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Installation

Synch

by Joana Ricou, Paul Shen and JET Thompson

Why is synchronization so satisfying to our senses? Synchronization appears as one of the oldest and most ubiquitous principles that allow for the emergent self-organization that is Life. Synchronization can be found at every level of our Universe, from the smallest microbes to celestial bodies. The lights in this installation start by pulsing independently, but they are programmed to try to pulse together. Each light pulses on a short time cycle. When it pulses, it checks with their neighbors to see whether they are lit. Over time, each light is able to pulse with its neighbors until all lights pulse together. Movement in their vicinity can disrupt their synchronization, but stillness will allow them to synchronize once more.

Location
    Pittsbrugh Children's Museum

Input
    Presence and movements of visitors

Black Box
    Each LED tries to synch its pulsing with its closest neighbors using a consensus algorithm,

Output
    The group of LEDs pulses together.

The class was led by Osman Khan and Carlos Guestrin, faculty at Carnegie Mellon University.

The installation is placed a darkened area where the LEDs appear to float. The installation hangs from a suspended PVC square frame. The installation hangs about 6ft above the ground.

The frame consisted of a 12 x 12 grid, from which 144 LEDs were suspended.

See press from Carnegie Mellon University, including interviews with the faculty and other students discussing the different projects:

Press page >>