THE IDEA
Sharing Light is a project that goes beyond simply lighting a room. It is about capturing and sharing the ever-changing atmospheres of an environment. This carefully crafted device is embedded with a series of photocell light sensors that capture the lighting qualities of it's surrounding space. The fixture remembers the lighting patterns and is able to either "replay" them later on with the press of a button or, when multiple fixtures are networked together, share them real-time with others across the world. It is able to recreate the values, hues, and directions of the space's lighting qualities.
IoT USER INTERFACE
PROCESS & DEVELOPMENT
The idea began with the curious interest of connecting with friends and family back home in Hawaii. While the wide time difference made it more challenging to chat, it sparked the idea of utilizing the contrast in time & daylight as way to connect by sharing the light qualities of the distant location.
The main challenge was to figure out a way to program the fixture to "record light" and then to "play light" at a later time, and through another device. The solution was to create an array of photo-sensors capturing light amounts & hues from the different directions of the cube. These amounts would be embedded with the direction, and stored for use either at a later time, or with a different device.
Functional Prototype
O N G O I N G D E V E L O P M E N T
This project is being further developed to share more than lighting. Through networking the fixtures with a series of databases, this project will be able to use light to subtly & ambiently communicate information of various environments. It would shift colors for different weather patterns; increase intensity as a storm approaches your hometown on the other side of the globe; change patterns to indicate pollen levels on your commute to work. All in all it would lightly modify the ambient qualities of your space as a means to convey information.
Project Roles:
Lead Interface Design & Product Development
• Ideation brainstorming and concept development
• Executed industrial design and interface of device
• Collaborated on IoT integration with APIs and other devices
• Programmed & wired arduino of functioning prototype
• Detailed and fabricated physical unit
• Produced imagery, videos, and reports for presentations & publications
Project Credits:
Sole Contributor:
• Ricardo Jnani Gonzalez. Master's of Science in Design
Affiliated Professor & Researchers:
• Dennis Shelden. Department of Architecture, MIT
R E L A T E D L I N K S
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