window vision
POSTED IN objects | TAGS : mechanical, physical computing, window vision
13.01.2010
Ideation
PURPOSE:
Window Vision is a reactive sculpture that highlights changes in the outside environment by shifting between transparent to opaque, depending on varying levels of light and dark. Exhibited at ITP’s Winter 2008 Show, it was considered by Make Magazine as part of their Top 5 in Show.
The work is a commentary on our perception of the outside environment. On one hand, this piece emphasizes the architectural nature of the human need to have an interaction with the outside world and the other is neurological. Window Vision reflects the way that our eyes physically sees the world, namely through the cellular structures residing in our retina known as cones and rods. Cones generally allow us to see objects and color during the daytime, and rods take over during moments of darkness. In order to express this dichotomy of vision in terms of light and dark, I created two interfaces: solid for day and transparent for night to reflect the way that our own eyes are constantly shifting to adjust for varying light levels.
OBSERVATIONS:
To have called my apt in Manhattan small would have been an exaggeration. From my tiny room, you could hardly tell that I was living in the midst of a bustling metropolis but it did make me appreciate the architectural form of the window to a greater extent. The one window in my room faced a mere brick wall and the light that came in was so meager that I could hardly tell whether it was two in the morning or two in the afternoon. Therefore I wanted to create something that would be a reminder of the changing levels of day to night and using the window as the fulcrum through which to implement these ideas.
PROCESS:
The work is mechanized through a series of pulleys and a stepper motor that would create enough torque to lift up the first structure similar to a window blind. The motor is activated by photocell light sensors that will be triggered by outside light levels.
