[Sholto] hacked together this ultra low-budget spinning display. He calls it a zoetrope, but we think it’s actually an LED based Persistence Of Vision (POV) affair. We’ve seen plenty of POV devices in the past, but this one proves that a hack doesn’t have to be expensive or pretty to work!
The major parts of the POV display were things that [Sholto] had lying around. A couple of candy tins, a simple brushed hobby motor, an Arduino Pro Mini, 7 green LEDs, and an old hall effect sensor were all that were required. Fancy displays might use commercial slip rings to transfer power, but [Sholto] made it work on the cheap!
The two tins provide a base for the display and the negative supply for the Arduino. The tins are soldered together and insulated from the motor, which is hot glued into the lower tin. A paper clip contacts the inside of the lid, making the entire assembly a slip ring for the negative side of the Arduino’s power supply. Some copper braid rubbing on the motor’s metal case forms the positive side.
[Sholto] chose his resistors to slightly overdrive his green LEDs. This makes the display appear brighter in POV use. During normal operation, the LEDs won’t be driven long enough to cause damage. If the software locks up with LEDs on though, all bets are off!
[Sholto] includes software for a pretty darn cool looking “saw wave” demo, and a simple numeric display. With a bit more work this could make a pretty cool POV clock, at least for as long as the motor brushes hold up!
[via Instructables]
Ghetto level: 100% :-)
LOVE it !
It this kind of simple / what you have lying around kind of hacks that motivate me to do the same ….
Thumbs down, it doesn’t even work.
The funny thing is that it’s still one of the more expensive mini-POV-displays since he used an arduino bought from sparkfun instead of just a bare AVR :P
Unless its not from spark fun and from here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-Mini-Atmega328-5V-16M-Replace-ATmega128-For-Arduino-Compatible-Nano-With-Pin-/271512227109?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f3763cd25.
He does specifically say it’s from sparkfun though.
But it doesn’t have to be an expensive POV, just get the cheapy and your done.
He also could have gotten the pro mini from Sparkfun on Arduino Day for $3 like I did!
Better put a cage around it, he may loose a finger. And I hope he is waring a helmet.
Ok it works but it sounds like a 2 stroke dildo!
That’s an oddly specific comment…
I’ve never seen (or even heard of) one so I wouldn’t know. Hope you enjoy yours though
www dot youtube dot com/watch?v=YfKJpdo4Cnk – Hamlet (1.5.167-8)
Def NOT a zeotrope… just a pov. But nice hack of random bits. Noisy as heck though. Anyway.. nice work for a weekend project! Ghetto fab.
ok the device works,yes it does not look like a 1 million dollar project but proof of concept is proven without a doubt,as for the ghetto comments well everybody is not rich ,and if you are, try offering up some cash to help them on the next project,start out by sending them $1000.00 to help . put your money where your mouth is…WCH