with its legs slightly advanced, and so on, until it completes a complete cycle of its movement.

As mentioned, the objects must be placed at equidistant intervals along the circumference of the disc, well calculated according to the diameter and speed of rotation of the zootrope. This equidistance is crucial to ensure a smooth and continuous transition between the various images when the zootrope rotates.

It is an important, detailed and delicate craftsmanship, at the end of which the BINT stroboscope comes into play: let's not forget that the zootrope rotates at a speed of more than 1000 rpm, so with the naked eye you won't be able to see anything but a fast rotation of the zootrope. The strobe light must illuminate all floors evenly and must have sufficient intensity to obtain a perfect vision of the zootrope and of the installed objects: The frequency of the flashes will be appropriately adjusted to obtain a still image or a slight slow motion (slowed down effect), so that magically you will see all the objects that “move” in their slowed down movement, creating an enchanting visual effect.

‍