Paint by drone
Paint by Drone is a new portable technological solution developed by the international design and innovation office Carlo Ratti Associati.
The concept for the system is that drone formations are employed to 'draw' on urban facades, able to turn any blank vertical surface into a space for artistic expression or for the visualisation of urban data.
The first two installations of Paint by Drone are planned for Autumn 2017 in Berlin and Turin. In both cities, large-scale collaborative graffiti projects will be created, using the facades of construction sites as giant canvases.
Paint by Drone employs a set of 1 m-wide unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), each of them equipped with sensors and carrying a spray paint tank. Each drone paints with CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key) as in most traditional printing processes.
A central management system regulates the drones’ operations in real-time, from image painting to flight, using an advanced monitoring system that precisely tracks the UAV’s positions. A protective net placed on the scaffolding’s’ cover allows the drones to move in a 'safe' space.
Drones can draw content submitted digitally via an app. The artistic input can come from either crowdsourced platforms or from a curator orchestrating the contributions of several people.
Professor Carlo Ratti, founder of Carlo Ratti Associati studio and Director of the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said:
“Our cities are filled with blank vertical surfaces, either permanent or temporary. Scaffold sheeting, for instance, has great potential, but in fact it is mostly used in bland ways – left empty or employed for advertising.
“With Paint by Drone we would like to unleash the potential of ‘phygital graffiti’. Any façade can become a space where to showcase, new forms of open-source, collaborative art or to visualise the heartbeat of a metropolis through real time data.”
Content and images courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associati.
[edit] Related articles
- Amazon flying warehouses.
- Construction drones.
- Drone regulations and safety.
- How can drones transform construction processes?
- Large-scale murals.
- Mitie - drone pest control inspection.
- Paint.
- The use of drones in the construction of Crossrail.
- Uses of drones in construction.
- Using drones for inspection and survey.
Featured articles and news
Investors in People: CIOB achieves gold
Reflecting a commitment to employees and members.
Scratching beneath the surface; a guide to selection.
ECA 2024 Apprentice of the Year Award
Entries open for submission until May 31.
UK gov apprenticeship funding from April 2024
Brief summary the policy paper updated in March.
For the World Autism Awareness Month of April.
70+ experts appointed to public sector fire safety framework
The Fire Safety (FS2) Framework from LHC Procurement.
Project and programme management codes of practice
CIOB publications for built environment professionals.
The ECA Industry Awards 2024 now open !
Recognising the best in the electrotechnical industry.
Sustainable development concepts decade by decade.
The regenerative structural engineer
A call for design that will repair the natural world.
Buildings that mimic the restorative aspects found in nature.
CIAT publishes Principal Designer Competency Framework
For those considering applying for registration as a PD.
BSRIA Building Reg's guidance: The second staircase
An overview focusing on aspects which most affect the building services industry.
Design codes and pattern books
Harmonious proportions and golden sections.
Introducing or next Guest Editor Arun Baybars
Practising architect and design panel review member.
Quick summary by size, shape, test, material, use or bonding..