DI Y

OUTDOORS

ELECTRONIC CRICKETS

Create a nighttime chorus by modifying solar yard lamps. By Michael F. Zbyszynski

Much of my creative work as a composer and sound artist relies on multimedia computers to generate and manipulate sound. Unfortunately, this method has a limitation: I need plenty of electricity, preventing me from installing art in parks and outdoor spaces without AC power.

Rather than ignore such opportunities, I started thinking about solar power. It was David Zicarelli (of Max/MSP fame, see cycling74.com) who suggested I look at the “solar garden lamps” that are ubiquitously available in hardware and home stores.

For a maker, solar lamps represent a tremendous bargain: for $5 you can get a solar cell, batteries, charging circuitry controlled by a photoresistor, and a functional, waterproof housing. I’ve never been impressed with these in their intended function as a light source, but they are an interesting platform

154 Make: Volume 11

for more creative use.

For this project, I wanted to make something that reminded me of many beautiful phenomena of summer nights: crickets, chirping frogs, and fireflies. By day, the lamps seem ordinary; they sit and charge their batteries like all their unaltered cousins. But as the sun goes down, each one starts blinking and chirping. The sound and rate of their song are determined by the temperature, the amount of sun they receive, and the natural variance of their components. The emergent quality of dozens together can be fascinating. This project has a certain affinity to BEAM robotics (see MAKE, Volume 06, page 76).

It took some shopping to find the right lamps. I wanted to use a large number (my current installation has 20), so price was a major factor. Also,

Photography and illustration by Michael F. Zbyszynski