Seeing the light in London

Lottolab is a centre for scientific, design and artistic research. Based at UCL, London, Lottolab studio performs research on humans, bees and machines to understand how we see what we do, and its 'street science' work uses interactive/participatory performances to explore the social and cultural relevance of why we see what we do.

Our laboratory and studios is concept based and project driven: by exploring the nature of perception from different perspectives (science, visual arts, music, architecture, design and robotics), the resultant projects are more powerfully received: operating at multiple levels simultaneously while remaining accessible at each of these levels independently, thus speaking directly to both our objective and the subjective natures alike. The raison d'etre of all projects created by the lab/studio is to foster empathy and understanding, offering audiences/participants whom experience this work a greater awareness of humanity and the relationships and interactions between people and their natural and/or urban environment.

There are four themes to our research:

1. Computational: Artificial life/robotics: work aims to understand the mathematical principles by which networks and circuits adapt to their environment.
2. Biological: work includes behavioural and physiological experiments that explore the mechanistic principles by which neural networks learn, perceive and behave.
3. Psychological: work uses psychophysics and fMRI to measure the limits of human perception.
4. Philosophical: work uses disciplines of all kind to explore at a deeper, more intuitive level the cultural significance of the scientific principles of perception.

The studio's current project is to 'light-up' the entire length of the towpath lining Regent's Canal using a newly developed (patent pending) solar paving stone paving system.

London is fortunate to have one of the world's most extensive canal networks (Regent's Canal) that run from one side of the city to the other. Indeed, Regent's Canal has the potential to be a major thoroughfare to the Olympic Village. And yet nearly the entire length of the towpath along the canal is in complete darkness when sun sets. This space, then, which is beautiful by day, becomes a haven for crime at night. The cost associated with laying cabling necessary for typical light schemes would be astronomical, and the amount of energy consumed by such a lighting scheme even more.

Lottolab studio (a science, design and arts laboratory at University College London) has developed a solar paving stone system for turning urban thoroughfares and open space into locations for generating solar energy. Each paving stone is made from local recycled materials (e.g. recycled glass). Embedded in each stone are a series of high-efficiency solar panels. Paths are constructed from these stones by daisy-chaining them together, thus forming a circuit for independent sources of light.

Each circuit is controlled by a sophisticated energy management system that distributes the stored energy when and where it's needed. Lighting units are artistically designed lightrods made from recycled, vandal-proof materials that house the energy management systems and high-efficient light tubes. With the addition of motion detectors only those areas of the path that are in use are illuminated, thus eliminating unnecessary light pollution. The system is modular, which means faulty elements can be easily identified and replaced. It is also possible to incorporate CCTV cameras that are similarly activated and powered by the solar paving system.

The proposal here is to install the solar paving stone system along the entire towpath of Regent's Canal. This solar paving system will be a key element of two 'street science' installations in prominent London locations. The first installation will be on Old Street, and will be completed in August. The second will be on Hoxton Square, which will be completed in the Spring of 2009. 

Key outcomes of the project will be:

- Ambient lighting from energy-efficiently, artistically designed, tamper-proof light rods. 
- The use of local labour and local recycled products (e.g., glass from neighbouring pubs) in construction. 
- Save millions of pounds on the cost of electricity and the process of installing power lines. 
- Only those areas that are in use are actually illuminated, thus decreasing unwanted light pollution. 
- Intelligent energy management system that regulates energy output ('where and when') throughout year. 
- Provide a safe thoroughfare from West London to the Olympic Park. 
- Decreased crime in an important, beautiful but crime-ridden area, thus regenerating London's canal system.
 
As with all lottolab studio's street science projects, the project will feedback to the local community in terms of education for local school, employment, regeneration, research and hopefully beauty. The pavement will be the largest public arts installation in the world (visible from space) and will be a showcase for 'how to green' urban landscapes, helping to make London a world leader in this initiative.

For more information  please visit the Lottolab website