LED Visualisation of Rotterdam

Written by Jan van der Laan
on 

The visualisation consists of a number of 3D-printed ‘light boxes’ for each of the districts in the municipality of Rotterdam in The Netherlands. By inserting punch cards into the model, users are able to select different datasets for the visualisation. This was built as a prototype. The goal is invite users to look and play with statistical data.

Using a map of all districts in The Netherlands (CBS and Kadaster), the districts of Rotterdam were selected and each district was scaled and written to SVG-file. These were converted to 3D-models using OpenSCAD. The boxes were printed in white PLA and the covers were printed in transparent PLA. Holes were drilled in the back for the LEDS (took some experimenting to find the correct number and positions). The boxes were attached to each other using a 3D-printing pen and were attached to a muliplex board.

Picture of the visualisation in off state. A multiplex board with white 3d-printed parts.The municipality of Rotterdam. Above it a strip for showing the legend and two brackets that support the cards inserted into the board.

Getting the correct diffusion of the LEDs took some experimenting. In the end small domes were printed in vase mode and glued over the LEDs. Furthermore a layer of LED foam was taped to the inside of the covers. However, even then the lighting in some of the larger districted is still not completely uniform. More LEDs would help; also the diffusors can probably be impoved upon.

Card 0: percentage of households with an income below or around the social minimum

Data is from StatLine

Picture of the visualisation with a card inserted. Some of the neighbourhoods are lighted up with different colours ranging from purple to light yellow. At the top the green card showing the description of the data and a legend going from 1.5% to 20%.

Card 1: number of business locations per square kilometre

Data is from StatLine

Picture of the visualisation with a card inserted. All neighbourhoods are lighted up with different colours ranging from purple to light yellow. At the top the green card showing the description of the data and a legend going from 0 to 25 per square km.

Card 2: Degree of urbanisation as measured by the local address density

Data is from StatLine

Picture of the visualisation with a card inserted. All neighbourhoods are lighted up with different colours ranging from purple to light yellow. At the top the green card showing the description of the data and a legend going from 0 to 7 000 per square km.

Card 3: Average social economic status based on welfare, education and recent labour force participation

Data is from StatLine

Picture of the visualisation with a card inserted. Some of the neighbourhoods are lighted up with different colours ranging from purple to light yellow. At the top the green card showing the description of the data and a legend going from -0.55 to 0.1.

Card 4: Diversity in social economic status

Data is from StatLine

Picture of the visualisation with a card inserted. Some of the neighbourhoods are lighted up with different colours ranging from purple to light yellow. At the top the green card showing the description of the data and a legend going from 0.70 to 1.15.

Card 5: Change in the average social economic status from 2014 to 2019

Data is from StatLine

Picture of the visualisation with a card inserted. Some of the neighbourhoods are lighted up with different colours ranging from red to yellow to light blue. At the top the green card showing the description of the data and a legend going from -0.09 to 0.09.

Card 6: Percentage of persons aged younger than 25 years old

Data is from StatLine

Picture of the visualisation with a card inserted. Some of the neighbourhoods are lighted up with different colours ranging from purple to light yellow. At the top the green card showing the description of the data and a legend going from 'less than 24%' to '24% or more'.

Back side

The visualisation is controlled by an Arduino Uno. All data is in the RAM of Uno. Three LEDs in combination with three photoresistors are responsible for reading out the cards. The cards canhave up to three holes in them. This means that there are 7 possible cards (numbers 0 to 6). All lights active (three holes; or no card) switches of the visualisation. The visualisation itself uses AP102 controllable RGB LEDs. The final 7 LEDS are the colour scale. Colour scales are also stored on the Uno. These consist of 7 colours + a no data colour. Each of the colours comes in two brighnesses. So in total there are 16 colours in one colour scale. The less bright colours are used for the smaller districts. This is to correct for the smaller area of the districts; this makes the light from the LEDs seem brighter.

Picture of the back side of the visuualisation. A hole in the plywood board showing the backside of Rotterdam lighted up. Above it an arduino mounted on a wooden board. Leds are attached to the back of the municipality with white wires running in between. There are also wires going from the arduino to the legend and the card reader. At the bottom a power supply attached to the board using tie wraps.

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