light show

Cell Phone Disco is an experimental installation made out of sensor equipped LEDs.

Here’s the artists’ description:

Cell Phone Disco is a playful experimental installation made out of ?ashing cells. By multiplication of a mobile phone gadget, only slightly altered consumer product, we created a space to experience the invisible body of the mobile phone.

Flashing cells basically consist of one or more LEDs, battery and a sensor that detects electromagnetic (EM) radiation transmitted by an active mobile phone. When the sensor detects EM waves it sets off the LEDs to ?ash for a couple of seconds. In general the ?ashing cells are enclosed in a plastic casing on a strap and sold as a fashion accessory for a mobile phone.

The Cell Phone Disco installation has two parts:

MOBILE AURA

Flashing cells with sensors of higher sensitivity are used to detect electromagnetic radiation of active mobile phone in a range of approximately a meter.  This way a sort of aura appears around the phone, revealing a part of it’s invisible body. While the user moves around talking on his phone, this aura follows the conversation as a light shadow through the space.

MOBILE DRAWING

Much less sensitive cells are used to create a canvas for an inkless marker. The LEDs get activated only by an extreme proximity of the electromagnetic source. Moving the phone close to the cells therefore leaves a trace of light, an temporary electromagnetic drawing.

Created by Ursula Lavrencic and Auke Touwslager

Gadget.Brando.Com.HK has a DJ Plasma Light that reacts to music to create an interactive light show.

They are super-cheap – $18. Cheap enough to tempt me to get several.

Let me know if you’ve used these and, if so, what you think.

Features:

• DJ Plasma Indication Tube
• ON/OFF power switch
• Lightning or Music/Sonic switch
• Music/Sonic with Line in
• Adjustable tube lamp lightning strength level with a knob
• Universal usage
• Tube Length: 39 cm
• Tube made of glass

Package Included:

• 1 pc DJ Plasma Indication Tube
• 1 pc Universal Adaptor
• 1 pc Line in cable