ALUNA TIDAL-POWERED CLOCK
by Sarah Rich, 12/21/06
A large-scale convergence of public art, renewable energy and sustainable design, Aluna is a “lunar clock” — a giant timepiece that uses tidal-powered (or lunar-powered) LEDs to indicate the phase and position of the moon, and the ebb and flow of ocean tides.
The huge moon clock is currently in prototype, but if produced is planned to have two initial homes (both coastal, and one in each hemisphere) in the UK and Australia, the pair oriented to mirror one another and move in opposing directions. The embedded matrix of LEDs will be illuminated with power generated from turbines in the ocean, one of the more powerful and lesser known means of producing renewable energy. The structure has three overlapping rings with a steel internal framework and glass cladding, which span 45 meters in width and five vertical stories.
The concept’s goal is multi-fold: To increase awareness of tides as a renewable energy source; to be a public educational art piece that will encourage visitors to slow down and reexamine their relationship with time; and in the process of reconsidering the passage of time, to give viewers perspective on their place on the planet and the vast period of time we’re looking towards when we talk about a “sustainable future.”
+ Aluna
+ via StyleWillSaveUs
+ images: L.Williams, M. Glean
The One Laptop per child by Fuse is a spectacular idea! Children will grow to be the leaders of tomorrow and I am so impressed that your project puts tools like computers in the hands of children in impoverished areas. You will make a difference for a child!