As part of our time here, Alix and I are creating an installation piece to hang in the open front space of The Factory. It will be a moving light sculpture that responds to people entering the space. Our idea: a flock of robotic birds inspired by the many connections between the local area and birds, from the competitive pigeon racers in Knowle West to the host of wild birds that live in Bristol, from flocks of sparrows and starlings on the housing estate, to the beautiful Peregrine Falcons living in the gorge. All of these birds interact with the city and have had to adapt their behaviours in order to thrive here.
In our design, each bird will have a filament bulb body and robotic wings, designed by us and built here at The Factory. Above is a sneak preview of the wing mechanism we have been prototyping this week. Next we will be experimenting with the electronics and some soft robotic elements to the piece.
Ambitious? Definitely. Will it work? We’ll have to wait and see…!
Alice @ The Factory 