Finished sensor assembly

After multiple rewritings of the code, I think I have a solution to the color sensor that reports the correct colors and luminance. I have also (PURPOSEFULLY!) shorted the LED on the breakout board so as to read the ambient light. This has allowed me to close up the assembly and I am prepared to attach this to the buoy body now.

We have a boat chartered for Monday and so tomorrow I need to construct a camera dolly, get the microcontroller and sensor wires installed in the buoy body, and check the NIR sensor so we are ready for the trip.

Getting after it: the data buoy project

An early design for the buoy.

I am currently Researcher-in-Residence at Signal Culture in Owego, NY with my collaborator Sara Gevurtz. We are developing a sculptural installation that monitors the Susquehanna River. The artwork is a two-part system made up by a buoy with sensors in the Susquehanna River and a sculpture located in a public venue. This prototype will be able to record the luminance and color of the water in the river. The buoy transmits this information using IOT methods and the sculpture mirrors the color and light changes.

I have been working on this idea in rough terms for about 3 years. The Signal Culture residency period will give me the space to make some real headway on the idea.

During the first day, I was able to make some significant progress on the coding. I put together a rough prototype that allowed me to test out the sensor assembly I constructed with the Adafruit TCS34725 Color Sensor. Here's a video showing my first night's progress: Data Buoy 01

Residency in NY at Signal Culture

Data buoy development parts

Sara Gevurtz and I have been selected to participate in concurrent residencies at Signal Culture in Owego, NY. My individual focus is to tackle a data buoy project as Researcher-in-Residence. Sara's individual project will be working with the analog video production gear to databend our images as the Artist-in-Residence.

We applied to Signal Culture as collaborators as an extension of our long-standing Turbidity Paintings project. At the residency, we will also perform fieldwork on the Susquehanna River. We have chartered a boat to take us on a cruise where we will be recording data, collecting samples, and testing new equipment.

Workin' hard!