Pulsating space. Physicists’ idea that space is expanding is something we’ve never quite been able to believe. Unimaginable. Science Fiction. But now we’re literally experiencing it in the flesh. Architecture that interacts with people. It moves towards or away from you. It reacts to your behaviour. Architecture with its finger on the pulse of innovation. The human pulse.
A pool of experts. The development process of InteractiveWall is itself forward-looking – the interdisciplinary interplay of diverse expertise. Festo – leading innovator in bionic automation processes – delivered the drive and control technology. The architecture group “Hyperbody” from the technical University of Delft under Kas Oosterhuis came up with the hard- and software for the interactivity. Burkhardt Leitner constructiv realised the architectural design.
Fins and arched backs. The InteractiveWall structure makes use of the “Fin Ray Effect©” which is based on the anatomy of a tailfin. It moves towards or away from its subject around its central axis. It forms a “hollow back” or a “cat’s arched back”. Ultrasound sensors recognise human movement patterns. Electrical actuators transform the signals into motion. In addition, light and sound interact with the visitor. Depending on the subject’s distance away from the wall the skin, consisting of integrated LEDs, becomes either brighter or dimmer and the sound from several speakers grows louder or fades.
Interaction. The individual wall segments can either be programmed to move in sequence, to generate, for example, a wave motion, or they can interact with visitors in real time. The segments react independently, yet have the ability to also move synchronously: by aligning themselves with the neighbouring segments they develop a collective behaviour comparable to the self-organising flocking systems of animals.
Experiential architecture. The design itself was realised by means of the architectural system constructiv PON from Burkhardt Leitner constructiv. Only thanks to its both ductile and thoroughly robust glass-fibre rods as well as the bielastic material covering is the architecture’s organic wave motion possible. Printable, illuminable and equippable with the latest media technology - constructiv PON has opened up a whole new dimension of three-dimensional design. Whether as an eye-catcher at events, fairs or in the foyers of museums or organisations. Whether as an audiovisual office partition or an entire exhibition stand. With little effort or floor space required, InteractiveWall creates sensual, dynamic environments. Architecture to stir the emotions, through motion.
P.S.
A moving image of InteractiveWall can be found here:
www.festo.de
