my role in this project
Responsible for conceptual design, modeling design, material selection, physical modeling, interactive design, physical testing
Background for this work:
Flower Shadows was specially designed for the GAC Research Institute by our team geek art.
Concept:
Dandelion blooms in the air because of the wind. Technology freezes time and gradually visualizes the meaning of life. Between the flow of light connects the communication between human beings, nature, and technology.
Source of Inspiration:
The dandelion in childhood memories. Once children find a fully grown dandelion, they will exhale happily, blow on it to spread ignite the sparkle of life. The wind would then carry these seeds away to the moist soil, and the trajectory of the seeds also describes the direction of the wind. All these are unconscious and natural flowing in the long river of time, reflecting the miracle of life. Nature is a thing that cannot be accurately predicted. It is rather chaotic, which fascinates me.
Part one: designing the flower
Modeling design:
Modeling design: We try to explore a flower-shaped model made of environmentally friendly materials. The meridians of plants often fascinate me. They always have a relative sense of order, but they are not mechanical copies. My team and I hoped to explore this sense of order through a piece of paper so that a piece of paper with a special shape is spliced into a flower.
material selection:
We chose Tyvek: This is a kind of plastic similar to paper, which expresses the texture of paper but also is tougher than paper. It is waterproof and tear-resistant.
The shadow of this structure is also part of the interaction installation.
It is composed of 108 pieces of paper, and the papercut of two different shapes present the contours of different flowers.
Part two: united form
Displaying the intertwined growth of natural vines, and the interlacing of 4 branches connects 18 flowers in series.
Material:
Stainless steel
Process:
bending, wire drawing
Part three: interaction mode
The signal processor recognizes the frequency of the sound being blowing into the microphone, and converts the signal into an electric signal and transmits it to the stepping motor on the branch. The motor will drive the flowers to open and close. At the same time, the signal will also be transmitted to the projector, so that the mapping effect on the flowers will change with the movement.
The flowers are awakened by the wind. Driven by the wind, the mechanical flowers are blown away, flowed, spread, and enlarged.
The interaction sensor is equipped with a microphone, when the visitor triggers the interaction, it will turn on the light as a reminder.
Part four: visual representation
Visually, we adopted Mapping digital precision alignment technology and digital generation technology and uses the change of "light" to form the feeling of wind blowing, adding agility and creating the lightness of dandelion when it is airborne.
Standby screen
visual effects under single-player interactive mode
visual effects under multi-players interactive mode
structuring process
We first used 3D printing to create the overall shape and used iron wires to draw out the structure of the four backbone shapes. After that, we enlarged the wire in the same proportion and drew out the curve on a piece of cloth. Then we used 50mm stainless steel to bend manually with a machine to complete the overall backbone structure. For the finishing part, we used a lathe to wash out the whole structure to achieve a special gradient coloring and then bend it entirely. In the end, we polished the main part on the welding belt as well as the entire surface.
display mode
Exhibited at the GAC Research Institute October 2019
My team and I tried to use technology to evoke the visitor’s memory of nature. The natural feedback, including rhythm, flow, shape, and changes triggered by this interactive method, combined with the air conditioning system of the GAC Automobile, scene-based application of aromatherapy, seat ventilation and heating system, all make the automobile more than just industrial products but also a comprehensive experience for the drivers. This experience incorporates humanistic emotions, natural touch, and technological perception.
