Nipkow disk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nipkow_disk

by Hooke • 7 years ago

42 20 7 years ago

en.wikipedia.org

sp332• 7 years ago

I don't understand why you have to approximate straight scanlines by using a fraction of a really large disk. What's the disadvantage in using a smaller disk and letting the scanlines be curved?

Koshkin• 7 years ago

With the large disk, the difference between the (linear) velocities of different holes is smaller.

nine_k• 7 years ago

I would use a drum instead. You can make the scanlines near-perfectly linear if you look from a right angle.

auggierose2• 7 years ago

A descendant of this guy is hard at work in theorem proving: http://www21.in.tum.de/~nipkow/

YorkshireSeason• 7 years ago

Is this a joke or is Tobias a (great) grandson of Paul Gottlieb's?

auggierose2• 7 years ago

Not a joke. I asked him about that (quite) a few years ago, and he indeed is :-)

gdk• 7 years ago

William Osman tried to build a mechanical display around these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R96TtG5FCTU

felipemnoa2• 7 years ago

He seems to really be overcomplicating its construction with all those fancy 21st century electronics when in reality you can build it with early 20th century materials.

I wonder if a camera obscura would be enough to create the focused image instead of having to bother with lenses.

Sharlin2• 7 years ago

Probably, but that would require even more light.

lucb1e• 7 years ago

Set appropriate expectations before you watch this video, it was definitely educative and entertaining, but the emphasis is on 'tried'. I was a little disappointed that it didn't actually end up working.

vesinisa• 7 years ago

Here is an excellent in-depth explanation of the concept from one of my favorite educational YouTube channels - Technology Connections: https://youtu.be/v5OANXk-6-w

Zenst• 7 years ago

I just watched that and have to agree, an excellent in-depth explanation it was indeed, with a lovely demonstration.

inflatableDodo• 7 years ago

Thanks for this, I have been trying to remember the term 'confocal microscopy' for a while. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confocal_microscopy

felipemnoa2• 7 years ago

This is a really good short educational video about the invention of television:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyHAev_qJNU

LeoPanthera2• 7 years ago

The spelling of disk, with a K, intrigues me, since I was under the impression that disk-with-a-K was short for "diskette", meaning a circular spinning object protected inside an outer casing.

Circular flat objects are spelled disc, with a C.

Hence floppy disk, hard disk, but compact disc.

(MiniDisc is the only exception to this rule that I can think of, probably because it is a trade mark.)

Sharlin2• 7 years ago

Seems Wikipedia has a dedicated article on the subject!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_of_disc

dmix• 7 years ago

Relevant bit:

in the case of flat, rotational data storage media the convention is that the spelling disk is used for magnetic storage (e.g. hard disks) while disc is used for optical storage (e.g. compact discs, better known as CDs). When there is no clear convention, the spelling disk is more popular in American English, while the spelling disc is more popular in British English.

LeoPanthera2• 7 years ago

I should have known, Wikipedia knows everything.

I didn't know that disk = diskette was a British thing! And I am British. So I guess that makes sense.

oakwhiz• 7 years ago

Could it be possible to use this mechanism to create a type of X-ray or gamma ray camera? Perhaps using a lead disc.

JoeAltmaier• 7 years ago

This is very similar to the old fax machines, that had a needle over a rotating text on a wax cylinder and reproduced the needle up-down on the other end with a pen. Predated telegraph etc.

Nipkow disk

Related Stories