Bulb Simulation

An early proof-of-concept for the bulb simulation algorithm.

Why Make a Bad Bulb?

When a light bulb feels hot, you are feeling energy that you put into that light coming out at something that isn’t light. Over time, as bulbs have gotten more efficient, they have gotten less hot, less noisy, and in some ways, less tangible. While I don’t miss burning my hand while changing a bulb, I do miss some of the subtle sensory experiences these inefficiencies can create.

Split-Flap Displays

Ratopi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you’ve ever seen those large split-flap displays in person, then you have likely heard them as well. Newer remakes of them have tried to bring the noise down, but in a busy public space the sound they make is a feature, not a bug. If you are waiting for information on a train to update in a busy station, the noise of the split-flap draws your attention, and lets you know that something new is being shown. That is what I wanted to accomplish with this project.