ROUTES
Distributed control and monitoring system for a large-scale interactive light installation operating with remote connectivity and low maintenance overhead.
Services Provided
Technologies
Overview
ROUTES is a large-scale interactive light installation created by Second Nature Studio. The artwork responds to pedestrian movement with light pulses that track people through the space. NRB Tech developed the complete control system, from sensor integration to LED orchestration, turning the concept into a production-ready installation.
“We had a concept for a light installation that reacts to people who walk past it. Nick turned it into a complete working system: sensors that read the speed and direction of each person, synchronised animation across every panel, and remote access over 4G, so we can monitor and update it without a site visit. He understood how the artwork must feel, and he made the technology serve it.”
— Ben Carlin, Founder, Second Nature Studio
The Challenge
Public art installations need to operate reliably without constant on-site maintenance, often in locations without fixed internet connectivity. The system had to coordinate synchronised animations across a large physical space while still responding in real time to pedestrian movement.
Responsive to Movement
The installation detects not just presence but the speed and direction of pedestrian movement. Light patterns respond dynamically, with animations moving in proportion to how fast people walk and following their direction through the space.
When no movement is detected, ambient attract patterns keep the installation visually active.
Scales to Any Size
The distributed architecture separates coordination from execution:
- A central controller coordinates the installation as a whole
- Individual panel controllers manage their own LED sections
- Real-time messaging keeps the system synchronised
Adding new panels requires minimal configuration, allowing the system to scale with the physical installation.
Operates Anywhere
Remote management capabilities allow deployment in locations without fixed internet access:
- Cellular Connectivity — 4G uplink for remote locations
- Secure Remote Access — VPN tunnel for monitoring and updates
- Data-Conscious Updates — Large updates can switch to local Wi-Fi automatically
- On-Site Access — Physical button activates a maintenance hotspot
Visibility Without Site Visits
A real-time monitoring dashboard provides visibility into installation health:
- Live sensor data and panel connectivity
- Ambient light level tracking
- Performance metrics over time
Most issues can be identified and resolved remotely, reducing unnecessary site visits and maintenance overhead.
Built for Long-Term Maintenance
The system is designed to operate for years with minimal intervention:
- Hardware Abstraction — LED hardware can be changed or upgraded without modifying animation code
- Coordinated Updates — Software releases deploy to all panels simultaneously, preventing configuration drift
- Efficient Updates — Panels pull system updates from a local cache, reducing cellular data costs
- Security Hardened — Key-only authentication, strict firewall rules, and automatic security updates