Design and Test of a Scrolling LED Matrix Display Controlled by the Prevailing Speed of Transverse Motion

In this paper, a new concept and an initial prototype for a roaming light display is described. This device can display a light pattern that appears to be fixed in space, independent of the motion of the display. This illusion is achieved by scrolling the pattern backwards along the display at precisely the same speed at which the device is moving forward. Applications for such a device could include creating a virtual shoreline for maritime use, to allow ship passengers to visualise their speed in a situation where other points of reference are absent. The prototype described here uses a modified consumer grade Light Emitting Diode matrix, a Global Navigation Satellite System receiver as the method of determining velocity, and a microcontroller. The prototype demonstrates that such a device can display arbitrary text or graphic patterns fixed in the air as the device is moved along.