Rainbow Machine

Rainbow Machine is an immersive experience of natural light through interactive play. It sits at the intersection of design, art, science, engineering and innovation, and allows children and adults alike to create rainbows – those ephemeral moments of saturated colour – by harnessing natural light. Rainbow Machine enables the participant to playfully perceive and capture the essence of light and its colour spectrum through physical activation. It invites users to create rainbow patterns through the manipulation of an adjustable prismatic viewing cone. The user pivots the cone towards the sun, using two geared wheels (large and small). When the right angle is struck natural light is passed through a series of prisms and mirrors at the top of the cone, which refract the light to produce a rainbow. The user is able to gaze and admire the transformation that is taking place in front of them. The interior cone provides a darkened surface for the colour spectrum while creating a space where one can focus on the rainbow effect without distraction. By setting the cone at differing angles, a variety of unique projections will be created, highly influenced by the time of day and weather. Rainbow Machine is an immersive environment that activates embodied learning for children prompting interaction between the child and caregiver, as questions of how and why this effect is achieved are raised.