Logo: Mars crossed by stylized torchship.

Extrapolated Worlds

Home of science fiction author Doug Franklin

Artifact: Fluorite Crystal Pyramid

Fluorite Crystal Pyramid

The Fluorite Crystal Pyramid illuminates a fluorite crystal with four RGB mini neopixels set into a supporting girdle. The neopixels are controlled by an Adafruit Trinket Pro 5V microcontroller. Four pushbuttons around the edges control how the neopixels cycle through different levels of light and color. The switches are colored to match the gates of a the Kalachakra mandala: black, red, yellow, white. 

This prototype used free-hand bent wires to connect the electronic elements, after the wooden framework was constructed. If I were to iterate upon it, I would model it in Fusion 360 and 3D print a jig to make it easier to build. This would also allow me to lay out the components in advance and precisely bend the wires in the style of electronics artist Mohit Bhoite. You should check out his exquisite work here on his Instagram page!

I am looking forward to getting back into the Arduino code for this piece to improve its interactivity.