An interactive installation inspired by modular synthesizers
Tools: ATSAMD51 microcontroller, MicroPython
Projet 3.0 is an interactive artistic installation by Ménard/St-Amand. It is meant to be the third and final part of a triptych of electromechanical installations, with On/Off (1,0) and Telharmonium 2.0.
The installation consists of three individual and interactive devices. On each “module”, the public is able to interact with a simplified electrical circuit and cause changes to the sound and light produced by the module.
I had the privilege of programming the first prototype of the project, which consisted of only one module with switches, buttons and input jacks that the user can play with. I also helped the artists choose the necessary microcontroller based on their needs and the required number of inputs and outputs. I settled on using MicroPython for this project mainly because the artists wanted to be able to edit the code themselves if necessary. After some discussions, it was settled that it would be much easier for them to edit Python code rather than C++.
The full installation premiered in 2023. See the artists’ website for more details.