Split-flap displays work by printing letters or numbers ... and uses an Arduino as the control board. A 3D printer and CNC machine keep the tolerances tight enough for the display to work smoothly ...

It’s pretty hard to deny that split-flap displays are incredibly awesome. This one has been a long time coming, and it’s not a refab or surplus build. [Tom] fabricated these beautiful alpha ...

Put it this way: no-one is waiting for a picture by the digital displays. But, like most vintage tech, split-flap boards are inefficient. They are harder to update and harder to maintain.