Shadow reflections part 2

This week I experimented with a mylar reflections exhibit where users can leave their mark and create their own reflection patterns.  

I found a rectangular steel pipe in the PRL. 

And used strips of mylar on magnetic tape to create different patterns on each side. 

I also ripped my white board apart and turned that into a steel pole. 

There are extra magnetic mylar strips that users can arrange themselves. 

I was pleased by the satisfaction of creating your own reflection patterns, and the number of patterns you can create with just mylar strips. 

Since filling a whole pole with mylar strips is quite a time intensive endeavor, I taped a few mylar strips on, leaving the option for users to fill the empty part of the pole or just put more patterns on top of the existing ones. I also experimented with light blockers (small opaque shapes to generate new patterns), but the effect was not clear enough. 

To move this prototype further, I would:

1. Enlarge it, so that people could use their bodies as shadows.

2. Think more critically about the preset strips vs. the ones users can manipulate to make it easier for users to come up with novel interesting patterns instead of tediously laying strips.

3. Make the user interaction part more attractive: something more like a "red button" to attract users to play with it. 

4. Try different materials with different amounts of reflectivity.

5. Experiment with sizes of mylar strips. Perhaps smaller strips even on larger poles would generate more intricate, beautiful patterns.