Live Levels
"Promo" video:
Live Levels are a pair of resource consumption monitors that provide physical, immediate visualization of energy and water usage at home.
The visualizations are presented as micro-ecosystems with living organisms. Turning on energy-consuming appliances will decrease a plant’s exposure to light. The plant slowly re-emerges when those appliances are turned off. Using water from a tap starts to drain the water in an aquarium with fish; it will slowly pump water back in when the tap is off. Running a tap continuously for 10 minutes will completely drain the aquarium.
Live Levels model the impacts of our consumption on the environment at a "graspable" scale; we feel responsible for the fish and the plant, as our overconsumption poses a direct threat to their livelihoods. At the same time, these models are meant to help heighten awareness of our impacts on a larger scale.
The levels were created with two (unharmed) fish, a basil plant, arduinos, stepper motors, servo motors, and an aquarium pump. These were connected to a water flow meter and a current meter.