Industry 4.0 for an Art Installation – Waterfall Swing

At OnLogic we’ve been a part of many Industry 4.0 projects: manufacturing projects, security projects, life-saving projects and time-saving projects – but we’ve also been a part of projects that were designed simply to delight. The Waterfall Swing, an interactive art installation designed by a team of passionate innovators and built by New York-based Dash 7 Design, has delighted crowds across the country and around the world. The project has been featured on a number of national television shows, including the Today Show, and has been a huge hit on social media thanks to its irresistible combination of fascinating technology and refreshing dose of childhood whimsy.

In designing their interactive installation, the team behind Waterfall Swing needed a highly reliable industrial computer to orchestrate the interplay between rider and waterfall. The swing would be set up at exhibits and festivals around the world and dependability was paramount. While the application may be unique, their desire for a computer that they could count on, no matter where it might be installed, is a requirement that we’ve become adept at accommodating.

So, how does the Waterfall Swing work? Here’s how the team describes it:

Water recirculates through 384 independently controlled solenoid valves at the top of the structure to create a wall of water. This water starts from a collection pool on the ground and is pumped up to a 4″ distribution pipe that feeds the solenoids. Rotational encoders mounted on the swing axis gather information about the angle and speed of each swing. That information is sent to a computer that predicts the action of the rider. The computer then creates a hole in the wall of water, allowing the rider to swing through without getting wet.

The computer controlling those 384 solenoids is part of our OnLogic ML300 series of small form factor fanless PCs. The ML300 series has the connectivity and processing power the Waterfall Swing team needed, protected by an industrial enclosure, which utilizes our own Hardshell Fanless Technology to protect internal components while keeping them cool.

See the Waterfall Swing in action in the video below, and be sure to check out the other fascinating projects by some of today’s most inspiring innovators in our customer stories. 

Note: This blog was originally posted on November 16, 2016. It was updated for content on January 15, 2021.