The kinematofor, made by Ernst Plank of Germany, is a variation of the praxinoscope invented in 1876 by Paris school teacher Charles-Émile Reynaud. This kinematofer dates from 1898. An intricate pre-cinema toy, it was also a successor to the zoetrope.

The kinematofer is powered by a miniature hot air engine, which activates a circular platform with stationary mirrors and a paper strip of images. When in operation, the circular platform rotates, and the mirrors reflect the pictures onto the outer drum to achieve the optical illusion of images in motion.