Tweetgrass

TweetGrass encased

tweetgrass — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:39:00 +0000

In order to meet the NY Stock Exchange’s building requirements, we’ve been brainstorming ways to “contain” TweetGrass’s watering system. The least intrusive method we agreed upon was to place a partial plexi-glass box around the wheat grass. This box would be open at the front, but enclose two sides, the back, and the top of the wheat grass. We’ve also reduced the water outlet to one single mister in the middle of the stand.

We felt that this set-up would allow for the most interactivity while at the same time minimalizing any potential for the water to affect the surrounding environment.

An alternative to clear plexi is to lightly frost it on the three sides, which would allow for a variety of design options for transitioning from the surrounding Winter White Wonderland theme to the inner “dream” of summer within the frosted box. For example, one could make silhouettes of a winter landscape on the outside which could transform into a lush forest of leafy trees surrounding the wheat grass on the inside (please forgive the crude drawings!):

Basically we were imagining the outer landscape to extend to the rest of the table stand which would be white with the continued frosted shadows of a winter white wonderland….

If it was necessary to close all four sides, it is possible. One could even, for example, get the glass cut in an outline of the NY city skyline surrounding central park so that the wheat grass represented the park itself:

Lastly, if it is necessary, one could also enclose the wheat grass on all four sides as well as the top (just imagine the first image as completely enclosed).

Irrigation system proposal for NY Stock Exchange

tweetgrass — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:37:42 +0000

The simple irrigation for TweetGrass consists of a water pump submerged inside a bucket, some tubing, and misters. While our first prototype located at ITP functioned on a drip system with the bucket located 8feet from TweetGrass installation, for the NY Stock Exchange, we propose to have everything located below TweetGrass:

This set-up allows the water to be stabilized on the ground without any possibility of leakage. Moreover, people viewing TweetGrass will only see the outer clean shell of the stand:

Here are some pictures of the irrigation set-up from our installation for ITP’s 30th Anniversary:

Second prototype begins!

tweetgrass — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:17:07 +0000

For our second prototype, we decided to make some key changes to the planter box and the TweetGrass stand:

make the box flatter and wider in order to display the wheatgrass better, to store all the hardware, and to allow people the counter space to juice the wheatgrass

provide two recycling bins underneath the planter-counter so that when people recycle something, they will tweet the tweet-screen (we were really inspired by what we saw on thefuntheory.com!)

change from a solenoid valve, which relied on gravity, to a basic water pump

improve the water nozzles so as to provide a more even distribution of “tweet rain”

TweetGrass at ITP 30 1-in-1

tweetgrass — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:31:24 +0000

For the Interactive Telecommunications Program’s 30th anniversary celebrations we created TweetGrass, an interactive installation meant to inspire community dialogue and individual actions that contribute toward living and working sustainably.

TweetGrass comprises of a bed of wheatgrass whose irrigation system is regulated through community twitters which are displayed on a screen above the wheatgrass. When twitter users tweet about steps they take to encourage environmentally sustainable living (with the hashtag #tweetgrass), their tweets form message clouds on-screen above the wheatgrass. Once a critical mass of clouds is reached it begins raining on-screen and this virtual rain translates into live “rain” by triggering an irrigation system that waters the wheatgrass. Those who don’t wish to use twitter can also participate by pressing gold leaf, or a collage piece of their choosing, to the TweetGrass planter box which will also trigger a tweet-cloud.

Through this cycle, TweetGrass seeks to offer a fun way to inspire community consciousness and individual actions toward sustaining and benefiting our environment. And of course, the community gets to harvest the wheatgrass for wheatgrass juice!

Here is the first planting of TweetGrass that got it all started:

One project in one day: TweetGrass, version one!