Pipedream III is a high resolution
embolograph (bubble raster) I created for
the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, Canada. It was installed
in June, 2006. Like my earlier Pipedream
pieces, Pipedream III utilizes a series of computer controlled pneumatic
solenoids to inject small bubbles which slowly float up the tube, serving
as pixels.
Unlike Pipedream I and II, this piece has 96 tubes of a smaller diameter.
With this setup and some elaborate software, I can create relatively
clear images, including faces (my own, to the left).
A few sample shots:
Churchill
Alan, my collaborator
(picture taken from webcam
station nearby)
Ddesign, prototyping and installation process for Pipedream III:
Pre-Installation Prototyping
As a proof-of-concept I built a prototype with 96 pipes, approximately 8' wide and 25' high. I then used the
prototype for testing programs to rasterize images and display them as bubbles.
Some early results (the face you may not recognize is my daughter):
Installation Process
Some pictures from the rather laborious installation in June:
The empty space, in the new Weston Innovation Centre.
Jeff and Alan, slaving away...
...everything has to be done 96 times.
Tuning each tube (so the bubble will reach the top in the same amount of time)
