In addition to his contributions to dynamics, he performed research on artillery and on electricity.

He had built a kind of mill in his garden, which could whirl around a burning coal and register the duration of one rotation when it was spinning just fast enough to give the impression of a full fiery circle, as seen in the dark from a circa 50 meter distance.

He planned further experiments to measure the suspected differences between individuals, colors, viewing distances and light intensity of objects.

[2] D'Arcy's experiments relate to theories of persistence of vision that were popularised with the introduction of philosophical toys like the thaumatrope in the 19th century, and the subsequent development of cinematography.

However, many historians have ignored D'Arcy and other early researchers, giving in to some nationalistic prejudice to champion some other "great man" from nationalistic prejudice, or to the tendency to produce a more coherent chronological narrative.