3D printing is now taking on the art world with this new mesh-like art installation that was erected for the iLight Marina bay festival in Singapore. Designed by professors Felix Raspall and Carlos Bañón from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the professors designed this piece to show the functionality of mixing 3D printing with architectural components.
This annual festival features different light art installations from an array of international artists, the purpose of which is for the artists to use environmentally friendly materials or energy saving lighting in order to highlight and encourage attendees to adopt sustainable habits into their daily lives.
The structure includes LED pixles that react when a visitor is present
This installation by Bañón and Raspall is a 3D printed lightweight, light emitting tetrahedral mesh. The installation itself has a size of 10 x 6 x 3 m and includes over 50,000 individual LED pixels that react to a special algorithm that runs on five micro controllers that react when a visitor is present, thanks to three ultrasonic sensors that are located at the base of the structure.
The slender tubes that make up the installation are made of polymers that diffuse light using translucent ABS and nylon, with each tube holding custom made LED light bulbs. In addition, their structure is both highly resilient and flexible, enabling it to withstand stresses of both expansion and contractions.
A close up of the 3D printed structure
While this isn’t the first art installation the professors have created, with their last being a 3D printed fibrous mesh pavilion that was placed in the atrium of SUTD, this new structure gives an interactive experience that shows the public the wonders that 3D printing can give to different sectors, including art.
For more information, check out the video below:
What do you think of this architectural innovation? Do you think their creation will help propel 3D printed art further? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook and Twitter pages!