Kaleidophone
The kaleidophone is a "philosophical toy" that produces moving optical figures.
History[edit]
The kaleidophone was invented by Charles Wheatstone, who published an account of the device in 1827.[1]
The name "kaleidophone" was derived from the kaleidoscope, an optical toy invented in 1817 by David Brewster.[citation needed]
Wheatstone's photometer was probably suggested by this appliance. The photometer enables two lights to be compared by the relative brightness of their reflections in a silvered bead, which describes a narrow ellipse, so as to draw the spots into parallel lines.[citation needed]
There are several different versions of the kaleidophone, but in all cases at least one slender rod is fixed at one end and has a shiny bead fixed to the other end of the rod. As the rod vibrates the spot is seen to describe Lissajous curves in the air, like a spark whirled about in the darkness.[2]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Media related to Kaleidophone at Wikimedia Commons
