Mechanical Mirror

[Colm811]

I really want to do this project but I just don't know where to start
I'm trying to figure out how to build a wooden mirror but wonder if anyone could put me on the right track for the controling circuit
Basically I want to mount a small black and white camera in the centre of an arrangement of wooden shutters which are darker on one side than the other, the idea is that the display will seem blank until something is introduced in front of the camera. So the camera knows that the normal enviornment in which it is placed is its standard if anything else is introduced it should send a signal to the relevant shutters to display the dark side.
Just as if every shutter was a pixel the camera should use the shutters as a screen displaying objects foreign to its standard as it sees them.

If anyone could tell me what I need to do to build this I would really appreciate a shove in the right direction alternatively if anyone knows of a system already in exsistence I could adapt for this purpose I would be greatly appreciative.

Promise to post loads of pictures of the build if I can figure it out so anyone can build one if it works .

 

[Colm811]

So far I have think if I could get a camera with a certain amount of pixels and equal that amount of shutters that I could use the signal going from the camera to the display to trigger the shutters to move I was thinking of using small motors such as that in mobile phone vibrators to move the shutters I just don't know if this is possible if anyone could even point me in the direction I can research it and try to build it

 

[ericgibbs]

hi,
Can you tell whats the purpose of this wooden mirror.

I follow the explanation OK, but I am confused to why..


IF I was doing something like this I would get a PC/Laptop with a monochrome [ or colour] camera video input card.

A PC program could examine the monitor picture pixel areas for high/low blocks.
The PC would then output to the related motors, using the parallel port.

How many wooden pixels do you plan to have.?

 

[Papabravo]

Totally impractical IMHO.

Even a cheapo digital camera probably has in excess of 1 million pixels. You're not seriously proposing to wire up 1 million small motors are you? BTW those little phone vibrator motors run continuously. You can't start and stop them reliably in order to flip a wooden shutter over.

 

[Colm811]

Wooden mirror

Thanks for your replys I want to build this as an example that it can be done I'll be honest I have fallen in love with the idea of creating a streamed image from the simpliest of pixel systems

No I hadn't envisaged wiring a million motors I originally thought of using a system of electrically magnetising areas on the board to raise specific shutters

I wonder would an modifed printer be able to run on rails behind the shutters causing relevent shutters to raise as the image requires to be honest I dont know the best way to do it any ideas

Oh I am looking into programs to do just like you said thanks again

 

[Colm811]

Maybe if I take away the uncertainty what about if I want this circuit to light up a screen of leds that correspond to the relevant image the mirror sees would that make more sense?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

It would be far easier, but still not a trivial undertaking - how many LED's are you considering?.

 

[tunedwolf]

I think it would be easier to use your printer to output a mirror image and feed the sheet out a slot to whomever is standing in front of it than what you are proposing...however, following on from your idea, there are systems that use focussing mirrors in solar energy stations that auto track etc, perhaps looking into things in that direction might provide more insight into what you are trying to accomplish in miniature...

rgds

 

[superbrew]

Are you trying to build something like this: Wooden Mirror

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Wow 830 servo motors, camera etc. It'll be well beyond the cost and skill of the casual hobbiest.

 

[dknguyen]

It'd probably cost a lot less if you can find a fabricator (or something) and bulk buy mass manufactured "pixels". But just to get 800 of anything is very expensive. At $10 each it's already 8 grand.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Like I said, it's not a cheap project. Plus needs some mad skillz.

 

[mneary]

Still not cheap or casual, but:

Miniature pager motors can be had for as little as 39 cents each.

Solenoids can be had for for 99 cents. These solenoids are good for 3 pounds of pull at 24V, but I'm sure with a different spring and optimized adjustment you could work it with 5 volts or so.

 

[jpanhalt]

Just day dreaming here, but I wonder about using memory wire with a twist (or multiple twists). Wires would be in a grid. Pixels would be attached to flat portions between twists. Heat makes them untwist, cool returns? All you need then is a cold air blower on the back?

 

[john1]

'memory wire' ... ?

 

[jpanhalt]

'memory wire' ... ?

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_wire

The nickle-titanium alloy probably has the best properties. One use is for frames for glasses that don't easily take a set. Another is in small actuator for model airplanes. John

 

[john1]

yeah, i had read through that first,
but i couldn't see how it might apply,
so i thought there must be something else about it ...

But now i think that it won't do quite what you think it does.
Unless ive got it wrong. Which wouldn't be the first time.

It seems that if it gets distorted,
its supposed to return to its intended shape by heating it up a bit.

I don't think it can be made to bend and un-bend,
by repeatedly heating and cooling.

However,
the notion of using heat is a good one,
a length of wire could be used in that way, to move mechanical pixels.
That need not be very expensive per pixel.

It probably wouldn't be very fast either.
But good enough for an interesting display.

John

 

[jpanhalt]

It is not as fast as a servo in the applications I have read about, but it is sufficiently fast for control of indoor model airplanes. The advantage I see is that you could use a grid and get heat at the X-Y intersections. It would seem to be a lot easier to build a 25X25 grid than connect up 625 servos. John

 

[blueroomelectronics]

I'm curious what sort of mechanical device would move something at a X-Y intersection of muscle wire. It's also far too slow for a matrix with real time updates like the wooden mirror.

 

[john1]

Hi,

JPANHALT:
I've been reading up a bit on these "memory wires",
and you are correct, they can be made to 'bend and un-bend" repeatedly
by heating and cooling.
And yes, they are used as actuators in some model aircraft.
So they could possibly be used in a similar way to operate a wooden
pixel as part of an array.

BLUEROOMELECTRONICS:
Yes, it would be a bit slow but if the movement required was short then
it could be fast enough to produce interesting results.

As to the intersection ...

I'm curious what sort of mechanical device would move
something at a X-Y intersection of muscle wire.

I don't think that jpanhalt meant that the X and Y wiring would be "muscle wire",
that would be ordinary wire, the "muscle wire" would be fed from the intersections.

The wooden 'pixels' would just be pivoted on pins, and they would take very little
effort to change angle, the actuator could be positioned so that a small
movement caused a significant change of angle of the 'pixel'.

A lot of trouble to make an array of even 100 X 100, but i would think possible.

Regards, John