Vortex

For my final Design for Digital Fabrication project, I created a singular prototype for what I envision for Vortex.

In this prototype, audio-reactive LEDs driven by madMapper are embedded within an aluminum channel. This entire channel spins continuously via a NEMA23 motor mounted to a modular base, controlled by an Arduino.

Using Fusion360, I created a simulation of what 5 of these bars positioned in a pentagonal form would look like.

It was difficult purchasing perfectly mating parts for the mechanical connection between the LEDs to the motor. I purchased a 12mm shaft hub, a 1/2” ID slip ring, and a 1/4” coupler for the NEMA23. This called for a custom shaft, which Ben Light helped me make on the metal lathe. We started off with a 1” aluminum round stock, and very meticulously shaved it down to the appropriate widths for each component.

Here is a quick time lapse of some manual fabrication necessary for the mechanical connections.

Here is the Fusion360 rendering of the project.

This project was inspired by collectifscale’s project Flux.

Project Development

After digesting everyone’s feedback, I feel that my original proposal had a conflict between the concept and the physical design. I can see it manifest in two entirely different projects, and forcing the two together feels counterproductive.

I am still playing around with a few ideas.

Mechanical Iris Gazebo

When thinking about a public art piece where people can set their intentions, say their prayers, and remember loved ones, I wanted to create a dedicated place for this. I started thinking about the vertical elements of vaulted ceilings, specifically muqarnas of mosques and rib-vaults of gothic cathedrals. Looking up at these architectural elements, I’ve always imagined them opening up a portal into the sky, allowing the spirit to transcend into the heavens. I’m very fond of Gaudi’s hyperbolic paraboloids found in the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the muqarnas found in Alhambra Palace in Granada, and Michael Hansmeyer’s interpretation titled Muqarna Mutation.

I reflected more on the idea of transcendence and transformation, and wanted the ceiling to open up to the sky. I looked more into mechanical irises, and came across this example: The Tree of Prosperity in the Wynn Macau.

There’s a whole bunch of 3D models of mechanical irises / apertures that can be 3D printed, cut out of cardboard, etc. I came across this wonderful tutorial by Caleb Kraft and CNC Router Parts that included the Fusion360 files, complete with CAD / CAM / animations for both a 24” desktop and a full size 48” version.

For a practical application, I’ve been wanting to design a gazebo for the 85” wide hot tub in my backyard. I can imagine this mechanical iris being built into the dome of this gazebo. Similar to the Tree of Prosperity, I’d want the iris to reveal a light show built into the ceiling. As a Fusion360 beginner, I started 3D modeling the gazebo with the hot tub in it, using the loft function to create the tangent curves of the dome. In order to call out the dimensions of the model, you have to translate the 3D design into a 2D drawing, which Fusion360 makes it very simple to do. Modifying the properties of the dimensions are not that intuitive compared to VectorWorks.

FWIW, other project ideas…

A totally different approach to a portal opening into a ceiling: I came across this project titled Flux by Collectifscale, which uses LED bars on stepper motors driven by TouchDesigner.

My interpretation of this project would be to reduce 48 lines of light to just 8 bars, and suspend the entire thing on the ceiling. I did spend some time researching various stepper motors and heavy duty slip rings. Practically, I think this smaller scale version would come in handy when I do live visual sets with my musician collaborators. I’ve been meaning to put these bars on motors!

Floating Lenticular Wave

This is riffing off two past projects that I’ve worked on: the mechanics of my Water Droplet Automata and the materials of the Lenticular Wave made with Aidan. I spent some time researching kinetic sculptures and came across Reuben Margolin. I thought I could create two of his kinetic sin wave caterpillars to create a structure to hold lenticular in place. I made a failed prototype with scrap lenticular, magnets, thread, nuts, a large brass ring with grommets, and a pulley. In my video, the thread I used snapped - I’ll need to get either fishing line or dacron wire to make a stronger prototype.

Semester Project Proposal

Concept

Amidst 2020’s pandemic, social unrest, the fires in the West, the impending election, I think as artists we are responsible for making a public art piece that can provide a place for healing that can help people cope with what and who has been lost, and help set intentions for positive change. I see this in two forms, both a body of water and in the heart of a fire, where both can be destructive and restorative.

Interactivity
Ideally, there would be a QR code that could lead to a website that would prompt the participant to fill out a text box, with a prayer, an intention, a name that they want to honor. I imagine their text response being translated from their phones and into the LEDs of the piece, animating across its length. For water, I imagine the text flowing, and perhaps a rain animation could "wash" the text away. For fire, maybe it's a candle, or maybe it looks like a piece of paper that gets consumed by flames as it dances across the length of the LEDs.

Kinetic
To make it kinetic, I'd want to attach linear actuators to 6 different points of the 3' x 6' sheet of lenticular that would be activated to create this rippling effect.

Form
I envision a double-sided large scale “reflection vessel” roughly 9’ L x 2’ W x 7’ H’ constructed out of wood, aluminum extrusions, and a lenticular surface that stretches and shapes the LED lighting underneath.
I am still contemplating on what the central arcade will look like, whether it should be LED panels or an OLED display. I imagine participant text being sent from their phones and sent to the display, starting at the top of the screen and then downwards, transitioning from a vivid animation on the screen into an elongated, stretched, rippling reflection into the LED panels magnified by the lenticular lens, moving towards the viewer.

Crude drawing attempt in Vectorworks. Will need to watch more tutorials before getting more details in there.

Research

I spoke with ITP alum Barak Chamo and Nick Wallace for their advice and technical support with this project.

Linear Actuators
There are many linear actuators in the market! For this project, I am looking for a more affordable option that does not necessarily have to be load-bearing. I am imagining that the motors will be attached to the 80/20 extrusion bars that I intend to build the internal frame with. I have ordered the linear actuator pictured on the right and will run some preliminary tests with it.

Barak has offered his stash of linear actuators to play with, and I will hopefully run more tests with them too.

Joints
It will take a lot of time sifting through the McMaster catalog and Servocity website to find the right parts for the up/down translation for multiple different points of the lenticular sheet.

Lenticular Lens
For this project, it is very important to have enough flexibility in the lens for the up and down translation along the perimeter. Another key factor is scale - I’ve had difficulty finding lenticular larger than 14x20”. I spoke in depth with artist Robert Munn of Depthography who had plenty to say about lenticular lenses and their imaging applications. In confidence, he shared his lenticular vendor with me: Microlens.com.

I received a sample pack of what they had to offer, 60 LPI lenses being the thinnest with the least amount of plastic, which still turned out to be more rigid than the lenticular lens I’ve ordered off eBay.

TouchDesigner Interaction
I will need to devise a way in which TouchDesigner will retrieve text from the database that would be populated by participant entries. Once extracted, I would like the text to be animated in the LED output. I will also do further research on fluid dynamics to create the water, and flow emitter to create fire animations.

Bill of Materials

• Custom length lenticular sheets

• Linear actuators

• LED panels

• LED Driver

• OLED display

• PC

• 8020 Extrusions

• Hardware TBD

• Wooden enclosure