Real Time Weather Lamps
by Laura Subirats
Two lamps working with EL wire controlled by Arduino, that represent in real time data from an API the weather in London and Barcelona. Both are changing its brightness depending on the weather values.
*Introduction
This project is about a feeling. It is visually talking about the distance between two cities. London, where I life, and Barcelona, where I am from. The idea is using the weather as a changing connection between both cities. The piece is interacting in real time with information about the weather, and representing it through the light.
The Concept goes around the idea of being connect in distance. How the Internet is nowadays giving us the possibility of interacting with people and places far away from us. The idea is breaking this huge wall, and bringing together sensations in distance. With the light and information about the weather, the Internet is letting me create an object that talks about how I feel.
Technical + Code: this piece is working under OpenFrameWorks and Arduino. Those are connected via Serial messages. OFF is the input, interacting in real time with a Weather API. And Arduino is the output, controlling the El wire light through the values that OFF is sending. This values are affecting to the brightness of the light.
The Physical object, are two lamps, one representing the weather in London and the other one the weather in Barcelona. The lamps are made with acrylic, 3D printed lids and the respective El wire in each one. Both are running with the same Arduino, but is possible also running it with an arduino by their own.
The Future development for this project would be expanding the lamps more into objects, and not only using one input, also playing with more sensors. The first idea was also exploring and developing the object in real distance. Having an object in Barcelona and the other one in London, and having interactivity between each other.
Self evaluation: I am really happy with the result of this project. Although the final look seems to be simple, the real work behind the lamps was tough. I am really proud of what I have achive, and now I am ready to keep working and improving with other aspects that are still difficult for me.
References
Twin Objects – Devices for long-distance relationships - http://www.creativeapplications.net/objects/twin-objects-devices-for-long-distance-relationships/
https://www.fastcodesign.com/3032345/arduino-powered-lamp-changes-colors-to-reflect-the-weather
