Human Grid
2012 – 2016
I joined Human Grid when it was known as Pedal Power NYC. Producer Ariel Agai had assembled a team of volunteers and contractors in a warehouse in Bushwick, gearing up for a bicycle-powered music festival in Union Square. The show was in just two days, but the gear wasn’t ready yet – how could I not help?
These performances offer much more than just the spectacle of powering a show with bicycles. What unfolds is a captivating interplay of symbolic and literal power among the band, the riders, and the audience as they work together to maintain a tenuous equilibrium.
This delicate balance hinges entirely on the human dynamics. A cheering crowd motivates the riders to generate more power, while an energetic band consumes more power while also fueling the enthusiasm of the audience. Certain songs create a strong riding rhythm and others encourage riders to take it easy. The participants explore the energy space together, both intentionally and unconsciously.
To capture some of this in-person experience after the fact – and, to debug the system – we developed a telemetry sensor network that measured the energy flow across every bicycle, instrument, and piece of equipment. A couple fun experiments:
- Waves of power - Visualizes the flow of power during a test in the studio. Highlights the interdependence between riders and musicians, and evokes the early work of Human Grid on bringing attention to water pollution issues.
- Safety first! - Demonstrates an early version of the over-voltage protection system with friends in the studio.
Both of these render live in the browser, synchronized with the video files.
Working with engineer Jamie Alegre, we designed and built a safe, user-friendly system for off-grid shows. It has the capacity to handle the energy from up to 20 riders, effectively powering a mid-sized concert.
The charge controller in particular was something of a beast. In order to be rugged and easy to transport, we integrated it into modular, rack-mount road cases so the system could be disassembled and carried by hand. We meticulously considered every connection and control to prevent the possibility of safety issues arising from user error.
