Zeno the Illusion

As much as we like telling people that Zeno is magic (especially strangers on trains), we can’t help talking about the science—because it’s pretty incredible and we’re geeky that way.

The ads appear to move thanks to a phenomenon known as persistence of vision. When pedestrians approach Zeno panels from either direction, they see a sequence of moving images that react to each person individually. If a viewer stops, so does the image. If a viewer’s head moves back and forth, the image corresponds.

Advertisers work with us to create a short video clip, which we convert to a 2D poster using proprietary software. Posters are inserted into patented display panels, which consist of narrow vertical bars separated by clear spaces. The motion of a person walking by makes the bars disappear and creates the illusion of moving images.