Spellcasting Gun Uses POV Display, Not Magic

25 Comments

Persistence of Vision, or POV, displays are ever popular around these parts. Spin a few LEDs and you can make images appear in almost-thin air – just don’t stick your finger in the way. [FriskP] found a great application for this hardware – creating an anime-styled spellcasting gun.

The basic gun is built around a Nerf blaster, which is common in a lot of this type of steampunk and anime build. A Phantom3D POV display is then bolted on to the front along with some 3D printed components for style. The ensemble is then painted in a suitably awesome fashion.

We’re not sure on the software used, but [FriskP] has the gun displaying some amazing spell-type graphics that appear to hover in the air when the user pulls the trigger. The artwork is stunning, showing off some of the best graphics we’ve seen in the POV arena.

Overall, it’s a highly aesthetically pleasing build that any cosplayer would be more than proud to wield. It relies on the builder’s strong finishing and integration abilities more than raw electronic skill, but the end result is truly impressive.

We’ve seen plenty of POV displays around here before – you can get started with something as simply as a PC fan! Video after the break.

[Thanks to AnimeFreak for the tip!]

25 thoughts on “Spellcasting Gun Uses POV Display, Not Magic”

  2. I was almost positive it was going to be the ‘caster from Outlaw Star!

    Cool build, I love the fidelity POV displays get these days.

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  5. Neat but I was hoping the POV was somehow hidden inside and protruded/extruded when fired, but it seems it’s an attachment for the prop and not made clear by the video

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      1. It’s written in the description, which is, of course in Japanese. She is by no means unable to make this stuff though, she has many DIY POV displays that are just as impressive.
        The display used here is called Phantom (a pretty sweet) POV module from here http://phantom-3d.net/

        Reply

        1. Looks intriguing but expensive. Any idea how much a compete Phantom thingy costs? The site is just full of corporate blurb with no pricing as far as I could find.

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    4. Seems like you could have coiled LED strings with a weight on the end. They would wind up inside the housing like a tape measure, then would extend when spun. What are the refresh rates on those addressable strings like neopixels?

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      2. What about an umbrella like thin structure with surface mount components on flatflex that can collapse and tuck away? Someone get on this!!!

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  8. Should have the LEDs within a clear tube (such as an air tube for a fish tank) and rotate / extend it when fired. More complicated, but you’re not going to be wandering around with a gun with what looks looks like an airplane propeller stuck to the front – and holstering it would be a ‘mare.

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    1. I would make the LED-PCBs as narrow as possible and foldable in the middle. Then retract them into the “gun-barrel” when not “fired”. If you “fire” it, it could “jump” out by a spring, unfold by centrifugal force and will be retracted by a small motor. Of course this needs more custom parts (a custom gun) than just a front-attachemnt.
      But it would look way more cooler. :-)

      Reply

  10. What is that software being used to generate the pattern ? (that’s being exercised in the smaller screen within the main screen during development).

    Reply

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