2024
Texture-painted cherry, painted steel, lithium battery, Raspberry Pi computer, e-ink display
Sometimes, you need to lump around and take in a little abstract art. And what if that abstract art was a little lumpy, too? Even better, what if it changed every six hours so you could contemplate a new maze of lines and shapes? Lumpstraction provides all that. A CNC-cut wood texture-painted sculpture with an embedded black and white e-ink display, this piece will delight your abstraction appetite without keeping you awake at night (Literally, there's no illumination).
A Raspberry Pi computer controls the display change to a new geometric abstraction every 6 hours (4 times daily). The piece can liven a flat surface or hand on a wall. It lasts about three weeks per charge or can be plugged in via USB-C at all times.
Dimensions: 8”w x 7”h x 2”d (200 x 180 x 50mm)
2022
UV-coated SLS 3D-printed plastic, single-board computer, e-ink display, rechargeable battery
Ghost Club is a collection of 99 phantoms, shadows, spirits, and supernatural beings. Each apparition can be enjoyed for 24 hours until, in the deep darkness of night, the specter is randomly replaced by another mysterious high-contrast black-and-white portrait. All the ghosts will appear at least once before a repeat visit experience. Ghost Club gives the viewer a chance to meditate with the spirit realm in the safety of their own space and time.
The Ghost Club e-ink display runs on a rechargeable lithium battery, accessed through a small port in the underside of the frame. The piece can run for more than a month on a charge.
Dimensions: 7.25”w x 5”h x 1.5”d (183 x 127 x 38mm)
2022
Raspberry-Pi, WittyPi, 7-color e-paper display, Rechargeable Battery, UV-coated SLS 3D printing
AQI Funnies builds off the Internet of Things trend by combining live air quality data (in this case, from zip code 94114) with single-frame comics. Using an e-paper display and the Air Now air quality API, a ghost-like friend presents the viewer with a word bubble about the rating for the day. The character's mood, background, and messaging change to one of seven different scenes based on the particulate count at the current moment. From great to hazardous air, the guiding figure encourages or warns you, with a random adjective, about how your lungs and body might be exposed. The device updates every four hours using a rechargeable battery that will last about a month per charge.
This piece uses a seven-color e-paper display by Pimoroni, updated with a Raspberry Pi computer programmed with Python. UUgear's WittyPi module manages the on/off time and battery conservation. Procreate is the tool for the comic frames. The Rhino-designed enclosure is 3D printed using Shapeways.
Dimensions: 5”w x 4”h x 2.25”d
2019
Internet connected display, 3D-printed brackets, recalled children’s unicorn boot, lithium battery and charger
Consumers Should Immediately... uses a live data feed from The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) to randomly display thousands of products recalled for reasons such as fire, electrocution, entrapment, choking and a variety of other unintended dangers. Every two minutes the embedded screen lists the name of the product, the identified danger, the product manufacturer, and the original recall date. The electronics are enclosed in an actual recalled children’s unicorn boot, along with an embedded rechargeable battery, allowing for an uninterrupted stream of recalled products in any location.
This piece uses Adafruit’s Pyportal and CircuitPython
2017
3D Printed Porcelain and PLA, Photon IOT controllers, TFT displays, Cactus
Prickly is an internet-connected decorative planter that uses the ProPublica Congress API to cycle through a live list of the latest 10 bills passed by the United States Senate (on one TFT display) and latest 10 bills passed by The House of Representatives (on the other). Find out what your elected officials are finagling through Congress every time your water a parched cactus.
Dimensions: 4.5"w x 4.5"h x 4.5"d (not including plant)
2021
Can we get to herd immunity? Which states are making it happen, and who's hesitant? Vac track follows it all with real-time graphs of first and complete vaccinations distributed in all US states, DC, and Puerto Rico.
At the end of the state rundown (state abbreviation followed by graph), a calculated "winner" and "loser" for first and complete vaccinations is displayed. I started this as a short weekend project (it took longer). Let's hope this device becomes obsolete quickly. The insides are a Raspberry Pi Zero, a Pimoroni "Unicorn Hat Mini," and the Covid Act Now API–sitting in a 3D printed stand.
Dimensions: 3”w x 2.5”h x 1.25”d
Connecticut was one of the daily vaccination winners on May 4th.
Alabama was one of the daily losers winners on May 4th.
2016
CNC Walnut, 3D-printed Plastic, Photon Microcontroller, LED, Lithium Battery
Welcome Drone uses the internet of things methodology to bring the reality of secret drone strikes into the home and into casual conversation. Once an hour, a Photon microcontroller checks to see if there are updates on the dronestre.am site. If there are, the unit glows for 8 hours continuously. Because there's nothing about the piece which indicates its meaning, it blends into the home like any other wall hanging artwork or decor. When it does unexpectedly light up it may serve as a reminder or conversation starter about the secret strikes that are taking place on a regular basis in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
