Assistant Professor Yael Erel and Lecturer Claire Moriarty recently received the Best Project Award for their project Augmenting Reflectors – SPSF Reflector Fabrication presented at ACADIA 2024 Designing Change Conference.

This project explores reflecting dynamic light caustics off of augmented mirrored sheets. It manifests a multi-layered design for change: metal sheet augmentation, sound-responsive light projections as well as revolving reflective discs that allow for spatial re-evaluations of the reflectors. Using an ABB IRB 1600 6-axis robot arm augmenting reflective sheets, the project combines digital fabrication and material properties to create dynamic light drawings that reveal what is not easily detected to the naked eye.

Acknowledgments
Light drawings: Yael Erel and Avner Ben Natan
Soundscape: Pauline Oliveros, Jonas Braasch, and Zack Layton using the Dan Harpole Cistern System
Technical integration: Samuel Chabot
Robotics Fabrication: Claire Eileen Moriarty RPI SoA Fabrication Lab
RPI Research Students: Maddie Mast, Joey Morse, Joe Pelton, Rebecca Victori and Ethan Aspiras
Curator: EMPAC Research
Funding: This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Arts Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; administered by The Arts Center of the Capital Region.