Go Grow Glow
2022
Interactive art / Arduino project
Team project with Canwen Wang
From humans’ perspective, mushrooms are considered one of the most sustainable species on the earth. Beyond their use as nutritional food, they can also be found as ingredients in building materials, packaging, textiles, medicine, and for a number of other purposes. However, the number of mushroom species is declining, and we do not put efforts into conserving mushrooms due to a lack of awareness. It is time for us to shed light on the value and status quo of mushrooms and help them grow.
Go, Grow, Glow is a light-based public installation that uses mushroom growth animation videos. By using Arduino and Processing, the installation imitates the process of mushroom propagation and creates an immersive space for spectators to participate in mushroom reproduction. The project aims to raise awareness of the sustainability of mushrooms by attracting people to participate in the interactive installation. We bring mushrooms from nature to campus and create an experience that is engaging, both visually and intellectually.
The system of this project like a game. Typically, the mushrooms disperse spores by the wind or insects. In this project, spectators will play the role of "insects,” and their mission is to help mushrooms reproduce.
The installation was placed in the classroom, and the mushroom animation was projected on the ventilation duct. The shape of the duct is like the environment in which mushrooms grow—the tree. However, ducts are considered non-environmentally friendly structures, while mushrooms have strong vitality and resilience and can be grown in cruel environments. So it shows an interesting contrast in the combination when mushrooms from nature are “growing” on industrial materials. We hope that the spirit of mushrooms will inspire students and affect the environment positively.
At first, the target duct will show a twinkle light to attract spectators and indicate that they need to be helped spread “spores.” When spectators get close to the duct, the mushrooms will grow gradually. The closer the spectators get to the duct, the bigger mushrooms will grow on it. It means the mushroom senses the proximity of carriers and is well-prepared to release spores. When the spectators go away, the mushrooms will disappear and leave twinkle lights to wait for the next “insect."
For the mechanism, an infrared sensor is placed under the target duct, and the projector is hidden around the duct. So when spectators get close to the tree, the infrared sensor will be triggered and send signals to the Arduino. The Arduino then transmits the signal to Processing, and projectors project the motion graphics onto the duct.
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