[HH] Saikoduino call for interest.

[Tom Metro]

[Seen on the Artisan Asylum discussion list.]

A local hardware hacker/artist looking for collaborators.

The product, a Saikoduino, is a high powered LED controlled by an
Arduino and running software so it responds to audio (among other
things). See the last of the set of YouTube videos linked below for the
best overview of what it does.

If blinky lights are your thing, respond to the author via email at the
address below.

 -Tom

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[discuss] Saikoduino call for interest.
Date: 	Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:47:30 -0500
From: 	Brian Neltner <neltnerb at MIT.EDU>



Hi folks,

Some of you may have gotten this independently; apologies if this is a
duplicate. It was suggested I send my note here. For introduction, I'm
an MIT alum, have worked with quite a few of you I suspect, and have
been working on LED lighting projects for maybe six years for
hacker/hobbyist use.

Basically, this email is a general inquiry to see if any of you might be
interested in being involved in the saikoduino project. Some of you may
have already seen it at boston decom, burning man, or the somerville
maker faire.

I would request that if you are interested in any of the areas I mention
briefly below, you email me privately and I'll put together individual
lists of people interested in different conversations.

The Saikoduino is an arduino programmable LED light that I am trying to
sell for $70 each, including a RGB+white 12W LED, DMX in/out, built in
microphone, and the ability to add wifi support. To do this, I need to
figure out how to get the funding to make 1000 or so. Plus I'm always
looking for collaborators on art projects.

Here are some videos to give you a better idea if you haven't seen it
before. Yes, it is what was in the hallucinatorator (or hypnocube) at
Boston Decom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtahuw-4TsY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4QSJlGQQmg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drSGwQWH0OQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUoRSqJMXJQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu21KK0iyFU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p37Dl4UdtPM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6w1wXggxwk

As for what I'm most interested in discussing:

1. My current manufacturing cost is too high to sell them for $70. I
really don't want to sell for more than that. How to get this cost down?
I have lots of documents explaining why it's so expensive, but I don't
see a way to do this without cutting functionality.

2. I'd like to donate some fraction of the lights either to primary
schools or to hacker spaces in the US and abroad. How does one do this
in a way that is transparent?

3. We've had trouble getting DMX working and wifi is sketchy. Free
prototype light for anyone who can get it to work reliably!

4. Artists doing installations with ideas of how these could be used in
cool new ways. Coders interested in developing cool new effects welcome!
If you're interested, take a look at the videos of what we're currently
doing and if any of that is inspiring let me know!

5. A 10x10 array would cost ~$7k, and would have 1.2kW of LED light that
automatically responds to music. If I could sell a few dozen of those to
dance clubs that would make bootstrapping much easier.

6. How to spread the word about a project like this so that the
eventually kickstarter succeeds?

So, if any of these topics are things you think you might be interested
in collaborating on, offering advice, or just being kept up to date on
please shoot me a private email and let's jazz!

Brian