Art Teachers at NuVu: Day #4

Today we had time to prototype our Synethesia City Projects.  The experts at NuVu emphasized the process they used with students.  The process is heavy on sketching, prototyping a rough prototype, critiquing, redesigning and re-prototyping, making more finished models and lastly adding electronic elements.  This post will give you an idea of what students could create with us soon! 

Megan's Project: 

Sensory Treat Truck: Our team decided to create a mobile iteration of our “sensory treat” idea. In this more developed version, we envision a truck that can park along any city block. The location would move from day to day, in a random or unpredictable fashion. While parked, the truck creates a wall facing the pedestrians on the sidewalk. The wall would have several different functions that could modify the sensory experience of the pedestrians passing by. The truck would be outfitted with a sensor pole that would extend up and over the city street, capable of detecting the movement of traffic below. Real time information tracked from cars, trucks, buses and bicyclists (like length or height of the vehicle, amount of sound produced, amount of pollutants being emitted) would be converted into a new format displayed on the wall of the truck. In other words, the traditional sights, sounds, smells of a bustling city street would manifest in a new sensory form for the pedestrians passing the “Sensory Treat Truck.”

Possible Traffic Triggers with Corresponding Sensory Wall Functions: *Pollution emissions are translated into a color changing panel that will be continually changing with the fluctuation/variety of vehicles passing by. *Height and length of vehicles would be translated into sounds coming from speakers embedded in the sensory wall. For example, a 12’ high truck that is 24’ long would translate into a C-note that lasts for the duration of its passing beneath the sensor, while a bicycle whizzing by might be a second long A-note. *Sounds of vehicles could translate into light on the sensory wall. For example, a truck that is backing up might be making a loud BEEP BEEP BEEP, which would manifest as a pulsating and syncopated blue light on the wall.

Power Source: Solar powered, panels mounted on the top of the mobile truck.

Angelique's Project:

The Social Sensory Sidewalk Covers, 3SC.  The concept behind this product is to socially and culturally engage people walking down city streets, waiting at bus stops, going to a restaurant, viewing a historical site and other city roaming activities.  The structure will have a duel function as a space providing shade, cover from the weather, and/or barrier from the pollution or noise from the street combined with a sensory experience.  

Each 3SC can have a different theme appropriate to the location.  For example the model pictured is located at a bus stop.  Since this location is more general the theme for this 3SC is social justice. Under the pavilion there are 6 rounded tube pillars.  Each pillar represents a different topic of social justice: Civil Rights, Immigrant rights, LBTGQ rights, Woman's Rights, Global Human Rights, and Civil Liberties.  There are bulletin boards and pamphlet holders for local groups to post information about meetings, getting involved, events and so on. When someone stands in front of a board a sensor will light up the rounded tube pillar to indicate someones interest.  This could signal someone else with similar interests to strike up a conversation or the city/groups could track how many people are pausing to engage in this topic.

Other 3SC's might include more of a cultural bend.  For example the 3SC could be located outside a cultural restaurant.  To help people understand more about that culture the boards could instead be interactive boards with maps and time periods to click on.  If the restaurant is an Indian restaurant you could click on different location in India and then select a time period and the screen would give you historical information, control music in the pavilion to align with that selection, show art and images of that selection.  This concept could be focused on the history of the city, a specific local them such as local arts or music. The city or business choosing to purchase the 3SC can customize the pavillion for their needs. ​ Functional Aspects:  The city or business can control the canopy to give more shade, give shelter from the weather and control the blocking of emission fumes by lowering and raising the canopy.  The canopy is always translucent or transparent with some flow of the outside air.  The pavilion is not a fully enclosed space or room, but a slight shelter from the outside environment. 

Different models:  The model could be a stand alone or connected to a building depending on your needs and sidewalk layout.