New Textiles 2010

Timeline

April 14th - 23 - finalize design, experiment with techniques, order components
April 24 - 30th - Construction; complete a smaller prototype by April 30th
May1st - May 13th - build on prototype to make completed version, trouble shoot

Interactive Model of Brain Function

!!Interactive Model of Brain Function

For my final project I will be making an interactive model of neuronal activity and signal transduction in the brain in collaboration with my roommate, Farre Nixon. The model will consist of a number of model "neurons" that will hang from a 3' x 4' grid mounted on a ceiling. Viewers will be able to walk through the model, acting as a signal that will travel through the network of neurons.

(picture of yarn, picture of human cerebral cortex)

Circuitry

(diagrams of circuits)

Motivation and previous work in the area

While brainstorming ideas for this project, I was thinking of an installation I saw recently at the Denver Art Museum. The installation is essentially a "forest" of loosely strung bungy cords that viewers are invited to walk through. The concept is simple, but walking through the bungies creates a very vivid sensation that is both visually and physically interesting. I liked that viewers were able to interact with the exhibit, and I wanted to create something that would similarly give people the feeling of being inside something larger. Also, as a student of neuroscience, I am constantly thinking about brains, and liked the idea of creating a model that could demonstrate the concepts underlying brain function. Thus, after some discussion, we came up with the idea to make a conceptual model that people could interact with, literally acting as part of the brain.

(picture of DAM exhibit).

For my final project I will be making an interactive model of neuronal activity and signal transduction in the brain. The model will consist of a number of model "neurons" that will hang from a 3' x 4' grid mounted on a ceiling. Viewers will be able to walk through the model, acting as a signal that will travel through the network of neurons.

The neurons will be represented by hanging lengths of stretchy nylon yarn and silicon strips with embedded circuitry. Each neuron will be embedded with LEDs or vibrating pager motors that will turn on when that neuron becomes "active". There will also be hanging strips of conductive fabric that will act as switches to turn on the LEDs and motors. When a viewer walks through the network of "neurons", they will brush the lengths of conductive fabric, which will complete a circuit and turn on the LEDs and motors. As the viewer walks through the model, the neurons they brush will become active, as though the signal is being transmitted from neuron to neuron down the length of the model. Activation of the motors and LEDs will allow the viewer to both see and feel the signal being transduced.

preliminary sketch of the model:

Model Neurons

The individual neurons will be represented by 5' strips of the yarn I created for the yarn assignment. The yarn is made of two strips of nylon-spandex sewn together down the sides. This creates a curly effect, and the yarn somewhat resembles the sulci and gyri (folds and ridges) in the human cortex. Strands of surface-mount LEDs wired in parallel with conductive thread will be threaded through the tubular yarn, which will both insulate the circuitry and disperse the light from the LEDs. Some of these yarns will encase pager motors instead of LEDs. In addition, some of the neurons will be made out of strips of latex tubing or silicon with LEDs or motors embedded. The silicon/latex neurons will hang in a diamond from the center of the grid.

presentation

Attach:interactive Δ Deep-Sea Jellyfish Lamp.pdf

The lamp will incorporate rows of LEDs as well as several pager motors hidden inside the jellyfish's tentacles that will cause it to move as if it is swimming when the motors are active. I want to find a way to make the motors movement-activated, so that they will turn on when someone brushes the tentacles. The jellyfish itself will be made of a combination of fabric and silicone. I plan to experiment with different textures and types of fabrics in order to make the movement and feel of the jellyfish as lifelike as possible. I might also experiment with programming the LEDs to turn on and off in a sequence.

The lamp will incorporate rows of LEDs as well as several pager motors hidden inside the jellyfish's tentacles that will cause it to move as if it is swimming when the motors are active. I want to find a way to make the motors movement-activated, so that they will turn on when someone brushes the tentacles. The jellyfish itself will be made of a combination of fabric and silicone. I plan to experiment with different textures and types of fabrics in order to make the movement and feel of the jellyfish as lifelike as possible.

(:youtube icKB9EfURhQ&feature=related:)

Interactive Jellyfish Lamp

For my final project I will be making an interactive jellyfish lamp that will hang from the ceiling. One of the main advantages of using textiles for a project like this is that the textile adds another dimension to how the result can be experienced - it can provide an interesting tactile sensation rather than just a visual one. With this in mind, I want to make the lamp into something that people can interact with rather than something that just provides light. The lamp will be modeled after several varieties of deep-see jellyfish that are bioluminescent, like the comb jellyfish: