Virascope is walk-in optical instrument that turns patches of sky into 3D images of virus capsids. It's all mirrors and lace.
First deployment: Burning Man, where viruses are the secret payload in the I, Robot theme.
Fun facts: billions of viruses fall out of each square meter of sky every day; virus
selfies make up ~8% of the human genome.
STATUS: Virascope alpha had a great run at Burning Man '18, and is now back on the east coast for build-out to Mirrorverse. More pictures to come.
Profuse thanks to the teams:
Concept & design by Matt Brand. Comments, suggestions: welcome✉ .
NEXT STEPS: Mirrorverse . . . 10x larger.
COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS:
UPDATES, most recent first:
2018.08.25 Installed! In white-out dust storms, no less. Virascope proves to be rock solid in 50+mph sustained winds. However the 9' ladder did blow away twice.
2018.08.25 Assembled! Thanks to the many burners who visited to help put together the 3D puzzle. We now await a crane for site installation.
2018.08.06 Graphics/signage.
2018.08.05 Shipped! FEU container arrives Black Rock City 2018.08.23
2018.08.04 Disassemble, deburr, acetone wash, label, pack. 326 parts + 3 crates of tools, lights, electricals.
2018.08.03 On-site assembly plan, slings, & rigging.
2018.08.01 Mirror match & sort. Eliminate damaged/defective parts from vendor. Plan installation arrangement.
2018.07.31 2nd shipment laser cut steel has arrived!
2018.07.30 Electrical box.
2018.07.29 Test assembly of lower frame. Tight & strong.
2018.07.28 Solar-powered lighting system assembled and tested.
2018.07.27 Test assembly of optics and upper frame. 3D effect is very robust.
2018.07.26 Machining of all structural parts now complete.
2018.07.25 First shipment of laser-cut steel has arrived. Whew!
2018.07.21 Machined parts for articulated frame joints.
2018.07.17 Articulated frame joints are ready for CNC cutting.
2018.07.13 Revised frame design complete.
2018.07.12 Dome star hubs ... now with carbon fiber!
2018.07.11 Laser cutting (re-)contracted! Found a vendor who will deliver enough for a reduced structure in 2-3 weeks. We'll go big next year...
2018.07.09 PIVOT: Working on a downsized design since we have not found a laser cutting service than can expedite the entire job. We ship in <4 weeks.
2018.07.05 Pipe has arrived for supporting frame.
2018.06.28 Battery out for reconditioning after solar charger burnout.
2018.06.27 MAJOR SNAG: Shipper and metal fabricator have both moved dates, turning our 1-week cushion into a 2-week missed-the-boat problem. Stay tuned...
2018.06.22 Scheme for color imagery works in tests.
2018.06.21 Night lighting plan done.
2018.06.19 Design for upper dome hubs. Internal interlocking bolts (not shown) expand the fingers to grab pipe struts. Tension/compression scheme is akin to reinforced concrete.
2018.06.15 New optics prototyped at 1/4 scale ... and work beautifully.
2018.06.12 Metal fabricator contracted for laser-cutting the optics.
2018.06.10 Support frame engineering done.
2018.06.08 Cut patterns done.
2018.06.05 Support frame updated. Novel 6V geodesic dome geometry requires only 2 triangle shapes / 3 strut lengths.
2018.06.03 Design & layout of optics complete.
2018.06.01 Improved optic design yields more interesting images.
2018.05.28 Seating of optics on frame worked out. New (first?) algebraic solution for 3-torus intersection problem.
2018.05.26 Geometry worked out for two support frame candidates.
2018.05.23 Full set of viable optics generated. Some previously unknown.
2018.05.20 Ray tracing of optic validates principle.
2018.05.18 Start!
Design by Zintaglio Arts. See some of our past and future BM projects: Gnomon and FOXP
© 2008-2017 Matt Brand. All rights reserved. Trademark & patents pending.