Light reactive polymer
Comprised of a light conducting matrix embedded within a substrate, SensiTiles transport light from one surface point to another by a process called Total Internal Reflection, the same principle that makes fiber optics possible. SensiTiles either respond to shadows or an active and moving light source. In the former case, SensiTiles cause any shadows that fall on their surfaces to shift. In the latter, they redirect and scatter any oncoming light. In an environment with ambient light, shadow-producing movements around a SensiTile will produce a rippling effect. In darker environments, beams of light are redirected to emerge from another part of the surface.
SensiTiles also absorb and “bleed” colors. If colored light falls on a SensiTile, echoes of that color are dispersed throughout its surface. If multiple colors are present, they become blended, rearranged and scrambled. Because SensiTile’s properties are inherent, no power is required; the light effects are created passively from external light sources, and they last as long as the material does.
SensiTile is available in different substrates that each lend distinctive properties to the material. Scintilla incorporates a translucent acrylic polymer, giving the tiles a very high density of light-reactive points. Scintilla is available in a variety of standard and custom colors. (See also SensiTile Terrazzo, which is embedded in concrete.)
Contact: SensiTile Systems, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA.
For more information, see Transmaterial: A Catalog of Materials That Redefine our Physical Environment
