Abstract
Over the past several weeks I have worked to utilize LED lights and sensors to create an interactive piece of artwork. I’ve created a polygonal, anatomical human heart that is set alight with different color and patterns based on the orientation and acceleration applied. The goal was to capture and visualize the energy of movement in our lives. Changing the direction of this model heart changes the beat, just as the twists and turns of our lives affect the beats of our hearts.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zsq7YX1MeCM
Behind the lights
Inside this artwork is an ESP3266, an LIS3DH Triple-Axis Accelerometer, and 4 NeoPixel rings. Utilizing each components Arduino library. The accelerometer tracks the orientation and acceleration of the heart using the accelerometer. By picking up the acceleration due to gravity in the xyz directions, the device I could take the readings from the device and translate them into position. Each coordinate orientation corresponds to a programmed light pattern sent to the NeoPixels. Shaking the heart causes it to light up rainbow after detecting a certain amount of acceleration.
The making of
The heart itself was modeled in blender in a high to low poly workflow. It was then exported into SolidWorks to be cut in half and hollowed out with just enough space to house the electronic components. I also used SolidWorks to model a core to attack to the base and house the breadboards and lights. All the modeled components were 3D printed on an Ender 3 Pro in white filament. After close to 36 hours of printing, the components were stuck onto the core, and all the parts could be screwed together.
I really enjoyed the feel of holding the heart in my hands. It was satisfyingly heavy and the polygonal texture was interesting. I also liked the way it glowed as we passed it around the room. It almost felt like a key item in a video game that glows to signify its importance.
The work you put into this heart is crazy! These WS2812 LEDs shine through the filaments nice and bright, and the low poly gives it a vapour wave ａｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃ!
This project was really well executed. I admired how close your final product was to your initial plan. The final result is pretty mesmerizing in person.
This piece is my personal favorite in the class. The synergy between the LED rings and the 3D in-fill works very well for me. And I like the interactive aspect of this piece very much! Great works!