Motion Déjà Vu - Repeating Loops with Hacked Posnets and Lego Machines
Since I was a child, I’ve enjoyed playing with technology and figuring out how things work, always connecting it to emotion. This project reflects that same curiosity: exploring, playing, and experimenting. During my time at Studio Kura in Itoshima, I observed the spaces, people, and nature around me. These experiences shaped my creative process, letting ideas emerge naturally from the environment and moments I encountered. This work repurposes a hacked posnet payment terminal, originally designed for billing, to print overlapping sequences of images on thermal paper, creating slit animations. The thermal paper gradually fades, adding a layer of impermanence and making the animations feel as fleeting as the moments they capture. The animations are hand-drawn 2D loops inspired by the small details of everyday life: the shifting light of passing cars, patterns in nature, or the repetitive movements of signs and signals. These subtle impressions became short animated loops, reflecting the transient beauty of ordinary life. The Layers The Animations Hand-drawn 2D loops, each no longer than 7 frames, inspired by the landscapes, people, and everyday moments from Itoshima. The loops explore the feeling of déjà vu, turning familiar fragments of the environment into shifting, repetitive visual experiences. The Posnet Terminal The hacked posnet terminal functions as a manual printing press for animations. It prints sequences of images on thermal paper, where the fading quality of the paper reflects the impermanence of the moments it captures. The Random Print App A custom Android Studio application integrates with the system, enabling random image and word printing on demand. The app’s source code is available here: Random Image Print App Alongside animations, random words or phrases are selected from a curated list and printed between animation sequences, adding an element of playful unpredictability. The Lego Technic Machine A custom-built Lego Technic machine brings the printed animations to life. The thermal paper moves through the machine at a precise speed, creating the slit animation effect. Using moiré patterns, motion interacts with a fixed grid to produce the illusion of animation. The Final Result These elements connect technology, mechanics, and storytelling, encouraging viewers to find beauty in experimentation and fleeting moments.
