I’ve loved split-flap displays since I first saw one as a kid in Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. Since then, I’ve been happy to learn that I’m not the only one who appreciates the beauty of these kinetic information boards. In fact, one sits in New York City’s Museum of Modern Art as part of their Architecture and Design Collection.

It’s the reason that I’m quite envious of Markus. He not only got a hold of a few segments of an actual split-flap display, but also managed to get them working with PIC microcontrollers driving each of the segments. The result is a beautifully whirring display, which he used to countdown to midnight on New Years Eve.

[via Hack a Day]