Design and control of a mobile light ballet platform

Abstract

Light ballet is the merging of art and technology; halogen lamps mounted on a turntable are placed inside of an opaque, perforated box. Light escapes through the perforations and creates a display of lights on surrounding surfaces. This thesis documents the process of transforming the generally stationary art display into a mobile exhibit. The light ballet modules will be placed on a mobile platform driven by three omni-directional wheels. The platform is controlled by an Android application, which communicates through Bluetooth and an Arduino Uno with the motor's controllers. The platform is designed to operate either through batteries, or through a retractable tether plugged into a power source, so the potential operating time is indefinite. This design will be replicated, to create a fleet of three light ballet robots for performance in Berlin, Germany, August 2014.