Testing the sensor!

Just before we stopped for the Christmas break, the team got together to test for the first time the camera and sensor for our interactive artwork. We set up all the necessary stuff in the workshop and we had a good play around with the camera to see how it worked.

So far, so good. The guys have done an amazing job. So far, the camera can see a person approach. It can sense when someone is far away or close. You can see in the video clips that the movement of a person near then far, turns the actuator on and off.

We did our first test on “The Pond”, a previous artwork because we know that it actuates already. We connected only one of the elements to the power, so only the shape on the right hand side is actuating.

Eventually, we will develop this concept so that the artwork is constantly actuating. It will actuate faster or slower depending on where the viewer moves in the room. If the person comes close, we can make the artwork actuate quickly. If they move away, the artwork will actuate more slowly. This is all part of how the audience reacts to the work, and how the work reacts to the audience. This will make the artwork very interesting to interact with. Essentially the artwork is ‘alive’ and responsive to the energy of the people around it.