About
The sculpture consists of two, 50 foot by 30 inch tapered tubular forms suspended beneath the arches of the station platform. Lit by LEDs in over 800 clear PC orbs, the sculpture is equipped with interactive capabilities, and responds to the movement of pedestrians and trains in the station with pulsing patterns and changing colors. Linear Accelerator is one of a series of living systems intended to explore the possibilities new technologies present in designing distinctly personal spaces.
Fashioned in a 3D matrix pattern of stainless steel rod, the structure itself acts as a circuit, eliminating the need for wiring to power the 5VDC LED lighting system. At the vertices of this structure are a series of clear polycarbonate orbs, each containing a circuit board with two OSRAM produced LEDs per side, a computer chip and wireless antenna. This allows each LED in the matrix to be controlled from a remote computer. In the St. Louis structure, video cameras positioned in the station provide a signal for shape sensing software, which, in turn, controls the response patterns in the lights. However, the structure could respond to virtually any input signal: movement, sound, vibration, light.
Information: Thomas Rankin Associates
Dimensions: 50′ x 30″
Year Completed: 2005
Material: LEDs
Owner: MetroArts
