New River Glow detects pollution with art

A new device thought up by Soo-in Yang and David Benjamin, two people who pooled in US$ 1,000 and a three-month deadline, has become more than an environmental flash research project as it was originally intended. River Glow is a cross between a water pollution monitor and an urban art structure making it a perfect combination for provoking pro-environmental views.

But what does it do, you ask? Well, it detects the condition of the water through a low-cost pH sensor, which in turn is connected to a network of easily installable, non-mechanical pods. When the water quality changes, the LED – which in turn is connected to uncoated optical fiber strands – lights green if the condition is good and red if the condition is bad.

The result is an eye-catching “ethereal” cloud that seems to be floating just beneath the water, emanating a soft colored green to indicate that the water is safe for swimming or a deep, strong red to serve as a warning that the water conditions are not optimal for anything.

It wasn’t much of anything when the first fully-functional prototype was created, however. But as soon as it snagged a runner up position in Metropolis’ 2006 Next Generation Design Competition, it was starting to catch attention. And after a few presentations of their architectural project, The Living – as they are called – was able to test their prototype, shown by the images above.

A new device thought up by Soo-in Yang and David Benjamin, two people who pooled in US$ 1,000 and a three-month deadline, has become more than an environmental flash research project as it was originally intended. River Glow is a cross between a water pollution monitor and an urban art structure making it a perfect combination for provoking pro-environmental views.

But what does it do, you ask? Well, it detects the condition of the water through a low-cost pH sensor, which in turn is connected to a network of easily installable, non-mechanical pods. When the water quality changes, the LED – which in turn is connected to uncoated optical fiber strands – lights green if the condition is good and red if the condition is bad.

The result is an eye-catching “ethereal” cloud that seems to be floating just beneath the water, emanating a soft colored green to indicate that the water is safe for swimming or a deep, strong red to serve as a warning that the water conditions are not optimal for anything.

It wasn’t much of anything when the first fully-functional prototype was created, however. But as soon as it snagged a runner up position in Metropolis’ 2006 Next Generation Design Competition, it was starting to catch attention. And after a few presentations of their architectural project, The Living – as they are called – was able to test their prototype, shown by the images above.