Ibuki
In September of 2017 Diavolo: Architecture in Motion commissioned me to create a custom laser harp for their Veterans's Project dance piece called Ibuki. Embedded in a movable platform, the laser harp turns the set piece into a musical instrument allowing the dancers to create sound with their movement.
The project presented several design limitations not usually a concern in most laser harp designs. All of the electronics had to run off batteries and work wirelessly to allow the platform to move freely. They had to fit in the height of a set piece that had already been designed and built. The sensors could only be mounted in 2-1/2" holes that also contained small lighting instruments and supported 10 foot long poles of various materials throughout the performance; they could not block the light and must allow the poles to be inserted and extracted.
Because of these constraints, I decided on using a new type of sensor; a Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL). This tiny sensor (less than 5mm square) allowed me to fit within the design parameters that more standard laser harp designs; photosensor beam break, infrared range finder, or ultrasonic sensor, would not allow.
