Corona is a geodesic sphere, 12 inches in diameter. Each of the 180 faces of the 3-frequency sphere has seven LEDs (red, green, blue). These RGB groups are all individually dimmable (36 bits of color control), and cast spots of light on walls, floor and ceiling.
The original inspiration for Corona derived from theatrical moving spotlights and the venerable mirror-covered "disco ball". Why had no one made an illumination device that cast light in all directions simultaneously, but also divided up that uniform illumination into hundreds of individually controllable cones of light? The natural way to do this, in the abstract, would be to mount many spotlights on the surface of a sphere.
Corona's sphere is geodesic -- it is constructed from 180 triangles, of two types, mated together edge to edge. Light is emitted from narrow-angle LEDs on each face. The nature of geodesic structures is that they practically assemble themselves, with great precision, and with impressive strength. So, by using a geodesic as a substrate, the LEDs are oriented and positioned with no extra effort.
funded by
notable appearances
Boston Art Windows Project, 3/2005
Saratoga Springs First Night, 12/2003
Burning Man 2004
Topics in Advanced Face Melting, 10/2003
Burning Man 2003
Lightfair, NYC, 2003
Collision 5, MIT Museum, 5/2003
