The painted electromagnetic field of a Macbook. Image: Luke Sturgeon and Shamik Ray
Luke Sturgeon and Shamik Ray – two designers at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, have found a way of making the invisible electromagnetic field emitting from your Laptop visible.
The painted electromagnetic field of a Macbook. Image: Luke Sturgeon and Shamik Ray
“The project was part of a week-long experimental imaging workshop at CIID that asked students to visualize the invisible everyday phenomena, no digital retouching allowed,” Liz Stinson writes for Wired. “To get their images, Sturgeon and Ray holed themselves up in a pitch-black, totally silent room for three days to experiment with different visualizations and processes. They ended up creating their own Android app in Processing that would allow them draw and map EMFs. The phone, with its built-in magnetic sensors, acted as a sort of “light brush” that reacted based on the strength of the EMF being read. To capture the streak of light coming from the radio, they would slowly drag the phone over the device and wait for the long exposure image to process.”
The painted electromagnetic field of a radio. Image: Luke Sturgeon and Shamik Ray
“The gratification that came from capturing each exposure reflects the similar experience in dark-room photography, slowly watching each photograph develop,” Sturgeon explained. “We were surprised by the difference in magnetic strengths between objects and how strong the electromagnetic field is around hard drives and laptop computers and mobile phones, all of which we live in constant close proximity to every day.”
“We would like to define a suitable and consistent visual language that can be used to measure and compare any type of object that emits a magnetic field,” Sturgeon said.
The painted electromagnetic field of a radio. Image: Luke Sturgeon and Shamik Ray
The painted electromagnetic field of a radio. Image: Luke Sturgeon and Shamik Ray
Visualising electromagnetic fields from Luke Sturgeon on Vimeo.
