This do-it-yourself project, How to turn phone into projector, was found on Photojojo. You could make this a fun family project with your children, or you could let them create this do-it-yourself projector alone with your direction.
The fact that building this projector literally costs nothing and is also entertaining is its best feature. Once you build this inexpensive projector, you will undoubtedly enjoy watching videos and photographs with your family and friends.
Things Required
First, make sure you have the necessary supplies and equipment available. This will prevent you from frantically searching for supplies while you build your first phone projector.
- Shoebox
- Knife or cutter
- Duct tape
- Magnifying Glass ($1-2)
- Sharpie or Pen
- LEGO or Paperclips
- 10 15 minutes of your time
How to Turn Phone into Projector
You can get started by following the steps below once you have your supplies and tools available.
1. Sketch a Hole: With a pen or pencil, trace the outside of the magnifying glass or lens on the shoebox’s short side.
2. Cut out the Hole: Using a knife or a box cutter, you must now cut out the hole that you marked in step 1 above. While performing this work, be sure you are exercising all necessary caution and safety measures.
You can optionally cut a small hole for your phone’s power cord at the back of the box. So that you may charge the phone while using the projector without taking it out of the box.
3. Attach the Magnifying Glass: Either attach the magnifying glass to the shoebox’s exterior or interior. Make sure the magnifying glass is tightly fastened with tape and that there are no openings that could allow light to escape.
4. Align the phone and magnifying glass: Align your phone with the magnifying glass now. Make sure the phone’s screen is directly in the centre of the magnifying glass. Draw two lines from the front of the shoebox all the way to the rear using a sharpie or pen. Within the shoebox, this is where you will put the phone.
5. Insert the phone into the shoebox: Insert your phone into the shoebox exactly where you marked it in step 4 above. If you don’t have a stand for your phone, you can create one for nothing out of LEGO bricks.
6. Stop Rotation: If you remember from physics class, light is flipped when it is forced to pass through a lens, causing the projected image from your phone to be upside-down. The image flips back to its original orientation when the phone is flipped, so doing so is ineffective.
But, there is a simple solution. Android users only need to download the Ultimate Rotation Control software, while iOS users must enable AssistiveTouch under Settings > General > Accessibility.
A white orb will appear; click it to access Device > Rotate Screen.
7. Begin Projecting: At this point, you can begin projecting pictures from your phone. Simply flip your phone over to project visuals that are projected upside down by the projector.
If the steps above weren’t obvious, you may watch the Buzzfeed video below for extra clarification.
How to Improve Picture Quality
Use these suggestions to enhance the picture quality.
- Turn off all the lights.
- Turn up the brightness to maximum on your phone.
- Tape inside of the shoebox with a black duct tape.
You should have a lot of fun creating your first phone projector after reading this guide, we hope.