The World's First Computer Animation
Created by Edward E. Zajac of AT&T Bell Laboratories
Before he came to the University of Arizona, Ed Zajac was an engineer at Bell Labs.
In 1963 Ed wanted to demonstrate a gyro system his group had devised that would keep an orbiting satellite
always pointing toward the earth. So Ed created the world's first computer-animated film, to depict
the satellite's motion and how its motion is affected by the gyro system.
Click on the video player below to see Ed's short computer-animated movie.
The movie is less than four minutes long. There's no sound until about 24 seconds into the film,
when Ed's voice-over begins just as the satellite completes its first orbit.
You may have to turn up the volume on your speakers a little bit.
This will be replaced by the player.