Tensor is a 10'x8' panel of 64,800 red, green and blue LEDs, divided into 4.5 inch square groups. It could be called a "video wall", with a resolution of 27x20 pixels. But Tensor's most memorable attribute is its intimidating brightness.
Tensor consumes ten kilowatts of electricity. Of that, around a thousand watts - none of which is infrared - comes out the front as light. Standing close by, the visible light striking one's face actually feels warm. No surroundings can be seen; it is all obscured by the dazzling brightness. It is an intimate experience of the nature of light as an almost tangible thing.
The patterns Tensor displays are animated at full video speed (30+ frames per second). Many of the pictures on this page show Tensor running software, written by Bayard Wenzel, which colorizes and renders parametrized complex functions and two dimensional fractals.
notable appearances
Burning Man 2003
Topics in Advanced Face Melting, 10/2003
Saratoga Springs First Night, 12/2003
Burning Man 2004
