The Kid Should See This

3D-Printed “Blooming” Fibonacci Zoetrope Sculptures

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Animation is a trick of the eye, and we’re often reminded of this when we get to see animation happen right in front of us. Like Pixar’s 3D Zoetrope, these 3D-printed zoetrope sculptures by math and Fibonacci-inspired artist and designer John Edmark are excellent examples. His work was captured in this Pier 9 Artist-in-Residence video by Charlie Nordstrom. From Instructables:

What you are viewing in each of the above videos is a solid 3D printed sculpture spinning at 550 RPMs while being videotaped at 24 frames-per-second with a very fast shutter speed (1/2000 sec). The rotation speed is carefully synchronized to the camera’s frame rate so that one frame of video is captured every time the sculpture turns ~137.5ΒΊβ€”the golden angle*.

Each petal on the sculpture is placed at a unique distance from the top-center of the form. If you follow what appears to be a single petal as it works its way out and down the sculpture, what you are actually seeing is all the petals on the sculpture in the order of their respective distances from the top-center. Read on to learn more about how these were made, and why the golden angle is such an important angle.

*Note: the exact value for the golden angle is irrational. Here it is to five decimal places: 137.50776ΒΊ

blooming zoetrope sculpture
Check out more of Edmark’s work in the two videos below: A laser-cut matboard, acetate, and glue Star Wave, and a laser-cut plywood, brass, and wood Helicone.



Update: Enjoy a new zoetrope sculpture video from Pier 9: BLOOMS 2: Strobe Animated Sculptures Invented by John Edmark.


Related videos: Experimental animation meets pottery: zoetrope bowl, plus more kinetic sculptures, zoetropes, and optical toys.

h/t Colossal.


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