Hayan Song, Jeanette Margaret Wells, and Akshay Jain
Hey Chicago, feeling blue?
Lighten up, Chicago! is a viewer based installation created to visualize and respond to real-time temperature data. The aim of this project is to recreate the ambience of warm weather and bright sunlight by lighting up the streets of Chicago. This piece is composed of two main light elements, the front display and the back display. The back uses light as a direct representation of the current temperature in Chicago by converting the temperature (˚C) to color in real time using a predetermined set of RGB values. The front panel of light responds to the current temperature, and a warm color is illuminated towards to the street. To create a more dynamic experience, the front display increases and decreases brightness depending on the viewer’s proximity. Twenty-four inches in diameter, Lighten up, Chicago! is composed of 1/8th inch acrylic, LED silicone tubing, a particle photon, and a proximity sensor. The data driven installation faces south towards Monroe Street from the windows of the Neiman Center.
