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[AncientJames] gives us a detailed look at Vortex, one of his impressive volumetric displays made with two back-to-back LED panels that spin at high speed with a Raspberry Pi 4 driving it all. Vortex generates a true 3D image hanging in space that one can move around, and look at from different angles independent of anything else. The software for Vortex is up on GitHub which includes a simulator as well as CAD models for the 3D-printed parts.
The images move, but can also be viewed from any angle.
Accomplishing what Vortex does requires precisely matching the images rendered on the panels to the physical rotation. If there’s a mismatch, the displayed 3D image will drift, or appear distorted. There’s also the physical matter of ensuring the spinning elements are balanced and stable while spinning at high speeds, a nontrivial undertaking that involved more than a little trial and error.
The amazing build quality and attention to detail really shines through, not just with the design but with smart use of off-the-shelf items like a large plastic globe for the display cover. [AncientJames] uses what looks like a plastic globe shade meant for a lighting fixture, and designs a clever fixture that attaches to a small rotary tool with a cutting wheel. With that, he can carefully and precisely cut away the unneeded section. Here’s a link to him doing so (at the 15:17 mark) in the video; sometimes it’s worth making a one-off gadget if it helps get a job done right.
[AncientJames] has made many volumetric displays in the past, and they’re each a little different. Check out one that spins a perforated drum around LED panels to create a lightfield display, instead of spinning the panels themselves.
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