Austrian arts collective Neon Golden has developed an immersive light set up that mimics the movements of fireflies .
Swarm features over 1,000 LEDs hung on wires from an overhead metal grid and organized in a series of forty modules all through a dark room.
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The lights use motion-sensing technology, managed by Arduino and Raspberry Pi hardware, to replicate the motion of fireflies. The LEDs change position horizontally in response to the movements of close by guests.
The changing path of the lights is based mostly on coding used in the Boids application developed by artificial-lifestyle simulation pioneer Craig Reynolds, which recreates the flocking and separation patterns of birds.
The piece made its debut at the Olympus Photography Playground in Vienna in February 2015 and attracted thousands of guests. The space also hosted a efficiency from dancer Máté Czakó, which was choreographed and directed by Stefan Kainbacher.
Swarm can be adapted for distinct specifications, with the configuration of light modules able to be adjusted to smaller sized or larger spaces as necessary.
“The chaotic random structure holds towards the formally structured digital and organised manmade world we dwell in,” Neon Golden said in a statement.
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“It proposes a techno-organic jungle that is the habitat of futuristic species of digital fireflies.”
Based mostly in Vienna, Neon Golden was founded in 2005 as “a platform for experimentation with media arts in the club context”.
Bringing collectively 14 members from the fields of style, art, and programming, the group has experimented with dwell visuals, projection mapping and motion graphics, and is now turning its attention to a lot more complex light structures.
The movement management hardware behind SWARM
Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde also mimicked organic movements in his Waterlicht set up, which was designed to develop the impression of a “virtual flood”.
Roosegaarde’s Lotus Dome piece was constructed from hundreds of light-sensitive flowers that opened in response to the movements of guests.
