Year: 2014   Location: Bristol, UK

Book Hive is an immersive sculptural environment where 400 books are brought to life through swarm robotics technology. The entrance lobby to Bristol’s Central Library was transformed into a hive of 400 actuated books. Visitor’s actions were relayed to computer controlled actuators, enabling the books to move in direct response. A sudden hand movement might create a ripple of fluttering pages, or cause timid books to slam shut.

Background

The installation consisted of an expansive interlocking network of hexagonal wooden cells, organically emerged from the architecture of the entrance hall, engulfing visitors as they arrived. Within each cell, 400 decommissioned books were brought to life through depth of field cameras, robotics and swarm technology.

A simple modular system was developed allowing the swarm to be reconfigured for different sizes, locations and interactions.