Ian Coronado . Kieran Lynn . Erin Walrath . June 2005 . University of Oregon

Light UP is an interactive space designed to interact with individuals based on how they move and interact within a space.


Project Description:
Light UP is an interactive experiment conceived in a week long intensive workshop on physical computing led by Amy Franceschini and Stijn Schiffeleers of Future Farmers. We had two days to conceive and prototype our system which would control the luminosity of lights running throughout a corridor based on your position within the system. We lacked the digital components to directly control and 120v lighting system, and could not get them in the time that we needed, so we devised a way to control the luminosity of a standard 60w light bulb with analog controls consisting of typical home dimmer switch and servo connected to a Basic Stamp Micro Controller.

Audience:
Light UP can interact with anyone who moves through the space in which it is installed. This installation takes advantage of readily available materials to give the appearance of standard lighting, but will react to the presence of any person in the space.

User Experience:
Facing a long hallway there are six light bulbs draped from the ceiling. as you walk down the hall way, the light bulbs will change their brightness dependent upon your position within the series. Your position within the series will become the most dim of the light bulbs, while they will gradually get brighter as you move outward in the series.

Tech specs :
   + Basic Stamp
   + 2 Sonar Range Finder Sensors
   + 6 Light Bulbs and Sockets
   + 6 Servos
   + 6 120v Dimmer Switches
   + 160' Lamp Replacement Cord

Tech Challenge:
Our challenge was to build an interactive system independent of the computer based on interacting with a 120v power source without the necessity of commercial grade switching units or expensive controllers. The main challenge was to build our analog switching system and interface it with a digital sensor input source.

Social Aspect of project:
Light UP is a prototype for a larger installation piece, where ideally there would be a larger grid, or system of lighting that works much in the same way as the hall, but in two dimensions. In this larger model, the lighting will not only follow you, but will begin to play games, and change its ways of interacting with you dependent upon the number of people in the space and how you are moving and interacting. When multiple people interact with the system, it will produce results that could not be attained by one person.


Conclusion:
   + Never rush a project that you have to hack together to complete. Murphy will always prevail.
   + Never plug 6 servos into a Basic Stamp. It will die; and maybe come back to life.
   + Always trust your instincts, even if they are wrong.
   + Always keep your group members laughing; they will never let you down.


PS . Despite of efforts, Light UP never came into fruition, between our fire hazard mess of cords and an overloaded Basic Stamp, we never quite got it up and running.