Gifs are pretty much the best way to communicate in 2017. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so a moving picture must be worth at least several thousand words. There’s a gif for every occasion, every feeling, and every reference you make in your group chats. However, gifs are fleeting. We find the perfect gif, send it along, our friends view it, and then everyone moves on with their lives. Now, there is a tool that can immortalize gifs forever in the physical world.
Instagif is a Polaroid-style camera that is able to shoot and print gifs. How does it work? Check out the video for yourself:
I won’t lie… Instagif is both incredibly cool and incredibly unnecessary; all at the same time. Abhishek Singh is the creator of Instagif and it’s actually a rather clever design. The camera shoots the gif then “prints” it to a Raspberry Pi cartridge. Using a small display on the cartridge, the gif is shown on repeat until a new gif is shot and transferred to the cartridge. It’s like if a Polaroid camera and a camcorder had a baby together.
The coolest thing about Intstagif, however, is that you can make one yourself! Obviously a little technical knowledge and some free time is required – but it can be done. Pretty cool, right?
Realistically, the Instagif isn’t a practical solution for any real world application other than impressing people for a moment or two. Still, this is a really amazing example of thinking outside the box and showing what we can accomplish with technology and some old school inspiration. If Polaroid cameras could have actually printed gifs back in the day then we would all be walking around with Polaroid cameras around our necks like a bunch of hipsters.
Personally, I don’t think I have the time or patience to make an Instagif for myself. Although… If you wanted to make one for me I would love you forever.
