Digital Spray Can, "Street Art Magic" (Giancarlo Cipri)

Introduction/Overview

This physical can is NOT a spray can. In essence, it is a symbol for the application of spray cans and graffiti in the digital age. powered by wires, circuits and Arduino, the nozzle of this can powers LEDs behind the accompanying acrylic piece. The piece for this can is a wild style piece for an up-and-coming project. Ultimately, this is a physical.digital spray can that works as "street art magic."

Why Street art?

The reason is that graffiti's relevance and advancement has been synonymous to the zeitgeist of marginalized cultures. From the work of Basquiat and Warhol, to haring and Hambleton, graffiti — or guerrilla graphics — illuminates and bolsters unheard voices through creativity. The goal is to focus on graffiti as education through the hermeneutics of cartography, philosophy and history.

2 acrylic sheets (fill and outline)

3D printed case

315/433mhz RF transmitter/receiver (if wanting to create a local remote to trigger)

Arduino Gemma (if wired version, current prototype)

Arduino Huzzah (if WiFi version, to interface with others)

Arduino Huzzah/Metro (if using RF transmitters, for a local remote trigger)

Dozen (approximately)

pvc coated wires

Neopixel strip

External Battery

Button

First, I recommend drawing by hand, then cleaning the image up via computer (rhino was my choice). From here, you can use the file as a guide for the laser cutter to follow (both with fill and outline).

Align the specifications of your piece to those of your laser cutter, with the outer lines as the shape of the acrylic (cut all the way through) and the inner lines as accents (cut halfway through). The result is the image of the acrylic on the green wall.

1. Trace your outline

2. Join

3. Extrude (to desired length)

4. Cap

5. Shell (cutting off top)

6. Inset a cavity for the neopixel strip in the center of the back cap.

7. Divide your model into two halves. *Only if size is a constraint*

As seen in the photo above

For the spray can, I created my desired spray can shape as a right-viewed line on rhino.

From there, I revolved it 360 degrees giving me the desired shape.

After, I engineered a small mechanism for the cap, so that it would click when having the button attached.

Then, I took inspiration from the iconic Krylon spray can and modeled it using an alias and accompanying graphics/copywriting.

Now onto the wiring, and circuits.

Unfortunately, I was not entirely successful with this portion of the can(as I was mailed defective pieces for the RF transmitter and receivers) but I do have the correct code.

For this, you need 2 breadboards, one each for the transmitter and receiver.

Then, you set up the transmitter with all wires to their proper places (image right) and receiver (image left).

For this 433mhz, you must also make an antenna from a wire that is 24" in length and then coiled.

Lastly, the code for this step is embedded.

In the product shots and video, the spray can and tag are connected via a wire and an Arduino Gemma M0.

The code used is the button cycler example (with modifications to the color, speed and delay), but it can work using the example.

This method is great if you just want the tag as a lamp triggered by the can (more of a novelty item).

Honestly, I think this way looks great, performs well (no transmission signals or WiFi) and is reliable.

The third option of creating this can and tag, is to use it as a form of telepresence between yourself and others (assuming they have the same software/hardware setup).

This uses the Arduino feather huzzah, Adafruit IO and the code embedded below.

Overall I like this version the best, as the range of capabilities and range of use is the largest. Also, the premise of the video uses this method, so that an individual could tell their friends that they arrived home (or even just as a communication tool).

A similar (if not the same) code is also the publish in the Arduino library.

Here's a link to the YouTube: https://youtu.be/Vuw8iezvJkA

Successes: The final product is almost a direct replica of my sketches — I was able to try new methods (3d printing and laser cutting) and it turned out great. The promotional video is also pretty cool, I just wish that I was able to get an actual sequence with actors to display this use-case. Overall, I think it was a job well done and the label is one of my favorite parts.

Challenges: Definitely the 3 distinct methods for making this work and not getting the local remote through the RF module. Not necessarily my fault, I am just annoyed that I wasted a day of work (in total) trying to troubleshoot a defective piece.