The Belgian psychologist Albert Michotte (1881-1965) was the originator of this type of disc-slot apparatus. By means of an arrangement of spiral and circular segments, Michotte was able to experimentally investigate various forms of experienced causality, such as impact, displacement, or entrainment.
Winfried Lohr replicated and varied Michotte's experiments. Since Winfried Lohr spoke French very well, he translated Michotte's works and published large parts of them as a complete edition together with Otto Heller.