Cocon – Nick Verstand (2024)
A breathtaking interplay between Cello Octet Amsterdam, robotics, and light. Eight towering robotic arms fold around the performers, forming a protective cocoon that moves in perfect harmony with the music. Lights, lasers, and smoke transform the stage into a living spectacle.
The robot arms were designed by Daniel de Bruin, each equipped with a head that can shine light, or absorb or reflect laser beams using ultra-bright LEDs, mirrors and precision mechanics.
I designed the custom LED drivers for this piece. Key features include:
– 2x 16-bit PWM constant current channels
– Smooth interpolation between DMX frames
– Output limiting for thermal protection
– Multi-fan control
– Custom DIN rail housing for a clean, professional finish
#LightArt #Robotics #StageDesign #LEDdesign #DMX #Mechatronics #PerformanceArt #TechAndArt #NickVerstand #CelloOctetAmsterdam #InstallationArt
Elho Smart Pebble - 2024
Designed in collaboration with Frolic Studio, the Smart Pebble helps you care for your potted plants with ease. It monitors soil humidity, nutrients, and temperature—and sends the data to the cloud via Wi-Fi.
The companion app gives you simple, helpful feedback to keep your plants thriving. Ideal for both beginners and plant pros.
Design goals:
• Effortless to use
• Minimal, natural form
• Long battery life
• Low production cost
To maximize battery life, the Pebble sleeps 99% of the time—drawing under 15 µA—lasting ~6 months on a small LiPo battery.
The shape? A small, smooth pebble that blends into the soil. Inside, a tightly optimized PCB with an in-house tuned antenna that outperformed standard modules.
Teamwork:
Frolic Studio led industrial and interaction design.
I handled electronic hardware design, antenna design, PCB layout, and firmware prototyping.
Final firmware and the app were developed by Adapmi, based on those prototypes.
#smartgardening #planttech #iotdevices #productdesign #hardwaredesign #greenliving #frolicstudio #elhogreen #plantcaretech #designcollaboration #minimaltech #pebbletech #electronicsdesign
Murmuring Minds - studio DRIFT - 2024
Murmuring Minds is an interactive installation where a swarm of small robotic vehicles move in response to the museum visitors. The installations play with the borders between technology and nature, creating a playful interaction between the visitor and robots that creates an experience where the user can either be the leader or the predator.
The installation was built by creating a large number of rectangular moving robots that used omniwheels to be able to move in every direction. The position of the robots is displayed with an infrared marker on every block, that is registered by a smart camera system. A central computer calculates the desired position for every block and tells every block where to go.
Within this project I designed the electronics Interface circuit boards and battery systems. This circuit board is the interface between the mircocontroller boards, the infrared markers, the motors and the battery. It also needed to be easily configurable to make sure every block know its own ID. All programming was done by other engineers.
#InteractiveArt #Robotics #TechMeetsNature #InstallationArt #MuseumExhibit #Innovation #ElectronicsDesign #CreativeTechnology
Orbiter II is the successor to Nick Verstand’s Orbiter installation. Like the original, it features a large, thin circular form covered with LEDs on the inside and outside, designed to float and move in the air. This version maintains the immersive experience of the original but in full color and with improved transportability.
To make transportation easier, the diameter was set at 6 meters, keeping it impressive yet more manageable. Instead of conventional LED strips, Orbiter II uses a custom-designed lighting system, giving full control over performance and visual quality.
For this project, I designed the LED circuit boards, ensuring high-resolution RGBW lighting, exceptional brightness, and smooth 500Hz animations. The system consists of 200 circuit boards, each with 48 LEDs and its own voltage converter, delivering stable power even at full brightness.
#LightingDesign #InstallationArt #OrbiterII #LEDTechnology
Cave Inside the Body of Shadows - 2023
Artist Vincent Ruijters wanted to create a kinetic light installation that explores images, shadows, and reflections to show different aspects of an object’s identity. The installation features a rotating light source that casts sharp shadows and reflections from various objects, revealing two sides of a personality.
The main challenge was designing a light source that rotated slowly, was dimmable, and cast very sharp shadows. We solved this by using a bright 6mm LED as a point source and a DMX-controlled rotator for smooth movement. A custom control box was created to manage the light’s direction and intensity, and the firmware was designed for easy setup at the exhibition.
I was responsible for all the electronics hardware and firmware, and also assisted Vincent with light source experiments.
#KineticArt #InteractiveInstallation #LightDesign #ShadowArt #CustomElectronics
Dior Kinetic Backdrop - 2023
For this project, I joined Fiction Factory to create 12 kinetic installations for Dior jewelry backdrops in flagship stores across Europe. Each backdrop featured hundreds of gold-colored metal tiles that swivelled left and right, creating organic motions.
The tiles were controlled by camshafts and stepper motors, allowing for dynamic animations by adjusting the speed and position of each row.
I was responsible for both the electronics design and firmware for these animations. For the prototype, we quickly tested with a hand-soldered circuit board, and once successful, I designed a custom PCB to scale up the project.
The firmware had two goals: ensuring the installation functioned smoothly and creating animations that would have an impact.
#KineticArt #Dior #InteractiveInstallations #CustomElectronics #JewelryDisplay
Solar Kiosk - 2022
Cream on Chrome wanted to create an installation that would provide people with a better understanding of the power of solar energy,, so they created the Solar Energy Kiosk: a kiosk that converts solar energy into fresh orange juice. Solar panels on the roof power the juicing process, and a display shows how many minutes of sunlight were used for your juice.
The kiosk was built into an old trailer, with two large flexible solar panels on the roof. Once enough sunlight was collected, the kiosk would release an orange and juice it. All electronics, motors, sensors, and lights were controlled by a custom central circuit board.
For this project, I handled all the electronics, including system design, creating a custom PCB, and writing the code to make everything work. There was also quite a bit of wiring involved!
#SolarEnergy #SustainableTech #InteractiveInstallation #CustomElectronics #GreenTech
Twaalf - 2022
This project is one of OSSO’s experiments with alternative clock designs. The goal was to create a clock that’s relaxing to look at, rather than cold or stressful. The result is a clock where time is represented by a slowly filling object for the hour hand, and the seconds hand flows through the installation, visually showing the passage of time.
The design had to be reliable and simple to implement, so we decided to use custom PCBs that interconnected directly, with only the power cable needing wiring.
The clock features 12 interconnecting PCBs, each with its own buck converter to ensure stable voltage for all the LED drivers, keeping the current distribution efficient. The result is an installation that’s both soothing to watch and easy to assemble.
For this project, I was responsible for the electronics—component selection, PCB design, firmware programming—and I also designed the animations for both the seconds hand and the full hour animation.
#ClockDesign #LEDInstallation #ElectronicDesign #InnovativeTech #RelaxingDesign
Sonic Cross - 2022
Gabriel Fontana noticed that many kids don’t feel comfortable in sports because of the noisy, competitive atmosphere. So, he wanted to create a game where being quiet and listening carefully would help you win. In this game, players score points by passing the ball to someone on their team, but the twist is that teams aren't revealed upfront. Players have to figure out their teammates by listening to how the music changes when someone has the ball.
We decided to use small lacrosse nets to catch and throw the ball, making it easy to tell who has the ball. Each racket had its own wireless control board that communicated with a master control box over a local Wi-Fi network. We used conductive yarn in the racket netting and covered the ball in conductive fabric, so when the ball was caught, it would short the connections in the netting, acting as a switch.
For this project, I handled all the engineering. That meant designing and programming the electronics for the rackets and the control box, writing the software to track the score and mix the audio, and 3D printing the parts to mount the electronics in the rackets.
#InteractiveGame #SportsTech #EngineeringDesign #WearableTech #InnovativeDesign
Arches - 2021
Arches is a series of unique infinity mirrors created by OSSO, each featuring different finishes and light animations inspired by natural events.
The mirrors use a smart LED strip as the light source, which is programmed to display a range of mesmerizing animations.
For this project, I worked on the firmware to control the LEDs. My job was to write the code that controls each light and make sure the animations are smooth, dynamic, and truly captivating.
#InfinityMirror #LEDDesign #Firmware #CreativeTech #ArtAndTechnology
Sandu UVC - 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear just how important sterile materials are in medical settings. To help make them more accessible, Frolic Studio designed a decontamination box that sterilizes PPE using UVC light.
The design aimed to keep costs low and allow for semi-local production. To achieve this, the box is made of two vacuum-formed parts, with fully assembled electronics that are entirely analog—no microcontroller needed, so no computer is required on-site.
For this project, I was responsible for designing the electronics. The challenge was creating a fully functional system without using a microcontroller. The solution? An analog oscillator for the timer and flip-flops made from discrete components, keeping it simple and cost-effective.
#UVC #Decontamination #PPE #MedicalDesign #Innovation
There are almost 6 years between these two pictures. A lot has changed in the meantime.
My workshop has been upgraded from a desk and workbench in my bedroom to my own studio. I've met many great people and learned more than I could have imagined.
Throughout these years, I've worked on some exciting projects. However, I’ve somehow managed to not post any of the finished work on Instagram.
That will change from now on! I’ve got quite a bit of catching up to do, so I’ll post a project every Monday until I run out of projects.
Hope you like it!
If you can’t wait to see my projects, you can always visit my website to peek ahead 😉 ()
