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January 09, 2015

Autodesk Gallery: Social Lights Exhibit

Social_lights

The Autodesk Gallery at One Market in San Francisco celebrates design — the process of taking a great idea and turning it into a reality. With more than 20 different exhibits regularly on display that showcase the innovative work of Autodesk customers, the gallery illustrates the role technology plays in great design and engineering. I am one of about 70 gallery ambassadors. As I have mentioned before, we chose the job title "ambassador" instead of "docent," because the correct way to address an ambassador is "your excellency" yet this never happens.

A new exhibit, Social Lights, has garnered lots of social media attention since it watches Twitter.

The people:

  • Dan Zucker, Autodesk Senior Manager, Social Media in Public Relations
  • Sylvia Kosowski, Autodesk Intern (programmed the solution)
  • Jenny Diani, Autodesk Senior Manager, Global University Programs in HR-Talent Acquisition

The software:

The Social Lights exhibit is located at the front of the gallery right when visitors walk in. This cube of 500 pulsating LED lights depicts live-streaming online interactions: social media mentions of Autodesk generate visual sparks. The resulting data-driven rhythms exemplify the Internet of Things — information sent through the Internet, on billions (and eventually trillions) of devices, triggering physical actions. Each mention of the Autodesk Gallery and the cube stimulates a pulsing blink of the cube's lights in various colors. Through hashtag commands, you can choreograph unique patterns.

You too can get in on the action even if you don't visit the gallery in person. It's as easy as 1-2-3:

  1. Access Twitter on your mobile device or computer.

  2. Send a tweet that includes #AutodeskGallery and #cube plus a combo of one pattern and one color keyword listed in the chart below.

    Example tweet:
    #AutodeskGallery #cube fade rainbow

  3. Those within light sight see the resulting light show!

The pattern and color commands include:

Pattern commands:

  • Fade
    Lights up with fade in

  • Blink
    Light pulses in specific patterns

  • Cluster
    Illuminates a random cluster

  • Zigzag
    Generates zigzag pattern

  • Box
    Expanding and contracting box form

  • Fireflies
    A random swarm of lights

  • Blocks
    A cube within a cube that moves randomly

  • Trail
    A trail of light in a randomly generated pattern

 Color commands:

  • Rainbow
    Every color in the spectrum

  • Mist
    Light blues and greens (the Autodesk brand colors)

  • Twilight
    Red, blue, purple, and pink

  • Sun
    Red, orange, and yellow

  • Random
    Each LED has a random color

So please give this a try. There are 40 different combinations. The exhibit is no fun at all if it remains dark. Click on a link below:

In addition to these command specific tweets, the cube watches Twitter and emits a blue cheer when it sees any tweet that mentions a few key Autodesk product names. Go blue! Go Autodesk!

The gallery at One Market is open to the public on Wednesdays and Fridays from 12 pm to 5 pm, and admission is free. Visit us.

Light is alive in the lab.

Posted by at 04:00 AM |

Tags: #AutodeskGallery, #AutodeskInterns, #AutodeskLabs, Autodesk Gallery, Autodesk Labs

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Scott Sheppard

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