Untitled/Forest video/Documentation

This is a short clip of the automata in action. The machine recognises the proximity of a person and if they are moving. If it detects movement, then the creatures hide. This is indicated by switching off their eyes. After a random amount of time 20 - 120 seconds, if no further movement is detected then they slowly come on again, first red then white. Any movement will cause an immediate shutdown. The delay and the sensitivity can be adjusted.

Base unit, upside down. PIR sensor at the front behind the grill. This has the effect of limiting the range and the angle of the sensor. Since I got this bit back to front (and realised after I had glued it) this effect was a fortunate mistake. Sensor should have been mounted through the round hole. Putting it there when I realised the mistake would have entailed making the whole thing again, so I lived with it. 

The automata uses fibre optics for piping light to the creature's eyes. Illumination is in the base, using addressable LEDs and a Crumble micro controller. This controller is intended for school use and is easy to use. You can find out more here.

PIR sensor. 

Crumble controller soldered in place. On the left are the LED. Because of the construction mistake, the holes needed to be moved. At this point I would have remanufactured it, but time was running out.

Reflection

This was a long struggle. Technically, what should have been easy turned out to be a struggle with delays and mistakes. By the time of the January assessment, I decided to let things go. But after that the desire to get it finished kicked back in. Programming the Crumble is easy, soldering the surface mount LEDs something my eyes aren't up to.

Compromises were made and the device rolled out for an audience in late February. It was put in the Street in a dark corner and left for a day. Feedback was encouraging and the delay time dropped, otherwise people thought it had simply stopped working.

My own opinion was mixed. I thought I had achieved something, but the message (if there is one) and the ability to hang a 'fine art' label on it worrying. I am encouraged by reading books such as "Thingworld" and visiting websites such as https://refugeeweek.org.uk/events/shahre-farang/ which highlights artist Farhad Berahman's work with peep shows that I am finding a practice. 

I am also encouraged by the reaction from people who wouldn't naturally inhabit a fine art show; my work is intended to invoke feelings of wonder and delight, but also curiosity and ask questions. The work here doesn't do the last criteria very well; but maybe it does. Subtlety isn't my strong point.