Tuesday, April 22, 2008
080421_Bellows prototype
Two videos showing the bellows working with "analog input".
I was unable to make the flexinol power the bellows. It needs to be a different point for leverage. It might also be a power issue. It takes some force to make it inflate.
Goals for the bellows:
- Make seven of them, one for each level of the PRC's air quality scale. They would form a column like the audio readout of a stereo. If the worst level of airquality is reached, then all seven pillows are inflated. If the best, one is inflated etc. This will require a system of relays.
- how will the relays be powered? I haven't been able to get one to work yet. my goal for next week is to get 2 bellows working with a relay.
- Visually, the scale will be treated with the brand identity of the Olympic countdown billboards in beijing - as an urban information node it will broadcast airquality at it's location.
- My version will be a timelapse of air quality data over a whole year leading up to the date of the Living Architecture final.
- Ideally, an LED would be embedded in each pillow and it would go off when the pillow inflates. Light would support the reading.
- Another valuable output would be a simple "digital clock" display showing the corresponding date as the pillows show the data.
- Finally, an added bonus is that the bellow really does breathe. It wheezes as it inflates and deflates.
Labels: air, air quality, beijing, bellows
