Wind Chimes I
Interactive Lighting Installation
Year of production: 2017
12”L x 12”D x 36”H
LED lights, software, custom electrical hardware, acrylic tubes, brass pipes
Wind Chimes is a lighting installation that changes visually according to real-time parameters of wind speed and weathercast. The data is sourced from wunderground.com. Three acrylic tubes represent three different cities; New York, Seoul, and Wellington. The speed of lights visualizes the wind speed and its colors represent the temperature of the respective cities.
1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
I was inspired by wind chimes that create a beautiful sound by wind. The fact that people can notice the existence of wind through the wind chimes are really interesting point to me. Then, I got few questions.
How people can see wind?
How can ‘wind’ be visualized?
2. COMPUTATIONAL METHODS
My initial idea was setting an anemometer and physically measure the wind around my location. However, using weather API (Application Program Interface) is useful in terms of without any concern of installing outdoor.
Here is my first data flow diagram. The advantage of using p5.js is having a user interface. If there is a user interface, users can type in any country they want. And they will approach to the weather site and get real-time wind data. However, using the ESP8266 (low-cost Wi-Fi chip with full TCP/IP stack and micro-controller unit capability) allow to approach to the weather API.
Figure 1. 1st data flow diagram
I connected to weather API (http://openweathermap.org/api) through connecting between a software (Arduino IDE) and a microcontroller (ESP 8266). Then, I parsed wind and temperature data of some cities. I used a potentiometer for change location.
0 = New York (longitude: -74.01, latitude: 40.71)
1 = Seoul (longitude: 126.98, latitude: 37.57)
Figure 2. 2nd data flow diagram
Figure 3. Arduino serial monitor
Figure 4. Arduino Programming
3. LIGHT PATTERNS
The light pattern is depends on local temperature. Because LED stripes that I use are addressable by RGB value, I defined some equation to create a nice color pattern. So, although they get one temperature value, they can have a gradient color pattern. Also, the wind speed effects how fast the light goes.
Figure 5. Local gradient color pattern
4. FABRICATION
Figure 6. Draft sketches
Figure 7. WiFi module PCB (printed circuit board) by Othermill
Figure 8. Assembled fixture
5. INSTALLATION
Figure 7. ITP 2017 Spring Show
Wind Chimes II
Interactive lighting installation
Exhibition: Apr 27 - Jul 1, 2018
Yeulmaru Exhibition Hall, South Korea
60”L x 20”D x 50”H
LED lights, software, custom electrical hardware, acrylic tubes, halfway mirror, custom metal parts
It was a group exhibition at Yeulmaru in Yeosu, South Korea. Yeulmaru, an arts and culture park, is run by the GS Caltex Foundation and hosts cultural events from concerts to art exhibitions. This exhibition focuses on 'color' and covers the works of various genres such as paintings, installation, and media. Through the work of the 14 artists who are expressing their emotions and messages in color, they want to show the expansion of art expression along with various interpretation in their own unique formative language of color.
