Joaquina Salgado
Diver:Unidad-Δ
INTERFACE/SCULPTURE
2024
Project Overview:
DIVER is an interface/robot born in the River Chemnitz- a bio-mechanical wanderer designed to connect with its environment.
The project is conceived through a world-building lens, as this allows us to imagine the future and introduce speculative forms and metaphors that reshape our relationship with machines. Through the use of fantasy contexts, these narratives are able to address political issues. As we are experiencing, despite the terror that technology provokes, humanity is moving towards greater intimacy - permeability - penetrability with the mechanical other, in an ambivalent attitude to what it means to be human in relation to the machine.
The custom interface, including 3D-printed components with a trackball system, is inspired by aquatic creatures. An electronic Raspberry Pi system accesses real-time data from a sensing platform that provides surface and subsurface water information such as Stormglass API, for instance the river's water temperature. This suggests a living core or the creature's natural sensors such as gills or biomechanical fins. The environmental data is displayed as dynamic animations on a screen embedded in the structure. In addition, the trackball allows the audience to interact with and influence the nature of these animations. In this way, water information and human input merge in real time.
DIVER was first presented in June 2024 at the Feed The River festival in Chemnitz, Germany - a celebration of the dialogue between water, sound and visuals. The project brought the River Chemnitz to life in collaboration with musicians. I was given the opportunity to project onto the surface of the water. The river was transformed into an adrenalised dreamscape driven by the interface. The festival highlights our connection to bodies of water as sentient beings in need of care and attention.
Technic:
Feed The River project : https://www.instagram.com/feed.the.river/?hl=es
Technic:
- PLA
- Clear Resin
- Stainless Steel
- Raspberry Pi 4
- 240x280 Screen
- Trackball
Feed The River project : https://www.instagram.com/feed.the.river/?hl=es