Research and recent innovations have led to an amazing increase of types and uses of visual displays and screens; indeed, in our predominantly visual culture, they are everywhere. A typical person carries at least one device with a screen, is presented with them in public places, uses them at work and in many leisure activities. They are so ingrained in our everyday acts and habits that we don’t even notice them anymore.

L.S.D invites its users to engage in a new perception of their daily environment. In ecology this class of relationship is called commensalism.*

L.S.D feeds on light via two LDR (light depending resistor) mounted on a suction cup, allowing the sensors to be mounted on any screen surface. An analogue synthesizer converts the light input to sound waves. This device can be used in many different configurations and feeds from any light sources. Even if L.S.D can be controlled by any light source, its design is aimed at screen reading/listening.

This project has also developed as a street intervention (urban hacking) by placing several L.S.D into public spaces. Visit the L.S.D Sonic Graffiti Page →

Finally a dedicated youtube channel will support the creation of videos for L.S.Ds allowing users to share their compositions.

* Commensalism: in ecology, commensalism is a kind of symbiotic relationship between two organisms where one benefits and the other is not significantly harmed or helped (like a bird living
in a tree). The term derives from the English word commensal, meaning "sharing of food" in
human social interaction; that word derives from the Latin com mensa, meaning "sharing a table".

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can download the schematic of L.S.D (Open Source Hardware Definition 1.0) →