Uploaded June 2013 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Full info: dscript.org/desk-shadows
The "Desk of Shadows" or "Magicians Desk" are some of the various names this little invention of mine has been called.. personally I like "Alchemists Light Switch"".
The Design is very Simple Actually.
Light beams power solar panels, are holding a relay circuit off, when the panels loose power, more power gets to the relay.
The cheap relays have a "flicker zone" where the flicker kind of randomly, the zone is a bit bigger than I anticipated and the panel "jus barely fit". so there is still a bit of flickering, better panels and that is gone.
Better relays would mean a more smooth transition and more "grey area" for "semi coverage.
The result is really fun. Like having your hand motions read in the air..
It is very hard to tell from the video, becausee the flicker rate exceeds the frame rate, but there is actually much more "sensitivity and range than you can tell in the video.
Simple.. first design just had a light in a bow and long hole to insert your hands and wave them around. the panels were on the top of the box.
Kinda like "super-low-tech VJ equipment" ;)
What makes it great is the "magical feeling" it gives.. your brain knows it is just reading your hands with light, but it still gives you the illusion that you can wave your hands around and have magical power.. it starts to actually feel as though the lights are an extension of your body.. really cool.
I wonder what other electronics would be fun to "magically control"
Full info: dscript.org/desk-shadows
The "Desk of Shadows" or "Magicians Desk" are some of the various names this little invention of mine has been called.. personally I like "Alchemists Light Switch"".
The Design is very Simple Actually.
Light beams power solar panels, are holding a relay circuit off, when the panels loose power, more power gets to the relay.
The cheap relays have a "flicker zone" where the flicker kind of randomly, the zone is a bit bigger than I anticipated and the panel "jus barely fit". so there is still a bit of flickering, better panels and that is gone.
Better relays would mean a more smooth transition and more "grey area" for "semi coverage.
The result is really fun. Like having your hand motions read in the air..
It is very hard to tell from the video, becausee the flicker rate exceeds the frame rate, but there is actually much more "sensitivity and range than you can tell in the video.
Simple.. first design just had a light in a bow and long hole to insert your hands and wave them around. the panels were on the top of the box.
Kinda like "super-low-tech VJ equipment" ;)
What makes it great is the "magical feeling" it gives.. your brain knows it is just reading your hands with light, but it still gives you the illusion that you can wave your hands around and have magical power.. it starts to actually feel as though the lights are an extension of your body.. really cool.
I wonder what other electronics would be fun to "magically control"
