Color Grid
The Concept
The Color Grid is an interactive art piece. It consists of a grid of squares
where each square can be lit up in any color under computer control.
The grid also senses whether someone is standing on each square, and tells
the computer. This is a lot like the disco floors seen back in the
'70s. The main differences are that each square can be set to any color
instead of just a few colors, and that the grid sensors make it interactive.
The image above shows a 8x8 grid. Imagine having three people standing
on the grid. In this example, one person would be standing on top of
each of the brightest red, blue, and yellow squares. Each person is
at the center of a different pool of color. As he or she moves around,
the pool of color follows.
What happens when two people get close to each other? Who knows?
Because everything is under control of a computer program, anything could
happen!
One very interesting possibility would be to connect the grid to
Noah Thorp's ambient music program
. The sensors in the grid would both control the light under the squares
plus the music surrounding the grid.
Other possible grid behaviors:
- Each person's trail could be recorded and then played back several
seconds or minutes later (Kiki's idea).
- Each person has a small pool of light under her/him. The light
slowly changes though the colors of the rainbow. When two people get close
together, the pools join, and the color starts changing faster.
- A Pong game.
- Twister, where the colored dots move
The Color Grid will appear at Burning
Man
2002 in the Firetown
theme camp.
Questions? Want to help? Send email to
davidellsworth (at) mindspring (dot) com.
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Last changed 5/18/02