Marco 04 Dec 2024

Voltaire

A friend invited me to collaborate in an art project to build an abstract tree, and hanging from the branches there would be about 300 [vintage electrical insulators](https://www.wikiwand.com/simple/articles/Insulator_(electricity) which would light up individually using addressable LED pixels.

I’ve started building the prototype using laser cut wood, a couple of insulators, a Raspberry Pi 3 development board and other materials.

Using X-Lights, a software typically used for Chrismas/Halloween decoration shows in houses, I’ve programmed a “show” for the tree.

The Raspberry Pi would have the software to drive the LED pixels driven by the program created using X-Lights.

In the pictures you see a screenshot of a 3D model of the tree being modeled inside X-Lights.

The tree would’ve been built using scrap metal, secured to the playa (Burning Man ground), and would have a security mechanism to prevent people from climbing it.

Unfortunately, several factors contributed to the abandonment of the project, at least for the time being. If you’re interested in this project, please contact me.

Built with: