Support of artists in the creation of technical artworks

Project summary

Role: [Student] Engineer, coordinator
Duration: 2 months
Technologies:

- C++
- Electronics
- 3D resin printing
- Computer science logic

Tasks:

- Team coordination
- Electronics design
- Embedded software development
- Computer science logic teaching

Project context

Since more than a decade, the PRIST(French) is held annually, led by the École supérieure d'art | Dunkerque-Tourcoing. For the 2023-2024 edition, they associated with the École polytechnique universitaire de Lille to create technical artworks.
13 students from the art school came to present their project ideas and there were 11 students from the engineering school willing to help with their expertise.

Project details

For this project, I started by contacting every person involved to form a group and facilitate communication between us, I then helped forming groups. I chose to work on two projects:
- The first is called Quando me junta a outra vida (when I join the other life in Portuguese). The goal was to be able to navigate in a virtual environment using hand gestures on a heated granite stone. The artist needed help to design the heating system and make it as efficient and secure as possible. I calculated the required power to select the appropriate heating system and then coded the software on an embedded system. For further information, you can check the Polytech Lille embedded systems Wiki. If you want to have a look at the artist's work, you can check it on the PRIST website (French).
- The second artwork is named Water data. The artist's desire was to imitate the how a computer works, but using water instead of electricity. I suggested creating 3D-printed logic gates with a waterproof resin. The complexity here was to design 3D concepts that could act as logic gates. At the same time, I taught the artist how logic gates work. For further information, you can check the Polytech Lille embedded systems Wiki.
We were able to finish both projects on time despite strict budgetary and time constraints. Both students were very satisfied of the help I provided them.