After recording the number of surveillance cameras pointing at him while queuing at the local Home Depot, [Mac Pierce] Be inspired to create Dark scanner. The art installation uses light beams projected by an analog security camera to create a dot matrix character display on the opposite wall, slowly flashing the US surveillance laws and regulations.
[Mac] Already put together An extensive behind-the-scenes look at how he created Dark scanner, Which covers the incredible time and effort spent producing 15 identical cameras for projecting a 3×5 grid. Earlier, he decided to 3D print each one as this would allow him to fully control the final result. But considering their considerable size, it eventually took 230 hours and 12 kg of PLA filament to print out all the parts.It took another 55 hours to polish and paint the camera casings to make sure they didn’t actually Look As if they were 3D printed.
Inside, each camera has a ready-made LED flashlight with a power button connected to the ESP8266. Once they are manually pointed at the proper location on the wall, [Mac] The spotlight of each camera can be turned on and off via WiFi. All cameras are connected to the ESP32 M5Stack as a central controller via ESP-Now instead of relying on the gallery’s infrastructure.
From there, just write some code, load the text document from the SD card, convert the current character into a 3×5 array, and then order the appropriate cameras to turn their lights on or off. [Mac] Not only provides the STL file for the 3D printing camera, but also provides the client and server Arduino code for controlling the lights.Combined with his excellent documentation, this makes Dark scanner Some kind of viral artwork; because anyone with the time and the right tools can copy and install it or use it as a basis for new things.
Although some people will undoubtedly argue [Mac] If he only modified some commercial virtual cameras, he could have completed this project faster. It is important to remember that as an artist, he has a very specific idea Dark scanner. This project is a perfect example of how the enthusiasm of creators can take an idea to new heights, and we think the end result proves that the extra effort and time and sweat are worth it.