Voiceprints is an experiment in the translation of audio information to visual imagery. Artist Pierre Proske records a person's voice into a microphone, analyzes the audio file for frequency content, loops the sample, and then generates a variety of textile patterns arranged according to the individual's vocal frequency imprint.
The basic acoustic unit in human speech is called a phoneme. The visual equivalent is called a "viseme," a basic speech unit in the visual domain. Interested in the audio to visual translation, Proske developed software that describes sound using basic visual units to represent recorded frequencies.
Proske reminds us that the use of computing in textile design is nothing new. Woven textiles actually form part of computing history, through Joseph Marie Jacquard's automated patterned textile weaving machine in 1804 which led to the use of punch cards in computing devices. [via Pierre Proske; suggested by Clayton Whitman, Seattle.]
Labels: 12, audio, fabric, interfacial, translation
The Wovin Wall System is a simple, modular panel system that utilizes depth for dramatic effect. It consists of tiles supported on a lightweight mounting grid which can be fixed to any wall or ceiling surface, light box or display. The Wovin tiles are available in many finishes including wood, laminate, polypropylene, and metal, and they are clipped into the supporting grid in alternating directions to create a distinctive, seamless, woven pattern.
Wovin tiles are offered in two standard sizes, and may be printed with tiled digital images to create a large, undulating image field. Translucent tiles may be backlit with standard fluorescent lights, and these tiles can be effective in ceiling retrofit applications beneath existing light fixtures. [via Wovin Wall.]
Labels: 9, multidimensional, wall treatment, wood
Now that energy consciousness is becoming increasingly widespread, one cannot fail to notice common practices that call for more energy-efficient solutions. One of these practices involves refrigeration within cold climates: a process that involves cooling goods within a heated space, which is highly impractical considering the amount of time that 'free cooling' exists outside.
The Freeaire Refrigeration System is designed to provide such free cooling for walk-in coolers, freezers and cold storage warehouses. The system utilizes an electronic controller to finely tune the operation of standard refrigeration equipment, and this controller simply monitors the outdoor temperature and desired temperature settings and stops refrigerator evaporator fans when not needed, which also reduces the compressor's refrigeration load. Proper airflow is maintained when the evaporator fans switch off by operating one or more energy-efficient circulating fans.
Roughly half the electricity consumed by a typical convenience store is used for refrigeration. The Freeaire System is designed to save energy year-round by allowing refrigeration equipment for a walk-in cooler or freezer to run only as much as it has to. Once the system is installed, evaporator fans typically operate 50 to 75% less often, and reach-in door heaters operate 90% less frequently. Condensing units also usually experience a 10 to 20% reduction in operations. Moreover, a Freeaire System saving 20,000 kilowatt-hours annually can prevent 40,000 pounds of CO2 from being emitted to the atmosphere. [via R. H. Travers; suggested by James Thornburg, Columbus, OH.]
Labels: 11, energy, hvac, intelligent, refrigeration
