Stroboscope

"The Stroboscope" Directions: Push the start button and look into the lens. Observe the rotating disk. The disk spins at a fixed rate, but the light that flashes upon it is adjustable. Turning the knob that controls the light to the left slows the flash rate. Turning the knob to the right increases the flash rate. Two illusions can be created by adjusting this knob. First adjust the knob slowly, from its slowest position, until the arrow in the center of the disk appears to stop moving. Do the same thing again while looking at the dots on the edge of the disk. When the speed has been adjusted properly the dots will appear to grow and shrink.

Although the Stroboscope comes with the above described optical illusion disk, addition disks can be ordered, so that you can in effect have a different stroboscopic effects image by simply changing disks. The advantage of this would be in supplying your museum or center visitors with a variation. Additional disks are $50. each and come in their own case. They range from scientific principles to simple entertainment images.

     How it works: The stroboscope works by flashing a light at a variable speed. The rotating disk never changes its speed. Since the light flash rate can change, but the disk speed remains the same, the light can be set to certain speeds that will capture a part of the image on the disk when it is positioned at the appropriate spot, so that the next flash can capture the next appropriate image.
      Strobe lights and stroboscopes are used in this way in devices such as tachometers to calibrate the speed of motors, photographic techniques involving stop motion, special effects and in many safety related devices.
      A Stroboscopic illusion device. This exhibit incorporates the use of a rotating disk, speed control and low power strobe circuit to illustrate many of the potential uses for strobe lights and stroboscopic effects. The device includes text on the case explaining the applications for strobes in safety, photographic, mechanical and illusion devices. The exhibit operates on a grounded 120 V AC outlet It is available in a wide variety of colors and modified case designs. Price $2,100. US plus shipping and crating.
     Please allow 8 weeks for fabrication and delivery.

Two year guarantee applies to the custom mechanical & custom electronics parts in each of our designs. See Terms.

Additional Accessories; DAST Technology

The History of the Strobe

The idea of a stroboscopic effect dates back to at least the 1800's, and has been used in public areas, like museums and science centers ever since. Technically the disk in a stroboscope is called a "Phenakistiscope", many of which were hand drawn animated disks that relate to one of many "Victorian Era Optical Illusion Toys". It was invented by Professor Joseph Plateau and Professor Simon Stampfer, in the 1800's. Here is a website about it. http://users.telenet.be/thomasweynants/opticaltoys.html

In our century Doctor Edgerton http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/edgerton.html pioneered allot more work regarding such devices.

Examples of stroboscopic devices:

1- The speed regulator disk on record changers.

2- The spinning disk version of the musical instrument tuner.

3- Old-fashioned Optical Illusion Toys.

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