Aurora Digitalis: Lights in the North

In the fall of 2011, our student group conceived, designed, and built a light show. Tens of thousands of lights decorated an outdoor plaza, all of them fully computerized and synchronized to music.

Not only was this a great organizational and technical challenge, it was a conceptually beautiful and engaging project. A light show is a wonderful synthesis of art and science. It displays the power of science and what people consider otherwise "drab" technical fields to evoke a sense of wonder, and allow a submersion of the senses as the lights and music build an exciting and communal atmosphere. By making the technical side more visible and accessible to the public, it encourages individuals to investigate and think of the applications of the sciences in new and creative ways.

Step 1: The Vision

People are drawn to lights, as we are all visual creatures. Like moths to the flame, we wished to gather people from all over the university campus and from around the local area. As the project developed, it became clear we were laying the foundations for an event that could be more than a light show and a display of science. We realized this project had the power to inspire and engage the entire community.

We quickly joined forces with the university radio station, Radio K, and asked many other technical student organizations to bring their creative elements to the show. We brought in a stage for performing student groups, and even brought in local businesses that provided free food for the opening night. It was a night of lights, music, food, and community. The show consisted of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Wizards in winter, and Also sprach Zarathustra, best know for its use as the opening theme in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The show didn't stop there. We continued the next night, and the next again, for weeks on end. With media attention from local news stations, newspapers, and the university, people from around the Twin Cities continued to flock to this community event. Hundreds attended the shows, and we plan for an even bigger and more engaging spectacle in years to come!

Quick Facts

• We used 30 dimmer boxes, for a total of 480 controllable channels.
• We used over 75,000 LEDs, yet they consumed less power than a hair drier.
• We assembled the entire project, including the lights and circuit boards, in only nine days.
• We collaborated with a total of five other student groups.
• We used over 800 meters of rope light.

Comments

[mikeasaurus]

Big idea, extensive build, and a marriage proposal?! You guys pulled it off like pros. Great project!

[Nikola Tesla Patent Producers]

Thanks! We had a wonderful time creating the show, and can't wait to do it again.