Pvredator

Gilad Lotan

Physical Computing

without Computers

Initial Concept

Aram Bartholl, random screen

Hong Kong Lantern Festival

Light Equinox at Chichen Itza, Mexico

Light-Shadow snake (spring & fall)

Manhattanhenge

Looking west along 42nd Street (Manhattan) at 8:23 p.m. on July 13, 2006. This photo shows the sun lined up with the center line of 42nd Street. It actually set slightly to the right. It set on the center line on July 12.

Solistice & Equinox

• Solistice – twice a year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane

• Equinox – the sun directly above the equator• Many cultures celebrate the winter and summer solstices

(e.g. Christmas).• Jewish cultures celebrate especially the equinoxes (

Passover and Rosh Hashanah); in Japan, all four major season days are celebrated (Setsubun).

• Winter solstice festivals (Yalda, Saturnalia, Karachun, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Ásatrúar).

• In most cultures the solstices and equinoxes do not determine the start but the midpoint of the seasons.

Inspiration

Goals

1. Build an object that reacts according to the amounts of current it receives.

2. Raise awareness towards a more sustainable usage of energy

The Photovoltaic Effect

• sunlight photons free electrons from common silicon

• first discovered in the 18th century

• N-type, silicon w/phosphorus = more electrons, -

• P-type, silicon w/boron = less electrons, +

Drawbacks of PV cells

• The use of silicon crystals in the Photovoltaic cells makes it expensive.

• silicon crystals are currently assembled manually. Secondly,

• silicon purification is difficult and a lot of silicon is wasted.

• silicon cells require a cooling system: performance degrades at high temperatures.

• Research is underway for new fabrication techniques (like those used for microchips)

Going Cheap

First try

The Miller Solar Engine

Future ?

1381 Solar Engine

Solar Engine

Solar Charger

Battery Charger

Using a Schottky Diode (1N5818)