The phenakistoscope is an early animation device invented in the 1830s by Joseph Plateau. It consists of a spinning disc with a series of images arranged around its edge. When the disc spins and is viewed through a slit, the images appear to animate, creating the illusion of motion. This device is considered one of the precursors to modern animation and cinema. It works on the principle of persistence of vision, where the human eye retains an image for a fraction of a second after it has disappeared. The phenakistoscope laid the groundwork for later inventions like the zoetrope and the motion picture camera.