Sensory Playground- Interactive Light Pod
This is the final project in the 'Sensory Playground' series I have been exploring throughout my final year at university. Throughout the year I have focused on creating interactive sensory textiles. After creating a collection of samples incorporating braille so people without sight could 'see' the writing on the samples, I became fascinated with creating interactive samples for people with different needs and abilities. 'Interactive Light Pod' has been created with the focus on providing a safe, fun environment for people with sensory processing disorders such as Autism and ADHD to explore the senses of sight and touch. When carrying out research for this audience of my work, the use of sensory rooms was highlighted as something very positive to help people with SPD to become familiar with and enjoy engaging their senses. Within these interactive rooms, sensory lighting and textures played a large part, through objects such as fibre-optics, glow in the dark elements and bubble tubes. This research heavily influenced my use of materials in this project as I incorporated UV reactive pigments and beading, Electroluminescent wires and fibre optics into my samples. I also created a variety of textures through casting liquid latex in different moulds, incorporating 3D beadwork and using various mixed media materials. The collection of samples were then incorporated into a sensory dark tent. This tent blocks out all outside light and allows a UV light to be shone inside to show the UV reactive effect of my samples. The walls are covered in Velcro, as are the backs of each interactive sample. This allows the person interacting and experiencing the tent to engage with the samples in a way they see fit, as well as changing the composition of how the samples are arranged along the tent wall. Therefore, the person is in charge of the interaction and how it plays out. This feeling of being able to control how intense this interaction is is important to ensure a person with SPD wont feel overwhelmed by the environment. Have a look below at the work that shapes 'Interactive Light Pod and step in to a new sensory world full of interactive possibilities.