Solid Smoke is an interactive installation I’ve built in collaboration with the Pasadena based artist, Dan Goods, of directedplay. The installation has been recently installed in the the Swiss Technorama science museum.
The installation triggers colored patterns projected onto aerogel, a unique low-density material in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with gas. The result is an ultralight semi-transparent material which absorbs light project within it. Leveraging its visually stunning properties, we created a display which changed patterns and lights according to viewers hand movements. By moving her hand next to the piece, a viewer controls the projections and colors.
The installation runs on a mac-mini, using processing + additional java libraries. It analyzes the images bouncing off IR light project from the ground, triggering events only when viewers interact with the piece. The project will be running until July 2009.
Some tests with aerogel below:
[tags] aerogel, interactive, exhibit, installation, technorama, science, museum, switzerland, gilad, lotan, dan, goods [/tags]