The Neurolyzer Strobe Panel

Brian Neltner has been developing LED based strobe lights since 2013. Since 2018 this has been enhanced to use a RGB LED panel to allow hanging the piece on a wall. This simulator can help demonstrate the effect, though it is very limited on a computer monitor.

This artwork utilizes the Ganzfeld Effect to produce vivid geometric patterns when you enter the protected tent used to ensure safety in the presence of intense strobe effects.

This piece has been shown at Firefly, Burning Man, Brickbottom Open Studios, several neuroscience and art exhibits at MIT, and has been used to put together several student art projects.

The below demo video shows the version that has been used in installations for the last five years. STROBE WARNING.

There may be some effect when viewing on a computer monitor, but much less than in person. You can see that the strobe light changes colors more quickly than the frame rate of the camera, so you get horizontal bars that correspond to the “scan speed” of the camera electronics.

When moving in front of the strobing light, you convert a “time based strobe” to a “location based effect”. While I shake my hand it changes apparent color from pink to off to blue to off to pink. The average hue changes the apparent color of the patterns you see, while the strobe rate changes the pattern you see. By changing both simultaneously the panel achieves a colorful and dynamic effect.

Music is an original composition by Brian Neltner, crafted using Max/MSP.