Zoetrope

A zoetrope is one of several pre-film animation devices that produce the illusion of motion by displaying a sequence of drawings or photographs showing progressive phases of that motion.

I tried to recreate one by laser-cutting parts and assembling them together. My version is held by a rod that can be spun to see an animated ‘waltz’. I made use of the ‘living hinge’ design to curve a hard material like wood or cardboard. I cut the slots out separately and attached them onto the base so as to not let them ruin the circularity of the design. The base of the zoetrope is loosely held between two special nuts to prevent sliding, loose enough to not cause friction when being spun.

Things I can improve on :

Due to lack of availability of plywood, I used cardboard to make my zoetrope. However, wood would have been a much better choice because it would have resulted in a sturdier zoetrope.

I could have made the slots larger to make the animation look clearer. I chose the wrong picture to accompany the slot size in my design.