5 ms·

The same effect can be achieved in real life by adding a strobe light.

Florin_Andrei 15y ago
There might be a little bit more to it than that. I think the vibrating subwoofer actually nudges the droplets and shapes them, controls the flow and the way each individual droplet breaks off. Anyway, I'm definitely going to try this.
- MartinCron 15y ago
  I think the idea was to have a vibrating subwoofer and a strobe light, where the strobe light would simulate the synchronized framerate. It should work. I would try it but strobelights give me a headache.
  - Dylan16807 15y ago
    Even at high frequencies? Because a strobe light gives you a lot more flexibility.
  - Florin_Andrei 15y ago
    Oh, I see. So then you wouldn't need a camera.
acqq 15y ago
Yes I also think that if you can use strobe light and have the possibility to adjust the strobe frequency you don't even need a subwoofer, but for the proper "matrix-like" effect a lot of "frames per second" are needed and the camera gives certainly nicer result. In my opinion his setup was really quite optimal for what he presented.
- spatten 15y ago
  See my comment above. You actually need the sound to create vibrations in the stream of water that breaks it up into drops. The coolest thing is that there really are drops here, it's not an optical illusion.
  - SiVal 15y ago
    I'm not quite sure I'm following you. You don't need the sound to break the water into drops. You can do it without the sound by just adjusting the flow rate. I've done this. Are you just saying that by using sound, you can break up an even faster stream, one that would ordinarily be too fast to break up on its own?
    - thatjoshguy 15y ago
      With sound, you can break the stream into the same pattern of drop every time
SteveJS 15y ago
Indeed, when I was at MIT there was a exhibit in the Doc Edgerton hall that did exactly this with florescent food coloring for the water and a strobe. You could turn a dial and change the speed of the strobe, and the 'drops' would change direction into or out of the spouts. There were two spouts with streams hitting each other. A very cool effect.
- MrFoof 15y ago
  It's been eons since I've been there, but I believe a reproduction of this is set up at the Boston Science Museum.
  - christiangenco 15y ago
    There's also one in the Hong Kong Children's Science Museum.
Angostura 15y ago
Yes, I was a bit disappointed, I was hoping that the effect was being caused by the AC mains frequency effecting the lighting. Ah well
khafra 15y ago
I wonder if there's any way to make this into a decorative fixture? A strobe would be annoying, and a large LCD shutter in front would be expensive and spoil the effect somewhat. Any ideas?

There might be a little bit more to it than that. I think the vibrating subwoofer actually nudges the droplets and shapes them, controls the flow and the way each individual droplet breaks off. Anyway, I'm definitely going to try this.

MartinCron 15y ago
I think the idea was to have a vibrating subwoofer and a strobe light, where the strobe light would simulate the synchronized framerate. It should work. I would try it but strobelights give me a headache.
- Dylan16807 15y ago
  Even at high frequencies? Because a strobe light gives you a lot more flexibility.
- Florin_Andrei 15y ago
  Oh, I see. So then you wouldn't need a camera.

acqq 15y ago

Yes I also think that if you can use strobe light and have the possibility to adjust the strobe frequency you don't even need a subwoofer, but for the proper "matrix-like" effect a lot of "frames per second" are needed and the camera gives certainly nicer result. In my opinion his setup was really quite optimal for what he presented.

spatten 15y ago
See my comment above. You actually need the sound to create vibrations in the stream of water that breaks it up into drops. The coolest thing is that there really are drops here, it's not an optical illusion.
- SiVal 15y ago
  I'm not quite sure I'm following you. You don't need the sound to break the water into drops. You can do it without the sound by just adjusting the flow rate. I've done this. Are you just saying that by using sound, you can break up an even faster stream, one that would ordinarily be too fast to break up on its own?
  - thatjoshguy 15y ago
    With sound, you can break the stream into the same pattern of drop every time

SteveJS 15y ago

Indeed, when I was at MIT there was a exhibit in the Doc Edgerton hall that did exactly this with florescent food coloring for the water and a strobe. You could turn a dial and change the speed of the strobe, and the 'drops' would change direction into or out of the spouts. There were two spouts with streams hitting each other. A very cool effect.

MrFoof 15y ago
It's been eons since I've been there, but I believe a reproduction of this is set up at the Boston Science Museum.
- christiangenco 15y ago
  There's also one in the Hong Kong Children's Science Museum.

Angostura 15y ago

Yes, I was a bit disappointed, I was hoping that the effect was being caused by the AC mains frequency effecting the lighting. Ah well

khafra 15y ago

I wonder if there's any way to make this into a decorative fixture? A strobe would be annoying, and a large LCD shutter in front would be expensive and spoil the effect somewhat. Any ideas?