BIX which is the combination of big and pixel is an acrylic glass skin on the east side of the museum in Graz, Austria . It consists of 930 40 Watt fluorescent rings which are embedded in the 900 m² outer skin, with the illumination level of each one being steplessly variable between 0 and 100%.

realities:united, the artists wanted to bring the discussion of public media and space to the forefront. The facade is viewed as a communication media that can output text, images or anything else a pixel output could display. The artists wanted it to be a big display so the lights pierced through the night sky across the city.

The project aligns with Colangelo’s framework in a few ways. Firstly, it acts as a large, building scale screen. It blends seamlessly in with the building and the surrounding providing a changing virtual medium in a physical environment.  It is also meant to be a facade people can interact with and showcases community trends in it’s communication. It facilitates peoples to come together.

For this project, we wanted to help travelers coming into Pittsburgh better understand the city by providing them with live data about the city. A cloth map with neopixel strips showing live traffic and LEDs denoting the locations of various restaurants, museums etc. will be affixed to the roof. Pittsburgh has a lively and growing cultural scene with many new restaurants. The LED’s with locations that are open will light up. The traffic and the LEDs will showcase how the city is always alive!

PS. Changed the published date so it would be before the posts from last Thursday.

The purpose of this device is to sound an alarm when someone gets close to the jewels. An ultrasonic sensor is used to sense when someone is approaching. The LEDs simulate the alternating red and blue of the police and the speed of the LEDS is determined by the proximity of the person to the sensor. The closer a person gets, the quicker the lights alternate. Once the person crosses a threshold (gets too close to the jewels), an alarm (which has a catchy tune) is set off. To switch the alarm off, a tilt sensor is used.

Components Used:

1. Sensors

   1. Ultrasonic Sensor
   2. Tilt Sensor

2. Actuators

   1. 4 LEDs
   2. Speaker

Points is a directional signpost designed by BreakfastNY. It provides curated directions/information depending on what you’re looking for, events in your area, tweets and transportation options using the form factor of a common sign post. It can be installed anywhere and someday might replace the common signposts found everywhere.

The product is at an interesting intersection of bits and atoms. It incorporates technology and interaction seamlessly with already existing elements in our environment in a functional and informative way.

Luminaries

Luminaries is a public lighting display designed by the Rockwell Group and installed in lower Manhattan. The installation is meant to encourage the user to “pause, reflect and look to the future”. They are trying to create a new holiday custom which is collaborative and community centric. Visitors to the square can send wishes to the canopy of lights through 3 glowing wishing stations which signal the pattern of lights that will appear.

A video of the installation can be found here.

This project caught my eye because it’s interactive and can simultaneously be enjoyed by spectators. It’s eye-catching but subtly so and can be enjoyed for hours without requiring input from its visitors.

The project can be found here.