The brain is an adaptive network of neurons. Neural connections grow stronger and sprout new connections the more often they are used. Conversely, connections that are not active tend to weaken and atrophy. Neural Network takes the microscopic interactions in our brain and makes it into an floor-to ceiling interactive artwork. Coded in Processing and using Open CV, the network reacts to red light. The neurons grow from a neuron body into an axon which then sprouts neurotransmitters. The neurons that have not be active are programmed to decay over time by changing color.
Output on the computer monitor, neurons are activated by mouse clicks instead of a red laser beam
The Process
Learning how to code using Processing and OpenCV over the span of 10 weeks
A page from my progress journal. I'd often document screenshots of different versions of the code so I can more easily go through them and iterate.
Mood board of neurons and Processing projects that used neural branching
Above : Journal entry in which I was learning to use Open Computer Vision. I based my code off of an example from GitHub (user atduskgreg). The code could detect the blobs, colors, and shadows and the brightest point in the room. My version of the code would eventually be able to detect the brightest red spot in the room and have the program draw at that location.
Experimenting with the finished code
Above: one of the greatest challenges was to have the program run in high definition at an acceptable frame rate. While testing the code I often had the frame rate in the upper left corner. The goal was to get the program to run with Open CV at a minimum of 24 fps. The above frame is run without Open CV.
