The Big Dripper: Arduino Project

http://vimeo.com/20636301



source code https://github.com/vishnubob/bigdripper/tree/master/bigdripper

'Big Dripper is a robotic sculpture created by Giles Hall in 2011. It is a concept based on Harold Edgerton's Piddler. Edgerton's Piddler, also known as a "Time Fountain", uses a stroboscopic light source to highlight individual drops of water in a constant stream of liquid. With the strobe off, the stream looks like a solid cylinder of falling water. With the strobe on, and correctly synchronized with the actuation of the pump, the individual drips of water that compose the stream are exposed. The drips appear to hang in space as if frozen in time. By modulating the phase relationship between the frequency of the pump and the frequency of the strobe, the device can generate optical illusions of motion. For example, the individual drops can appear to fall slowly, or even crawl upwards.

Big Dripper expands on this idea by adding eight individually controllable pumps. By adjusting the phase relationships between the pumps and LEDs, a variety of visual effects can be achieved. '

Technology used:

Arduino; Lighting 

Memory theory:

Gives the effect of being able to isolate specific droplets of water and change their motion. Makes it look like time is being slowed, reversed and stopped. 


It is a different way of intepreting memory. Memory is not stored, but a concept is drawn attention to. Perhaps an object can represent the concept rather than being an example of it.

Credit: 

Big Dripper from Giles Hall on Vimeo.