PRANA is an immersive, interactive light installation controlled by the viewer’s breath.
The term “prana” refers to the cosmic life force that originates in the sun and enters the body as we inhale. In the act of breathing, we form a connection between ourselves and the universe. To better explore the relationship between both breath and light, B-Reel Creative developed an installation of 13,221 LEDs that gave onlookers a visual representation of this connection.
The creative firm’s exhibit PRANA was comprised of a 12’ x 12’ sphere suspended from the ceiling, which visitors were prompted to step into and stand before a XeThru respiration sensor (ATSAM4E16E) that detected their breath. With every inhale and exhale, the XeThru data was fed into a custom JavaScript library, triggering color shifts and animations to make it appear as if the installation was breathing with them.
Sounds by One Thousand Birds were emitted to enhance its effect, seamlessly transitioning between each phase of the experience. The team open sourced the code to enable other artists and developers to create custom animations that can later be incorporated into the piece.
PRANA was designed and built entirely in-house over the course of a year and had been on display at the Fridman Gallery in New York City up until earlier this month. However, you can see it for yourself below!
Atmel | Bits & Pieces 