Interactive Mural Lab, 2017-2018
Tools: CNC, Laser Cutter, Arduino, Rhinoceros
Materials: Acrylic Paint on Wood, LED Strips, Acrylic Board
I founded and facilitated the Interactive Mural Lab (IML), a one-year after-school collaboration between students at Patterson High School and Maryland Institute College of Art. We met every week at Patterson High School to learn Arduino and make an interactive mural for the school entrance.
What is an interactive mural?
An interactive mural is a mural that interacts with audiences. For example, it can turn on LED lights or make sounds when someone touches a certain area of the mural. In the lab, we learn basic interactive art technologies, such as Arduino microcontrollers and a variety of sensors. Arduino is open-source hardware for building projects that can sense and control objects in the physical world.
What is the theme of the mural?
We brainstormed the theme and came up with the word, “diversity.” Patterson High School is one of the most diverse high schools in Maryland. There are students from over 30 countries at school, and students in our lab are from all over the world.