# Stroboscopic Zoetrope ## Overview https://youtu.be/8eK_LYYIEIo ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/057/433/medium800/makecode_IMG_4213_2k.jpg?1531201541) A zoetrope is a type of animation machine. It relies on the principle of persistence of vision -- just like turning the pages rapidly of a simple flip book or watching an animated film go by 24 frames per second on a projector — persistence of vision is an illusion that fools our brains into interpreting rapid changing images as animated motion. You can build one that is purely mechanical, where small slits in a rotating disc cause our eyes to see rapidly blinking images, or you can use quickly blinking (stroboscopic) light instead. In this project we will use the Circuit Playground Express and its NeoPixels to very rapidly blink light. We'll use the Cricket to spin a motor to drive a disk onto which our animated objects are attached. You will use the buttons on the Circuit Playground Express to increase and decrease the speed of the blinking and of the motor in order to get the stroboscopic effect to synchronize. ## Parts ### Part: Adafruit CRICKIT quantity: 1 for Circuit Playground Express [Adafruit CRICKIT](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3093) ### Part: Circuit Playground Express quantity: 1 Round, Awesome Microcontroller Board [Circuit Playground Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333) ### Part: TT Motor DC Gearbox quantity: 1 200 RPM 3 to 6VDC [TT Motor DC Gearbox](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3777) ### Part: TT Motor Pulley quantity: 1 36mm Diameter [TT Motor Pulley](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3789) ### Part: Male DC Power adapter quantity: 1 2.1mm plug to screw terminal block [Male DC Power adapter](https://www.adafruit.com/product/369) ### Part: Alkaline AA batteries quantity: 1 3 pack [Alkaline AA batteries](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3521) ### Part: USB Cable quantity: 1 A/MicroB - 3ft [USB Cable](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) ### Part: 3 x AA Battery Holder quantity: 1 with 2.1mm Plug [3 x AA Battery Holder](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3842) ## Materials & Tools You'll just need a few common materials and tools to build the zoetrope disc, stand, and animated faces: - 6x ping pong balls - Marker or paint pen - Thin, stiff cardboard (chipboard) for the spinning disk - Small cardboard box to mount the motor, Crickit, and battery pack - Pencil - Scissors - Compass - Hobby knife - Hot glue and hot glue gun - Small philips screwdriver - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/strobe-zoetrope/build-the-zoetrope.md) ## Featured Products ### Adafruit CRICKIT for Circuit Playground Express [Adafruit CRICKIT for Circuit Playground Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3093) Sometimes we wonder if robotics engineers ever watch movies. If they did, they'd know that making robots into servants always ends up in a robot rebellion. Why even go down that path? Here at Adafruit, we believe in making robots our  **friends!** So if you find... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3093) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3093/guides) ### Circuit Playground Express [Circuit Playground Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333) **Circuit Playground Express** is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and made it even better! Not only did we pack even more sensors in, we also made it even easier to... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3333/guides) ### DC Gearbox Motor - "TT Motor" - 200RPM - 3 to 6VDC [DC Gearbox Motor - "TT Motor" - 200RPM - 3 to 6VDC](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3777) Perhaps you've been assembling a new robot friend, adding a computer for a brain and other fun personality touches. Now the time has come to let it leave the nest and fly on its own wings– err, _wheels!_  These durable (but affordable!) plastic gearbox motors... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3777) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3777/guides) ### TT Motor Pulley - 36mm Diameter [TT Motor Pulley - 36mm Diameter](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3789) Mechanical transmission for the win, this simple plastic pulley can attach to your TT motor to transmit rotation from the motor axle to...somewhere else. This is a very useful part when you require more than wheels for your robotics project. A belt and pulley solution can be... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3789) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3789/guides) ### Male DC Power adapter - 2.1mm plug to screw terminal block [Male DC Power adapter - 2.1mm plug to screw terminal block](https://www.adafruit.com/product/369) If you need to connect a battery pack or wired power supply to a board that has a DC jack - this adapter will come in very handy! There is a 2.1mm DC plug on one end, and a screw terminal block on the other. The terminals are labeled with positive/negative assuming a positive-tip configuration... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/369) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/369/guides) ### Alkaline AA batteries (LR6) - 3 pack [Alkaline AA batteries (LR6) - 3 pack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3521) Battery power for your portable project! These batteries are good quality at a good price, and work fantastic with any of the kits or projects in the shop that use AAs. This is a pack of **3 AA batteries**. These batteries are Alkaline (MnO2) chemistry, with a voltage... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3521) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3521/guides) ### USB cable - USB A to Micro-B [USB cable - USB A to Micro-B](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or microcontroller Approximately 3 feet / 1 meter long Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/592/guides) ### 3 x AA Battery Holder with 2.1mm Plug [3 x AA Battery Holder with 2.1mm Plug](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3842) Here's another addition to our growing family of [AA battery holders](https://www.adafruit.com/category/563). A holder for three (3) AA batteries! It's got an 8" long power cable with a 2.1mm DC jack at the end, and, oh yes, it's in classy... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3842) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3842/guides) ## Related Guides - [Adafruit Circuit Playground Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-circuit-playground-express.md) - [Dance-Reactive Tutu Sparkle Skirt](https://learn.adafruit.com/dance-reactive-tutu-sparkle-skirt.md) - [Crickit Powered Dancin' Snowman!](https://learn.adafruit.com/crickit-powered-dancin-snowman.md) - [Circuit Playground Digital Input](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuit-playground-digital-input.md) - [How to Choose a Microcontroller](https://learn.adafruit.com/how-to-choose-a-microcontroller.md) - [CPU Temperature Logging with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/cpu-temperature-logging-with-circuit-python.md) - [Crickit Powered Maker Ice Cream Truck!](https://learn.adafruit.com/crickit-maker-ice-cream-truck.md) - [Tightrope Unicycle Bot](https://learn.adafruit.com/tightrope-unicycle-bot.md) - [Living Starry Night Painting](https://learn.adafruit.com/animated-starry-night-circuit-playground-express.md) - [Make It Log](https://learn.adafruit.com/make-it-data-log-spreadsheet-circuit-playground.md) - [Easter Egg Light Stand](https://learn.adafruit.com/easter-egg-light-stand.md) - [Micro USB Dock for Circuit Playground](https://learn.adafruit.com/micro-usb-dock-for-circuit-playground.md) - [CircuitPython 101: Basic Builtin Data Structures](https://learn.adafruit.com/basic-datastructures-in-circuitpython.md) - [SpaceX Helmet](https://learn.adafruit.com/spacex-helmet.md) - [Crickit Lab Shaker](https://learn.adafruit.com/crickit-lab-shaker.md) - [Halloween Monsters with CRICKIT and Circuit Playground Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/halloween-monsters-with-crickit.md)