A light spectacle set to music, called Aurora Digitalis, is transforming a plaza at the
University of Minnesota’s civil engineering building on certain nights through Dec. 23.
Mike Hepler, who is the vice president of the student-driven Nikola Tesla Patent Producers (NTP^2), which put it together, says its name “captures the spirit of these flashing lights and what it’s like to be up north.”
The display includes more than 75,000 blue, green, white and red LED lights that are strewn about the trees, railings and other props in the plaza.
As a part of the show, lights blink to the beat of the
Trans-Siberian Orchestra song “Wizards in Winter” and the theme music to “
2001: A Space Odyssey.”
“It lights up more for more intense parts of the music,” speeding up or slowing down accordingly, he explains, adding, “It’s an immersive experience.”
Hepler says that the idea for the project came from a student who is new to the group, Taylor Trimble. He'd seen footage of other light shows elsewhere and he wanted to try it out at the university.
NTP^2 did a little historical digging, and the group believes this to be the university's first light show, he says.
The U's College of Science and Engineering (CSE), Parsons Electric, and 3M backed the project, according to the
Minnesota Daily.
NTP^2 designed the circuits and soldered them together. “It was a lot of work,” Hepler says. “We designed and built it and put up all the lights,” except for those at the treetops.
To pull it off under a tight deadline, “It took the full crew and all the people coming in between classes. It was inspirational to see that and be a part of it.”
All in all, “It brings something unique to the campus,” Hepler says. “It’s something that represents the student presence and capabilities, especially within CSE.”
Beyond that, it’s a way to “bring everyone together to create a vibrant communal base.”
The group hopes to do a larger-scale light show next time, he says.
Source: Michael Hepler, vice president, Nikola Tesla Patent Producers
Writer: Anna Pratt