Before YouTube, TV, and even the movies, people were genuinely entertained by a device called a Zoetrope that played simple looped animations while it spun. The animations were created on strips of paper that were placed inside the inner circumference of the device — a process that’s been made considerably easier with the Pristitrope’s array of tiny LCD displays.
Created by Quinten Swagerman, Jasper van Loenen, and someone known only as Mr Stock, this modern upgrade to the Zoetrope adds eighteen screens that are fed animations by an onboard computer. Each display only shows a static image, so the Pristitrope still works like its ancestors requiring it to be spun and peeped through the side to see the effect. But it’s savvy enough to know which direction it’s spinning, displaying different animations for clockwise and counter-clockwise turns. And changing up the animation is as easy as wirelessly sending an update. If anything, it’s certainly a charming way to enjoy your ever-growing collection of animated GIFs.
[Vimeo via CreativeApplications]