'Scuse me while tachistoscope.

April 12, 2008 10:16 PM

I had a toy tachistoscope as a kid. Do they still exist?

The model I had was made of thin white plastic. It had a little window with a spring-loaded shutter that I think you operated with your thumb. I think there was some way of changing the time the window was open, though the device was pretty simple and I don't remember how this would have worked exactly.

There were a bunch of cards for it. Each one had rows of single words, phrases, sentences, or strings of numbers. You'd put a card in, line it up, then flip the shutter and try to read it in the split second the window was open. I don't remember if the device advanced it to the next one, but it probably didn't; it wasn't much more than a sleeve for the cards to slip into.

I'm not sure if it was meant to be a toy, but I sure used it as one, and I think it helped me to read much faster. Has anybody else seen such a thing?

posted by bink to education (5 comments total)

Here's an online tachitoscope.
posted by alexei at 1:33 AM on April 13, 2008

You could probably build an approximation out of a couple of sheets of card stock paper, if you didn't mind having to use your finger and thumb to open and close the shutter. (if I'm understanding the setup you describe correctly)
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:41 AM on April 13, 2008

There was a sort of ratchet and spring mechanism that controlled the shutter. I don't think you'd be able to do it fast enough by hand.

The use was different from the website that alexei posted. It was a challenge to read the word, phrase, or sentence in the fraction of a second that it was revealed. Then you'd go on to the next one.

I think that website would be good for speed reading too, though!
posted by bink at 10:50 AM on April 13, 2008

Hmm, seems like someone might be able to take apart a film camera to do this; the shutter speed would control the time. In principle, this is no different from the guts of a film camera where one can choose the shutter time. (obviously, you need a camera that allows manual exposure control).

I guess this doesn't answer your question unless you're a real DIY'er, though.
posted by JMOZ at 1:35 PM on April 13, 2008

I found this, which sounds like it may be the same thing or similar. I thought there was some kind of spring loading but maybe I was wrong about that. (This was an awfully long time ago, early to mid '70s, I would guess.)
posted by bink at 10:01 PM on April 13, 2008