Cyberpunk Stereoscope

Concept

My upcycling design project was to create a cyberpunk stereoscope. For some background: stereograms were popular in the United States and Europe from the 1850s to 1920s [1]; They were two images arranged side-by-side to provide a different perspective for each eye and create the illusion of three dimensional depth. For example, here is a stereogram of New York in 1903:

Stereogram of Broad Street, north to the Stock Exchange, New York, 1903 [2]

The Holmes stereoscope, a common device to view such stereograms, uses two lenses to provide each eye with a view of one of the images. The other key components that compose a Holmes stereoscope are as follows: On the viewing side, the two lenses are set in a faceplate, and a shroud surrounds the faceplate to fit against the user’s face and block out ambient light. A divider extends from the faceplate between the lenses to encourage each eye to look at the separate images, and a beam underneath the divider connects to the stereogram holder. The stereogram holder can be moved back and forth on this beam to adjust the focal length for each stereogram. Also present in the image below is a handle to hold the stereoscope while viewing and a stand to store it on.

Holmes Stereoscope [3]

While these stereoscopes are traditionally made of wood in smooth curves and a clean finish, they are still functional as long as these components are present in some form. I thus decided to create a stereoscope with a cyberpunk aesthetic.

Aesthetic

Finn Communicator by Luca Pascal [4]

For a cyberpunk aesthetic, I was inspired by Alexis Cisneros’s cyberpunk tech aesthetic post in this class last year, especially the above image reproduced here. This aesthetic uses an abundance of exposed technical components: circuit boards, wires, metal, status lights, etc., to create a rough hacked together feeling. Cyberpunk does not shy away from a use of color or lights, and tends towards asymmetry in its design. Its use of worn parts also fits well with the methodology for the upcycle project, and I generally just enjoy its appearance. To ideate what parts I might assemble into a cyberpunk stereoscope for this project, I made the rough following sketch:

Cyberpunk Stereoscope Ideas Sketch

My focus for upcycled components was primarily on industrial components that I could construct a stereoscope’s key components from, such as circuit boards, scrap sheet metal, bolts, and other hardware. My secondary focus was additional ornamentation that added to the maximalist nature of cyberpunk, like assorted wiring, small electrical components, LED lights, and other greebly details. Despite this brainstorming, I let the construction be largely dependent on what materials I found, like someone actually living in a cyberpunk post-apocalypse that has to make do with whatever high-tech detritus available.

Fabrication

Gathered Materials

All the materials I initially obtained are shown above, with the exception of the lenses. Due to the specific design needed for stereoscope lenses, I was unfortunately unable to upcycle them. All other components were upcycled though, and gathering reused materials that fit a cyberpunk aesthetic was surprisingly challenging. I found a smaller proportion of used metal and electronics to other materials, especially when selecting for the size of a stereoscope.

Faceplate, Shroud, and Stereogram Holder Bent Sheet Metal CAD

For my faceplate, shroud, and stereogram components, I thus decided to cut and bend them out of the piece of sheet metal I found. In order to determine the shape of these components I wanted, I modeled the bent sheet metal in SolidWorks, as shown above. I specifically chose to avoid a modern corporate rounded rectangle aesthetic by including sharp bends and angular features. This CAD then enabled me to lay out a flat pattern of these components arranged on my one section of sheet metal, as shown below.

Sheet Metal Components Flat Pattern Arranged to Scale

With this as a guide, I cut, folded, and drilled as necessary into my sheet metal. I was initially concerned about the difficulty I might encounter cutting the sheet metal, but it was thin enough that a pair of scissors could cut it, with still enough rigidity to hold up once constructed. To tailor the curves to fit well against my head geometry, I used cardboard stencils to trial shapes first and then trace successful curves onto the sheet metal. You may also notice some water stains present around the shroud, which were intentionally included and positioned to add to the cyberpunk aesthetic.

Cut and Bent Sheet Metal Components and Cardboard Curve Stencils

With all of the structural components completed, I assembled them together as shown below. The faceplate and stereogram holder slot into the bottom channel of the L-bracket, which enables the stereogram holder to slide back and forth. The lenses are held in place by the sheet metal originating from the holes in the faceplate being bent around them. A circuit board is used as the divider and adds some structural rigidity. Bolts are used to connect the shroud to the faceplate, being intentionally visible for the aesthetic. And a couple threaded cylinders are used to create a handle grip.

The Final Cyberpunk Stereoscope

Reflection

Overall, I am quite pleased with this resulting artifact. On the functional side, the stereoscope works exactly as intended. It successfully displays stereograms and is fully adjustable to different focal lengths. The stereogram holder could do with some improvement for holding stereograms more securely, but it does function as is. The image below replicates the perspective seen through one lens when using the stereoscope.

A Stereogram Image as Seen Through One Lens

On the aesthetic side of things, I think that all the components I included reflect cyberpunk and look good together. However, I feel that I fell a bit short of an abundance of exposed technical gizmos covering the device. Over the course of the project, I learned significantly about this challenge of cyberpunk maximalism. In contrast with traditional maximalism, everything added to a cyberpunk device needs to have the appearance of a deliberate purpose. In theory, cyberpunk is the blending of advanced technology and dystopian society, so the reuse and amalgamation of technology is borne out of necessity and iterative refinement in a rough world. It is much harder to fake such a functional ornamentation in short time frame, where the imagined person living in a cyberpunk dystopia would build up this cyberpunk maximalism through years of careful consideration, compounded with the aforementioned challenging of finding suitable technology in our world in the first place. Regardless of this conclusion to my project though, I plan to continue to refine and ornament my cyberpunk stereoscope. Perhaps if I actually take the imagined years of iteration and consideration I will create a truly cyberpunk stereoscope.

Image Sources:

[2] U. & Underwood, “Broad Street, north to the Stock Exchange, U.S. Sub-Treasury and Wall Street, New York,” Library of Congress. Accessed: Jan. 21, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/stereo.1s04754

[3] “This Land is Your Land: Stereoscope,” This Land is Your Land. Accessed: Jan. 29, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://scalar.chapman.edu/scalar/this-land-is-your-land/stereoscope-device

[4] “Mona Lisa Overdrive – Finn Communicator, Luca Pascal,” ArtStation. Accessed: Jan. 29, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/2q3ywY

Information Sources:

[1] “Stereograph Cards – Background and Scope,” Library of Congress. Accessed: Jan. 21, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/stereo/background.html