Good Thinking

Giphoscope combines technology from the 19th and 21st centuries

Giphoscope combines technology from the 19th and 21st centuries
The Giphoscope brings animated GIFs to the physical world
The Giphoscope brings animated GIFs to the physical world
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A close-up of the frames in the Giphoscope
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A close-up of the frames in the Giphoscope
The Giphoscope brings animated GIFs to the physical world
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The Giphoscope brings animated GIFs to the physical world
Early in the build process for the Giphoscope
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Early in the build process for the Giphoscope
Hand-assembling the Giphoscope
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Hand-assembling the Giphoscope
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What happens when old meets slightly less old? You end up with a product that brings animated GIFs out of the computer monitor and into the 3D world. We actually just covered Gifpop, a product that uses lenticular printing to bring GIFs out, and now the Giphoscope does something similar, but with a hand crank instead.

The idea behind the Giphoscope is for GIF artists to have a way of showcasing their craft in the same way painters and photographers can. This ultimately creates a new type of exhibit for art galleries and museums, or just a cool piece for an art collector to display in his or her home.

The design is inspired by the Mutoscope, a motion picture device dating back to 1894. The original design featured about 850 black-and-white cards that when flipped in quick succession, displayed about a minute of movement. Of course, the technology has evolved, and the Giphoscope features color in its images. It also features 24 cards, which is better suited to the looping nature of animated GIFs.

The looping effect is accomplished with panels that rotate 360 degrees around the device, so once it makes its way through all 24 frames, it loops back around to the beginning, just like an animated GIF viewed on the internet.

The device itself is fairly small, coming in at 13 x 10 cm (5.1 in x 3.9 in). Everything is made from aluminum and wood. The cranks works with a system of ball bearings that are designed to make it easy to rotate.

Giphoscope is made in Italy, and as such, the company had to forgo Kickstarter as a means of acquiring funding. Instead, it is making the products to order at €299 (about US$400). Would-be buyers will need to send the GIF they would like used, and the product will be hand-crafted to their specifications.

Source: Giphoscope via PopSci

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1 comment
1 comment
christopher
GIFs? Weird. Why not 24 frames from a 3D camera, printed on lenticular? You get a moving 3D image then.