THE

GHOST
SCOPE
 The Ghost Scope
science links PROPS NEEDED
Reflection Cardboard Elastic bands
Properties of Light Thin transparent Ruler
sheet Pencil
Tape Mobile phone
Scissors

One of the theatrical

effects you may have
experienced is ghost-like
objects appearing and
disappearing on stage or
on theme park rides. This
handheld device allows
the viewer to create their
own version.

The augmented reality effect was brought to the

public’s attention by John Henry Pepper and is
therefore commonly called Pepper’s Ghost, although
many variations exist. The core of the method involves
projecting a bright object onto a transparent screen in
front of a darkened background. The reflection off the
screen looks like a translucent image superimposed into
the scene; hence the ghost-like effect.

You can experience this by looking through a window.

If the inside is brighter than the outside, you’ll see a
reflection on the window, if not, the window appears

86 Sparking Wonder | Dr Matt Pritchard

 transparent. Controlling the lighting appears to allow the
reflection to be switched on and off.

The effectiveness of the theatrical illusion relies on three

main factors:

1) The invisibility of the screen. Originally a large glass

sheet was used but nowadays its more likely to be
a thin gauze with a reflective coating. Much more
practical (and safer) to implement.

2) The concealment of the source of the projected

image. With modern video projectors this is very
easy to achieve but originally the screen would
have been angled and the ghost object would be
off stage (either in the wings or built into a trap in
the floor).

3) The correct balance of lighting so that the reflection

can be seen and doesn’t dominate the scene with
unnatural brightness.

Construction details

The Ghost Scope 87

 The Ghost Scope that I designed allows the effect to be
experienced without any elaborate set up or expense.
The diagram on the previous page shows how the
cardboard tube is designed. The dimensions are a guide
based on the size of an average smart phone size.

From a large sheet

of sturdy cardboard
cut out the shape that
will form the tube. The
photo below shows
this in progress. The
45 degree slots have
been cut on the two
sides and a sheet of
transparent plastic has
been cut to fit through
these slots. I just used a piece of thin plastic cut out from
some toy packaging.

The scope has been

assembled using tape
and the plastic sheet
has been pushed
through the two side
slots. There is also
a hole cut in the top
surface directly above
the 45 degree angled
plastic sheet. The hole
should be smaller than
the size of the smart phone’s screen. The two elastic
bands either side of the hole will hold the phone in place.

88 Sparking Wonder | Dr Matt Pritchard

 Before attaching the phone you need to take a
photograph or a video of a suitable ghost. It needs to
be bright but against a very black background. If you’re
adept at using the photo editing controls on the phone,
you may wish to adjust the brightness, contrast and
shadow settings to ensure the best photo. Also, lock the
phone screen so it won’t flip the screen’s orientation as
the phone is moved about.

Carefully attach the

phone to the top
of the ghost scope
without touching the
screen or any of the
buttons. When you
look through the
viewing window at
a dark background,
you should find
superimposed on top
of it a ghostly image.

Virtual reality helmets and augmented reality displays

will often use an arrangement like this to superimpose
digital images.

The Ghost Scope 89