This project is a physical extension of my p5.js Game of Life simulation. It’s a conceptual digital microscope designed to pull the abstract world of cellular automata off the screen and into our hands, creating a more tactile and immersive viewing experience.
The Concept: Observing a Digital Ecosystem
After creating the interactive Game of Life, I was inspired by how its emergent patterns resembled a tiny, living ecosystem. I wanted to reframe the experience from one of “running a program” to one of “observing a specimen.” The idea was to build a physical artifact that would make the user feel like a biologist peering into a digital petri dish.
How It Was Built: Blending Code and Cardboard
I constructed the body of the microscope using accessible materials like cardboard and a laser-cut wooden frame to house the electronics. The brain of the interface is an Arduino, connected to a series of physical knobs and buttons.
Instead of painting cells with a mouse, the user interacts with the microscope directly. The knobs simulate adjusting the zoom. Buttons are used to move around the canvas or pause the simulation. The Arduino translates these physical inputs into commands that control the p5.js sketch on a connected screen, seamlessly bridging the gap between the physical object and the digital world it explores.