Interactive Cacti
We collaborated with local artists and engineers to make an interactive cactus grove for the 2012 Festival of Creativity at the Mesa Arts Center. This cactus is an agave that reacts to touch, lighting up in different patterns when its fronds (made of pool noodles) are handled. One of the themes of the display was rethinking the way we interact with the cacti around us.
Unlike real cacti, these installations welcome tactile attention, and reward the explorer with a beautiful light show under their control.
We custom designed and built the sensors, circuit boards, and lighting for this sculpture to withstand the Arizona heat and tackling by children. Contact us if you want to visit this sculpture or if you would like something similar for your location or event.
Arizona ArtBeat broadcast a special on PBS about the Mesa Arts Center’s Festival of Creativity on 5/24/12. The cactus grove installation was highlighted around 3:30, including behind-the-scenes footage.
The lighting programs were programmable and we changed them throughout the festival and beyond. You can see (and play with) this sculpture at its temporary home at HeatSync Labs in Mesa, AZ.
Arizona PBS: Arizona ArtBeat — Festival of Creativity (historical link)
The sculpture reacts in real time to music in the following videos:
Slow Motion
The first video is at normal speed, 30 fps. The second one is displayed in slow motion, 240 fps, so you can see the fast, detailed response to the music. 9 seconds of the same song expands to 47 in the second video. The lights update 3,000 times per second and display in full 24bit color (16 million colors).