'The Kuramoto Model (1000 Fireflies)' To Coordinate Citywide Synchronized LED Light Network Via Bicycle (Huff Post]

Fireflies are the only species in North America that can synchronize their flashing light patterns; through a new project, bicyclists are soon to be the second.

The Kuramoto Model (1000 Fireflies) is a community-wide art piece by David Rueter, an MFA candidate in Art and Technology Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Through this project, 1000 flashing LEDs will be distributed to bicyclists who attend Northern Spark, an all-day, city-wide arts festival in Minneapolis. Riders will participate in a midnight ride on June 9 when the safety LEDs will sync up, resembling fireflies dancing in the night.

The project will perform the cooperation and unity of the urban social network, especially as it applies to the cycling community. The synchronization will highlight cycling as a system with unique patterns and effects while transforming the system momentarily through a large-scale community ride/ performance piece. We are big fans of Reuter's project, both for its focus on unity built from the individual and the possibilities of perception. Also, we imagine making 1000 flashing lights is no easy task. See the process in closer detail on Reuter's blog. Scroll down for our interview with Rueter on the project.

[continue reading at Huff Post]