What’s cooler than a 3D printed zoetrope? A 3D printed zoetrope that emits a warm glow, of course. Gaze upon Flux and be amazed (or gently lulled to sleep).

Created by German designer Dieter Pilger, together with Janno Ströcker and Frederik Scheve, Flux is a gorgeous 3D-printed zoetrope designed around the mathematics of the Fibonacci sequence.

The key point of difference from zoetropes we’ve covered previously is this is a small, compact design that wouldn’t look out of place in the home. With a light source embedded in the wooden base, it creates a sophisticated ambient effect akin to a 21st Century Lava Lamp.

Pilger says their zoetrope isn’t photographed or viewed using a strobe light to create the animation effect, but instead appears to move when staring directly at it in regular light or darkness.

What’s the Secret of the Flux Zoetrope?

The idea behind the Flux is to explore how visual information is forwarded and processed by the brain, where it’s interpreted and translated into sensory impressions.

“We envisioned a sculpture that displays an animation in the open physical space. The sphere is constructed according to the fibonacci sequence. It rotates in a certain speed and gets illuminated in a specific frequency.”

In layman’s terms, visual perception of the Flux is the result of filtering and reducing complex data, which enables viewers to better understand what they’re seeing. In this picture, visitors to an exhibition space are totally absorbed by the sculpture.

The animation can be seen just by looking at it with your eyes. No external devices like a strobe or a camera are required.

Pilger and his team propose that, with the Flux, you don’t need to be a towering intellectual to appreciate how the fibonacci sequence has been rendered. It’s “of great significance in the process of understanding aesthetics and harmony as a whole — as far as an impression can be expressed as visual perception”.

In other words, this 3D printed zoetrope doesn’t care if you flunked maths. Data is beautiful, regardless. Just look at the Flux, gawp, and be amazed.