```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2Fb22tW0OpJJhb9DKp2mXKwuFvL8b2%2Fhacking-lights%2F328a8a76-1189-4de9-943f-76f12b54e4ba.gif?alt=media&token=2f4bbad8-e14a-4e92-bcea-cf6488202f9b","id":"328a8a76-1189-4de9-943f-76f12b54e4ba","width":465,"height":289,"filename":"inanimata-gif1 (1).gif","type":"image/gif","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2Fb22tW0OpJJhb9DKp2mXKwuFvL8b2%2Fhacking-lights%2Fb619e31d-c43c-4fec-a8a0-2ba68586fb7d.gif?alt=media&token=012fab13-e809-4b7f-8c85-c513bb38d444","id":"b619e31d-c43c-4fec-a8a0-2ba68586fb7d","width":324,"height":491,"filename":"inanimata-gif2 (1).gif","type":"image/gif","caption":"","border":false}]}
```

*Light Conversation* is an iOS app to translate morse code from flashing lights and broadcast morse code using your flash. This app was built as part of *[Inanimata](https://read.cv/renechristen/inanimata)*, a project to translate lights around the city that have been hacked to tell stories with morse code.

**How to hack your own lights:**

The morse code broadcaster runs on an [Arduino](https://arduino.cc/) micro-controller. You will need one with an operating voltage of 5v as opposed to 3.3v to drive the solid state relays referenced below. The code for this can be found below (simply replace the text at the top with your own). In some cases you could use the same power source used for the lights as the Arduino, but I typically use a separate 9v battery or USB power supply to keep things simple.

Please note that you do any of this wiring **at your own risk**. Although I have used this with many kinds of lights they have all so far all been powered by one of the following options (each uses the same code but requires a slightly different circuit):

1. **240v mains (regular Australian power point, other countries may use 120v)**. For this I use an AC solid state relay like [this one](https://www.altronics.com.au/p/s4410-3a-240vac-spst-pcb-mount-solid-state-relay/). Simply connect the Arduino ground and output pin to the input and use the output to interrupt the power or neutral going to the lamp. It does not matter which way around the output is wired. An easy way to do this is by cutting just one of the cables in an extension cord running to the light. Be careful and make sure not to have anything plugged in when making connections as **this is** enough voltage to kill you :)

2. **12v car or motorcycle type battery**. For this I use a DC solid state relay like [this one](https://www.altronics.com.au/p/s4420-50vdc-5a-spst-pcb-mount-solid-state-relay/). Simply connect the Arduino ground and output pin to the input and use the output to interrupt the power or ground to the lamp. It does matter which way around the output is wired. I interrupted the ground wire coming from a car headlight. In this case the positive output is connected to the the wire going to the lamp whilst the negative output is connected to the wire going to the battery. If I had interrupted the power going to the lamp then the positive would have been wired to the battery and the negative to the light. I have also used 12v batteries for LED lights.

3. **5v output from Arduino**. In this case you may be working with standard LEDs, which can be connected as per this Arduino [tutorial](https://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Blink).

```
/*
This work by René Christen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://renechristen.net
*/

String msg     = "Replace this with your text.";
int outputPin  = 12;
int unit       = 300;//milliseconds

/*
UNIT LENGTHS
dot = 1
dash = 3
char gap space = 1
letter gap = 3
word gap = 7
*/

int offset = 33;//lowest ascii val
String db[63];//96 - offset (highest ascii val is 95)

//---------------------------------------------------------------

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  initDB();
  pinMode(outputPin, OUTPUT); 
  digitalWrite(outputPin, LOW);
}

//---------------------------------------------------------------

void loop() {
  
  for (int i=0; i<msg.length(); i++) 
    {
      Serial.println(msg[i]);//print letter to serial
      
      
      if (msg[i] == ' ') {//if space in message
        low();
        delay((7-3) * unit);//word delay - letter delay already made after each letter
      } //end if space in message
      else 
      {
        String morse = getMorseString(msg[i]);
        
        Serial.println(getMorseString(msg[i]));//print letter to serial
        
        for (int j=0; j<morse.length(); j++) 
        {
          char c = morse[j];
          if (c == '.') 
          {
            high();
            delay(1 * unit);
          } 
          else if (c == '-') 
          {
             high();
             delay(3 * unit);
          }
          //in between letter gap:
          low();
          delay(1 * unit);
      }//end for j / morse string
      
      //letter gap:
      low();
      delay(3 * unit);

  }//end else not space

  }//end i / entire message
  
  //word gap at message end:
  low();
  delay((7-3) * unit);//word delay - letter delay made after last letter
}

//---------------------------------------------------------------
void high() { 
  digitalWrite(outputPin, HIGH);
}
void low() { 
  digitalWrite(outputPin, LOW);
}
//---------------------------------------------------------------

String getMorseString(char _index) {
  int index = (int) _index;
  if (index <= 90 || index == 95) {
    return db[index - offset];
  } else { //change lower to upper case
    return db[index - offset - 32];
  }
}
//---------------------------------------------------------------

void initDB() {
  
    //other chars start at 33
    
    db[33 -offset]="-.-.--";	// !
    db[34 -offset]=".-..-.";	// "
    
    db[36 -offset]="...-..-";	// $
    
    db[38 -offset]=".-...";	// &
    db[39 -offset]=".----.";	// '
    db[40 -offset]="-.--.";	// (
    db[41 -offset]="-.--.-";	// )
    
    db[43 -offset]=".-.-.";	// +
    db[44 -offset]="--..--";	// ,
    db[45 -offset]="-....-";	// -
    db[46 -offset]=".-.-.-";	// .
    db[47 -offset]="-..-.";	// /
    
    db[58 -offset]="---...";	// :
    db[59 -offset]="-.-.-.";	// ;
    db[61 -offset]="-...-";	// =
    
    db[63 -offset]="..--..";	// ?
    db[64 -offset]=".--.-.";	// @
    
    db[95 -offset]="..--.-";	// _
    
    //numeric chars start at ascii 48
    
    db[(int) '0' -offset]="-----";	// 0
    db[(int) '1' -offset]=".----";	// 1
    db[(int) '2' -offset]="..---";	// 2
    db[(int) '3' -offset]="...--";	// 3
    db[(int) '4' -offset]="....-";	// 4
    db[(int) '5' -offset]=".....";	// 5
    db[(int) '6' -offset]="-....";	// 6
    db[(int) '7' -offset]="--...";	// 7
    db[(int) '8' -offset]="---..";	// 8
    db[(int) '9' -offset]="----.";	// 9
    
    //alphabetic chars start at ascii 65 for upper - end at 90, 97 for lower case - end at 122
    
    db[(int) 'A' -offset]=".-";		// a
    db[(int) 'B' -offset]="-...";	// b
    db[(int) 'C' -offset]="-.-.";	// c
    db[(int) 'D' -offset]="-..";	// d
    db[(int) 'E' -offset]=".";		// e
    db[(int) 'F' -offset]="..-.";	// f
    db[(int) 'G' -offset]="--.";	// g
    db[(int) 'H' -offset]="....";	// h
    db[(int) 'I' -offset]="..";		// i
    
    db[(int) 'J' -offset]="-...";	// j
    db[(int) 'K' -offset]="-.-";	// k
    db[(int) 'L' -offset]=".-..";	// l
    db[(int) 'M' -offset]="--";		// m
    db[(int) 'N' -offset]="-.";		// n
    db[(int) 'O' -offset]="---";	// o
    db[(int) 'P' -offset]=".--.";	// p
    db[(int) 'Q' -offset]="--.-";	// q
    db[(int) 'R' -offset]=".-.";	// r
    
    db[(int) 'S' -offset]="...";	// s
    db[(int) 'T' -offset]="-";		// t
    db[(int) 'U' -offset]="..-";	// u
    db[(int) 'V' -offset]="...-";	// v
    db[(int) 'W' -offset]=".--";	// w
    db[(int) 'X' -offset]="-..-";	// x
    db[(int) 'Y' -offset]="-.--";	// y
    db[(int) 'Z' -offset]="--..";	// z

}
```

Hacking lights for morse code

```cv
vimeo
{"url":"https://vimeo.com/104840433","width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":"https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/487529229-f7d6c7728e92094f669f20ef9595d85a743524ba3312858a8a898fbe1d03c473-d_640"}
```

Night falls and lights across the city come to life. Some turn on immediately, some blink – on, off, on, off, and on again. What first appears to be a flicker is, at a second glance, less random. Street lights, lamps, headlights, lanterns—silent witnesses to the goings on around them—now broadcast what they have seen, through Morse code.

The curious were invited to seek out these blinking automata on the streets of Sydney, slow down and tune in to stories silently received and translated by the iOS app, *Light Conversation*, available for free download in the app store.

```cv
gallery
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```

The app also enabled to sending of messages via the app so that people were able to use it to send messages to each other. This project has had an unexpected life beyond this artwork with people all around the world using it for their own projects.

Information on how to hack your own lights is available [here](https://read.cv/renechristen/hacking-lights).

\
Special thanks to:\
Ernst Christen for assistance with circuit design,\
[Lucy Parakhina](https://lucyparakhina.com/) for documentation,\
[Tobio](https://soundcloud.com/t-o-b-i-o) for music in video,\
and Matt Ward for use of his shop (and bedroom windows).

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2Fb22tW0OpJJhb9DKp2mXKwuFvL8b2%2Finanimata%2F9ab4987c-c199-4a04-b646-148cdd3f8f11.gif?alt=media&token=da12787c-58a9-43b5-ae73-bccc5a41e014","id":"9ab4987c-c199-4a04-b646-148cdd3f8f11","width":465,"height":289,"filename":"inanimata-gif1 (1).gif","type":"image/gif","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2Fb22tW0OpJJhb9DKp2mXKwuFvL8b2%2Finanimata%2Fcceb05e7-d7db-4650-a208-74ea4bb3f118.gif?alt=media&token=9cb01c34-a5cc-41b9-97f8-e08dd7daf610","id":"cceb05e7-d7db-4650-a208-74ea4bb3f118","width":324,"height":491,"filename":"inanimata-gif2 (1).gif","type":"image/gif","caption":"","border":false}]}
```

Inanimata

```cv
vimeo
{"url":"https://vimeo.com/874998426","width":426,"height":240,"thumbnail":"https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/1739345836-c2a3ad8710bc38eb257f620e92bb5beb901c0136f679cea613c5fd68c2503143-d_295x166"}
```

A new take on *Asteroids* was the first game released since rebuilding the Socketumi platform for phone‑controlled, multi-user interactive experiences. Thanks to Esem Projects, Bathurst Council and Newcastle Permanent it premiered at this year's Bathurst Winter Festival.

A quick scan of a QR code and any any passerby was able to drop straight into the action. Thousands came through during the festival leaving behind some sky high scores to beat at its next showing.

```cv
vimeo
{"url":"https://vimeo.com/875024066","width":426,"height":240,"thumbnail":"https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/1739385213-a06ae3654c4004d250d22bb45e7b6a667403e3f3121120b8291053833d6eae92-d_295x166"}
```

Although able to run on any display a focus of all Socketumi games is the ability to get set up with a custom projection mapped level in a matter of minutes. For its premiere Asteroids spanned the length of the heritage laneway outside Bathurst's iconic courthouse.

```cv
vimeo
{"url":"https://vimeo.com/875024180","width":426,"height":240,"thumbnail":"https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/1739385158-48ad9126eebf4c63c8f914e630689f1ba09e83e25954fb1c4da29bb3c8193cf8-d_295x166"}
```

One of the many spins on the classic Asteroids is that this time we are not only dealing with them from space. As users compete they are also in it together as their environment randomly changes, changing the physics and gameplay along with it - more environments coming soon!

We owe some of the eye candy to the great animation that the Rive interactive animation platform lets us achieve. The Socketumi game rendering layer is currently being ported to Rive's GameKit, featuring a new super fast vector renderer, enabling us to make the experience even more rich.

If you'd like to have Asteroids at your event or would like to build something equally fun, feel free to [get in touch](http://renechristen.net).

**CREDITS:**\
Game: René Christen\
Backend: Matt Hughes\
Music: Tobio

René Christen

2023

2015