Winding Machine

a physical installation that visualizes real-time wind

IMA Capstone Proejct ❤️

May 2018

With the rapid development of our society, we spend more time inside the concrete forest, separated from nature. This alters the way we perceive natural phenomena, like the wind. We used to feel the wind and hear the wind, but now we usually stand in front of those floor-to-ceiling windows, look at trees swaying or flags waving and then realize it is windy outside. Visual perception becomes the main way to know wind for people who live in cities.

Winding Machine is a real-time wind vending machine, intended to remind people to rethink the relationship between human beings and nature, using the hyper concept of a vending machine.

Wind is a result of air pressure differentiation. The whole mechanism can be simulated in water caused by water pumps. With ink dropped into water, the water flow can be visualized and saved by marbling. The experiment was first done in a manual way.

Then the experience transfered into a vending machine experience:

Data: On accepting a one-Yuan coin, the system will get current time and location information from a GPS sensor, and send a wind data request to Open Weather Map.

Wind Angel: A water container with an intake on the side will rotate to a certain angle to match the wind angle.

Ink: Then, an amount of blue ink, corresponding to how strong the wind is, will be dropped into the center.

Wind Speed: More water will be pumped according to wind speed, which results in fierce turbulence.

Marbling: Postcard-size paper will be provided so that audience can marble the visual representation of wind in water and save it physically.