LED bubble artwork

Artist and sculptor Andy Hazell has worked with us several times to produce interactive artworks in neon and LED. On this occasion, he approached us to provide the innards for an electronic version of a bubble tube for the entrance foyer of the newly built Gloucester Children's Hospital.

The artwork starts on the ground floor and rises up through the ceiling, appearing on the first floor. Rising bubbles are simulated by running chains of different coloured LEDs. The artwork is triggered by people entering through the main doors, which increases the speed and density of the "bubbles".

From Andy's description, we designed snap- together circuit boards using surface mount LEDs to create the effect, with a small microprocessor-based control unit and power supply concealed in the suspended ceiling. Andy assembled the artwork on-site, mounting the boards on a welded armature to his design. When fully assembled, the look of the artwork was not quite as Andy required, so we visited the site and rewrote the software to give the desired effect.

See our page about working with artists