Bubble (pixel) Display

[micro571]

I wanted to share my project with the Electro Tech community. I've leaned on this community in the past. Hopefully some of you will find it interesting.

Bubble Display - JBProjects.net

The bubble display utilizes air bubbles rising in fluid as pixels. Control of the bubble streams is used to produce text and simple images. The bubble display is an innovative, interactive artistic display medium for conveying many types of messages.

 

[Sceadwian]

Reverse waterfall display, nice.

 

[Mr RB]

Bruce Shapiro did some as art gallery exhibits, I think he has done a few similar things quite a few years back.

 

[micro571]

Yep. I've seen his work. He's done some impressive projects, not just his bubble displays. He used individual tubes for his while ours uses a continuos tank. I pinged Bruce for some advice during the component selection portion of this project. He warned me that working with oil would be messy!

 

[Mr RB]

It's still a great project!

I guess oil was best as it slows the bubbles down and gives a longer display time for each image?

Here's a thought that *may* be original...

If you used 7 horizontal tubes, and manually pumped a set flow rate of water etc through all the tubes from right to left, you could inject bubbles at the right side and what you would have a is a "scrolling text display" like 5x7 scrolling text LED displays.

Doing it horizontal would allow the text display to run right around the room or gallery.

 

[Sceadwian]

Mr RB in order to do what you're talking you'd either need a very slow moving flow or extremely laminar flow, gravity controls the bubble movement in a vertical display I'm pretty sure you'd find out by trying this just how complex the fluid dynamics actually is. Would look really good though.

 

[Mr RB]

I'm not sure about that Scaedwian.

If the tubes were properly horizontal, and of a small enough internal diameter the bubbles would contact the full periphery of the tube wall (from surface tension).

They will remain quite stationary if not being pumped, I've seen this plenty of times when bleeding brakes or siphoning fuel etc.

As the fluid is pumped in or pumped out the bubbles being compressible may deform, which is probably the big issue. Maybe that could be reduced by both pumping in and out under the same pressure? I think with a slow even flow it would not be too bad.

Anyway I didn't say it would be easy... Just that it would be cool.

There are always options of using coloured water and oil which will remain separate but both be non-compressible, or even 2 different colours of marbles for a real "pixel" type effect.

 

[Reloadron]

Hi Jon

Thank you for sharing the project and very good read about it. It was really enjoyable watching it and the evolution of it. Really cool.

Ron