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I like playing with optics. The projects I’ve worked
on don’t look impressive on video or on the web so I haven’t tried to
add pictures to this page. In reality though, the effects look special
simply because they are obviously not video images. It's amazing the
variety of effects possible with a few lenses and some basic maths. The
road sign camera is only one of various optical projects I've worked on.
The Quantum Tunnelling Telescope is my latest, combining a real view out
to sea with a periscope image of automata models in the centre of the
field of view. The Booth of Truth, in my Under The Pier Show arcade, uses
optics to get the most out of one way mirrors. A ring of LEDs is reflected
back on the one way mirror by an ordinary mirror that changes its distance
and angle to the fixed one way mirror. The combined effect of multiple
reflections is a tube spiralling to infinity. The giant CD player in my Secret
Life of the Home gallery in the science museum uses a solid state visible
laser and miniature lenses to mimic the focussing and tracking arrangement
of a real CD player. My next optical project will be a Campbell Stokes
Sunshine recorder for Southwold pier. |
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