Open Source Innovation - Ep 128

Quick Overview

The Open Source Innovation project, involving art, engineering, and community building, successfully deployed its solar-powered, architecturally interesting light source structure, which expands into a star shape, at Burning Man, proving its robust and environmentally friendly design concept.

Key Points: The project, titled "Open Source Innovation," features a solar-powered, environmentally friendly light source structure designed to be strong enough to function as a bike ramp. The structure's design utilizes novel scissor-linkage mechanisms and an accordion-like folding geometry, resembling a star shape when deployed. The creators, including Colin Jemmott, MJ Brovold, Sam Smith, and Squirtle, are part of the San Diego Collaborative Arts project and are committed to open-sourcing their designs. The team received a $1,500 Civic Ignition Grant and also had a previous, similar installation called 'Echoes of the Dying Sea' at the High Desert Test Sites. The design philosophy emphasizes community building, accessibility for artists without extensive technical knowledge (like power management), and sustainability. The project was successfully tested in the desert and at the Soake Regional event, proving its durability against harsh conditions, including rain.

Context: This interview segment from Burning Man Live features Colin Jemmott, MJ Brovold, Sam Smith, and Squirtle discussing their open-source art project focused on sustainable, accessible light installations. The project, which has evolved over several years, aims to create modular, environmentally conscious art that can be easily deployed and shared within the maker community, contrasting with the heavy, fossil-fuel-dependent art often seen at Burning Man.

Detailed Analysis

The discussion centers on an open-source art project focused on creating solar-powered light art that is both environmentally friendly and accessible to a broader community of creators. The structure itself has a complex, star-shaped, fractal design employing scissor linkages and accordion mechanisms, which allows it to be fully assembled from easily obtainable, relatively inexpensive materials (costing under $100 for hardware) and then folded down for transport. The creators—Colin Jemmott, MJ Brovold, Sam Smith, and Squirtle—are connected to the San Diego Collaborative Arts project. They received a $1,500 Civic Ignition Grant for this iteration, having previously brought a similar piece called 'Echoes of the Dying Sea' to the High Desert Test Sites. They stress that open-sourcing the design is crucial, allowing others to replicate, improve, or adapt it for their own needs, even if they lack specific technical knowledge of power systems. The project successfully powered its LED lights entirely through solar panels for the entire week at Burning Man. The speakers emphasize that the community aspect, encouraging collaboration and sharing knowledge, is as important as the physical art itself. They also mention that the project was robust enough to withstand rain during testing and that they are already planning future, perhaps larger, iterations.