Flock Lights
02
The concept behind this decorative lighting fixture is to depict the graceful movement of birds in flight. Suspended in the air are multiple spheres. Envision birds gracefully maneuvering through their these spheres. Each sphere dynamically adjusts its light intensity in response to the proximity of the birds.
On a grander scale, with a lot more spheres, the scene could resemble a flock of birds. One might observe the mesmerizing spectacle of bird groups forming and dissolving, creating a captivating display. While this effect is not quite achieved at this moment, the current effect is still quite enchanting, evoking the sensation of something in motion among the spheres.
The lamp itself is made with WS2812b individually addressable LEDs attached to ping pong balls. A Raspberry Pi serves as the controller for the flocking simulation. The Raspberry Pi knows the coordinates of each ping pong ball. This information allows it to calculate the distance between a sphere and nearby birds, and adjusting the intensity of the LEDs accordingly. The spheres are suspended from a bicycle wheel with rope woven between the spokes, forming an intriguing ceiling display.
