Interactivos?09 = Rainbows Progress = April 15

in thinking about the design of the unit, we want to create something that is ambiguous in time, a magic machine that could come from now, or a past or future time and that does not look just like a computer.

I am inspired by the KitMobile, a set of mobile suitcases containing electronics and video screens by Montreal artist Line Nault.


Dan also thought about the process, how it can be visualised by the users and we decided that we prefer not to have just a line of LEDs, as a meter, but rather to maybe use a needle/dial style meter or integrate lights in the unit in a way that better fits the 'possibly old' look of it.

Edson, from Lima is at work on the Python coding. He managed to see what Marius and Patrick have started and thinks that its possible to qctually collect and process pixel data from each image quickly, mostly using python. Of course there are some libraries missing on the eee so he's looking into that today.

Edson on the terrace at Escuelab

Also, very importantly we discussed the waiting time of the user and ways for them to better physically feel the processing. Dan suggested a metal wheel crank, something like those used to lower and raise table saws and other shop tools. Now we're looking for a nice old metal wheel.



Yesterday we took a field trip to a huge electronics market. We got a little waterpump, the style used for cars, but it was dead. We made some tests with the pump that I have brought with me and this seems to actually create enough pressure.

dead car water pump

1st water test with the electric submerged pump, a good start

We are now considering a water system of small falling raindrops, a curtain of water, rather than an upwards spray... but we might find that this spray may need to go upwards since gravity with cause the falling drops to get bigger and in order to create little rainbows, we need little drops.

nice pressure tube we made last night

Although natural rainbows hardly every happen in Lima since it rains on average once every 10 years, its a perfect time for this experimentation because its VERY hot.


Early bottle spray test with the electric pump. The drops are too big.