Microchip Cookie

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Welded steel rings, black acrylic paint, sheer polyester diffusing layer
~500 RGB LED pixels, individually addressable
Custom control hardware and software
25" x 25" x 4" thick

2021

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This piece is round, but arches out in the center in a shallow convex dome shape. The outermost layer is made of welded steel rings, and provides most of the structure. The rings are slightly different sizes, and fill in the dome with an irregular packing pattern, providing a more organic overall look.

The RGB LED pixels are mounted behind the steel rings, with one LED near the center of each ring. A layer of black organza and polyester diffusing material lies above the LEDs but behind the steel rings, to smooth out the light while also giving the filled-in areas a gray color when the LEDs are off. The steel rings and the non-lit gaps between the rings are all painted black.

The LEDs are animated in a variety of hypnotic patterns, many of which are sound reactive. It can be set to play in a “demo mode” that automatically cycles through a variety of pre-defined effects, or you can select a pattern that will play continuously. The brightness and color settings can also be controlled with an optional iOS App.

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video

The video below demonstrates the animation patterns.  The first few minutes include music, to document some of the sound-reactive effects.  The later part of the video, with some non-reactive effects, does not have music playing.