Canberra Centre Light Touch Wall

Touch-driven LEDs transform a blank wall into an interactive artwork.

Canberra, Australia
1.2k
custom lights

An interactive canvas of creativity, the A Light Touch was created to transform the Canberra Centre’s empty hoarding into an engaging light installation for thousands of daily visitors. Designed to react and adapt dynamically to the human touch, the interactive artwork invited audiences to use their own hands to manipulate the 1,200 glowing lights in a playful display of creativity and joy.

Transforming a concrete wall

The Brief

Hundreds of colourful, custom-built LED light fixtures with capacitive touch sensors light up a blank hoarding at the Canberra Centre for an interactive light installation.

Working alongside Traffik Marketing, A Light Touch was an interactive artwork that would give life to a plain concrete hoarding at the Canberra Centre. Initially launched as part of the Enlighten Festival – which sees public spaces across Canberra light up in a celebration of culture and creativity – the light touch wall was an exciting light installation that encouraged thousands of daily visitors to rethink how we can communicate through light and touch.

An interactive canvas

Interaction

Built using custom-programmed circuit boards with integrated capacitive touch sensors, the interactive artwork was designed to react and adapt dynamically to the human touch. Inviting audiences to use their own hands to manipulate its glowing canvas, the touch wall gave visitors the option to experience the artwork in whatever way they desired – streaming past in a flash of light, or standing for hours expressing their inner creative vision.

Young girl sits on her father’s shoulders as she touches the colourful, interactive light installation created by Sydney digital agency S1T2.

Custom light installation

Light + Power

To facilitate this interactivity, we created 1,200 custom-designed silicone light fixtures to be attached to a laser cut frame on the blank hoarding. Fitted in an abstract manner, the lights protruded from the touch wall at varying depths to create texture and intrigue. This gave the light installation a playful, approachable quality, encouraging audiences of all ages to come forward and interact directly with the sculpture.

Multi-coloured LED lights in custom-built circular silicone fixtures line a wall at the Canberra Centre light touch wall as part of an interactive artwork.

Getting these lights to actually work required an intricate power system. First, we wired each panel of lights into two 12V power supplies. Then we joined those power supplies up to two main 240V lines, each spanning half the length of the hoarding, and connected those to a timer and switch module mounted on the side. All up, this system allowed us to operate and control the entire interactive artwork from a central, easily accessible vantage point.

Close up of person using their hand to interact with colourful, circular LED lights from Canberra Centre touch wall light installation.

Capacitive touch sensors

Touch Sensors

Each of the circular light fixtures had built-in capacitive touch sensors. Through these sensors, audiences could interact directly with the light installation, changing the colour of each LED with a simple touch. Tapping continuously on any of the 1,200 lights, visitors were able to scroll through up to seven different colours.

These responsive touch sensors helped us give audiences an intuitive way to interact with the artwork, while ensuring accessibility for all ages. Through these simple, playful interactions audiences could take control of the touch wall, bringing the creative technology canvas to life with their own hands.

Interactive artwork LED lights fitted with capacitive touch sensors for Canberra Centre light touch wall created by digital agency S1T2.

Creativity + connection

Installation

Designed to create a collaborative, engaging experience of creative technology, A Light Touch has been used by thousands of Canberra Centre visitors to create their own personal light display. Infused with imaginative potential, the interactive artwork’s unique combination of computational power, light technology, and user interaction has inspired stunning creativity and meaningful connection.