LIFE CYCLE DESIGN


Pirouette



An experimental lighting project from Life Cycle Design.



For this exercise, you must design two ways of using electrical light to deliver meaningful & useful experience to the user.



The first way is about the delivery of light for illumination purposes, via a lighting fixture, using standard electrical bulb and switches. The lighting fixture can be one of the following: Table Lamp, Pendant Lamp, or Floor Lamp(reading light or torchiere).


The second way of delivery should make use of the light as an integral component of the product’s interaction experiences with the user. The light should be triggered by meaningful or interesting action/behavior of the user. Beyond delivering straight-forward illumination, consider the light serving as a signal, indicator, display, or as any other meaningful and/or entertaining phenomenon. The resulting experience can range from functional light interface to interactive art experiences which emphasize the aesthetics.



SEE MORE ON YOUTUBE

Original Concept



A Light That Mimics The Rising/ Setting Sun





This design was always intended to be a wake up light which utilizes rotation to allow different apertures of light to pass through a shade. the analog version of the pirouette was designed to be aesthetically similar but stripped of the mechanics.




Part Breakdown



Physical components combined with state of the art software coding allow the Pirouette Lamp to remain flexible and aesthetic. I've provided links to Life Cycle Design's own FREE 3D DOWNLOADS as well as sale links for some of the off-the-shelf electronics.



Electronics Diagram




1. Individually Addressable LED strip (Buy Now)

2. 3m Tape (Buy Now)

3. 5v Stepper Motor (Buy Now)

4. Arduino or Similar Uno Board (Buy Now)

5. ULN2003 Motor Driver Board (Buy Now)




The Pirouette Lamp's 3D Design files are free and open source





6. Shade Clip

7. Diffuser End Cap

8. Sanded Diffusing Tube

9. 40 Tooth 120mm Coast Gear

10. 10 Tooth 35mm Drive Gear

11. Stepper Motor Mount

12. Arduino and Relay Mount



Additional Parts





.5" OD hallow Steel Rod

Ball Bearings

Laser Cut Shade

Codder Pins

Jumper Wires




The Process



Sketch and 3D Design



As with most ideas, the Wine Wick started with hand and clay sketches.



Arduino Coding



As with most ideas, the Wine Wick started with hand and clay sketches.



Parametric Aperture Tests



Realizing that clay could never be perfectly crafted, the design was modeled in Rhino 3D and printed in peach PLA.



Rough Modeling



A silicon mold was poured around the 3D print to create a flexible mold from which many modules could be made.



Fine Tuning



The final result of the Wine Wick was poured from cement, the fine particles of the mix were perfect for picking up the sharp lines of the mold.



Grasshopper Apatures



These vectors were created by a grasshopper script (attractor curve). You can see the way the attractor curve creates differences in hole size and shape. The end design relied on the fact that different apertures allow more light through the shade when rotated.





Build Instructions



Follow along step-by-step and you'll be sure to have your very own Pirouette lamp.



Drill, add LED strip, and Jumper Wires





Drill three .25" holes in your steel rod. A (1.5" in), B (6" in), And C (8" in). Feed LEDs and jumper wires into the tube towards hole C. They will eventually come through hole A. Install a shade clip near hole C.



Coast Gear Assembly





After installing gears to into each 3D printed piece, Attach the "Shade Clip (M)" to the "120mm Coast Gear" using 1/4" bolts. No need to over-tighten here as the plastic is easily stripped.



Assemble the Motor and Driver Gears





Attach everything as shown. Screw Size plays a role in this, you can see that mine are a tad too long, its pretty solid though with some glue.



Secure your Coast Gear in Place





Codder Pin, Old Screw, Wire, use whatever you have to secure your coast gear in place.



Check Tolerances





Verify your holes and tolerances before proceeding.



Install Motor and Mount





Slide on the motor panel and "Arduino and Relay Mount." From this stage, you can begin to see how the lamp is coming together. Don't worry about any shakiness, the PVC tube will stabilize everything.



Pull your LED Jumper Wires





This step can be really tricky unless you have the right pair of pliers. Hope you had different colored wires or marked them!



Mount Boards





Mount Arduino and stepper motor relay onto 3d printed mounting panel. Begin to wire in (+), (-), and GRD wires.



Connect All Jumper Wires





The motor and relay mount was designed to secure wires in an aesthetically pleasing way. Aim to stay extra organized while connecting wires.



End Cap, Diffusing Tube, Shade Clip (f)





In that order, add from the opposite end of your Pirouette. Be sure to add some some electrical tape between the gear and the rod to gain a secure connection.




Run Your Code





Get your arduinoTest your code and make sure everything lights up and that the motor spins. You're almost done!



Slide into the PVC





Hope you cut your PVC already, because you're ready to slide everything into it!



Enjoy





Enjoy, Remix, Remake, and Share!



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