Client

Overview

Permanent Kinetic Sculpture Installation developed by Volvox Labs for Xandr, ATT’s advertising and analytics division. VVOX was brought on to prototype, program and engineer this permanent installation that comes to life through a series of behaviors, both passive and reactive that keep the sculpture in constant flux, with instant reactive changes that physically respond to people passing through the space.
A permanent installation that comes to life through a series of behaviors, both passive and reactive that keep the sculpture in constant flux, with instant reactive changes that physically respond to people passing through the space. Indoors it is a mesmerizing, dynamic, and surprising experience. Outdoors at night, it is a spectacle of wonder and curiosity.

Goals

Inspired by Xandr’s namesake, Alexander Graham Bell, and his tetrahedral box kites, this ceiling sculpture at nearly 100 feet long, with 300 individual computer-driven motors, and hundreds of LED lights, is the largest kinetic sculpture in New York City. With all mechanical, computer, and lighting components and its entire tessellated structure visible through the translucent kinetic skin, the installation is a physical manifestation of Xandr’s holistic brand concept of the 21st Century Workshop.

Process

Our in-house team of designers and programmers went through multiple stages of creating prototypes, pre-fabricating smaller module assemblies and testing the linear actuators. Our system communicates simultaneously to 300 linear actuators and 150 LED tubes with multiple messages over various protocols.