optical illusion nacelle domes

spaceagent-9

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ok here is a pic that moves due to an optical illusion. does anyone know of a way to make the star trek tos enterprise nacelle domes move like this too? I know its asking a lot.............optical desk top.jpg
 

micahrogers

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those hurt my eyes. but the upper red orange one would work for TOS.
 

Ron Caudillo

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Wow, that would really be a great idea for the Enterprise nacelles like you said. Or anything where you wanted to simulate movement (I can think of engine inlets or control panel displays right off the bat).

I'm going to have to look into this more. GREAT idea!

Best Regards,
 

spaceagent-9

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I hope this opens a whole new are for sci-fi paper modeling! the cutting and separating the nacelle domes might affect the illusion. I think that it is contrasting colors, shapes next to other shapes, that make this look like it is spinning. the tos com disc had the same kind of thing, and it might be kind of a double exposure of the same image almost on each other too. I really know nothing about optical illusions, I was hoping someone would be an expert on them around here. as far as the nacelle domes go, the optical illusion could be printed and then a cheap acrylic globe or half globe could be placed over it for the effect on the warp engines. I lack the resources on this but will try to get to Michaels or somewhere and see what I can throw together for a test.
 

zathros

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I think the orange one would be the best candidate but the effect would be lost once it was curved. The best way would be to mount it on a wire axle so it really spins, either with a motor, or by shaping it like a turbine, a very tight fitting one (or pinwheel) and blowing air through the nacelles, either by passive convection, which would take some engineering, but with a incandescent light heating the top, the colder air from the bottom could be drawn up and made to turn the Bussard blades by sealing the model completely and having a slit at the bottom drawing in air, passing through the main body, up the warp pylons, through the nacelles and out through slots sliced into the front of the nacelles in front of the spinning components. (Obviously, this isn't a real model or anything, just a picture to show an idea. :)


modelR1.jpg R2.jpg R3.jpg
 

paulhbell

Member
Interesting idea, but I've just printed them off and they don't work on copy paper or glossy photo paper.

I think these optical illusions work with our computer screens, something to do with the pixels and creating the picture using 3 coloured dots.
 

spaceagent-9

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I thought that too, so I am going to go look really hard for any thing like this for sale as a stand alone bling.
 

Cforrest900

Well-Known Member
I think that the orange one would look fine flat underneath a dome with the pieces printed orange on transparency sheets,
 

zathros

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Don't put the heat in the same tube, it is difficult to get a convection current flowing with that set up. The heat will go both directions, unless you have invented an air diode, in which case, you should patent it immediately, not the same as a flap. The method I described, if it worked, would turn the vanes very slowly, or fast, not sure, it is essentially a different engine. How much of a difference, not sure, but the separation of the exhaust from the intake should be as far as possible. One low (cooler air) being heated from the top, and drawing air up and out through the slots, rotating the vanes, in theory. If it is all in the same tube, the air would have to know which direction to go, which it doesn't, that's why we need to use the heat rising. :)
 

spaceagent-9

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I see how that makes sense in a small scale and paper model. thanks for the warning on that, since I am using electricity in the model, maybe a tiny fan would enhance the outflow
 

zathros

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A beeper/pager motor is the best thing to use, they work of virtually miniscule amounts of current, use needle nose pliers to hold the shaft when removing the counter weight or you might destroy the motor. With a solar panel, charging a capacitor, you could make it come on and off as the cap fills and discharges.

They can be purchased here: http://shop.evilmadscientist.com/productsmenu/partsmenu/131-pagermotor

1 unit: $2.75 each

10+ units: $2.25 each
100+ units: $1.95 each
500+ units: $1.75 each
1000+ units: $1.60 each


4.jpg
 

zathros

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If you cross your eyes, so that you see 7 spirals across, on the bottom right picture, they become three dimensional, and the spirals appear to go very far into the monitor. It may be time to go to sleep! :)
 
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