PANOPTES KINETIC LIGHT SCULPTURE
A digital programmable volumetric light sculpture designed to be scalable and easily transported. The machines can plug directly into a lighting director's system to fully integrate with event stage design and production. Commissioned by the musical artist Daedelus and co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme for the European Union, the machines made their debut in Los Angeles before going on to the Sónar Festival in Barcelona and performances in New York and London.
Role - Design, Fabrication, 3D Printing, Event Production, Soldering
Year - 2018
Client - Daedelus
THE CHALLENGE
Design and build a limited-production, controllable, scalable, mechanical feast for the eyes to serve as backdrop for live music events around the world.
Scale from 10'x10' to 40'x40' and up. Set up in less than 20 minutes. Accept inputs from any LD in any country. And fit in 2 Pelican cases able to be checked as normal airline luggage.
THE SOLUTION
Inspired by the work of visionary light artist Paul Friedlander, several prototypes were built to explore kinetic string sculptures made to appear volumetric through fast-changing LED lights. It's an ideal solution for easy travel and fast setup as its size is determined by the length of string, the height of the anchors, and number of machines.
The devices themselves are fully programmable and can be individually controlled or mapped to a sequence. At their heart is a high quality digital motor controlled by Raspberry Pi modules. They are built to withstand hours of spinning and vibration with an aluminum frame and steel folding legs that fold out from under the base and can be bolted to the floor if necessary.
