Sepia Lux

Sepia Lux and is the creation of a number of artists and was build in Santa Rosa CA. It is a 36’ long, 15’ wide animatronic, inflatable cuttlefish. The balloon portion of the project was designed and made by Bill Kennedy (Inflatabill)The lighting design, programming and integration was done by Brian Willison. Mechanics, robotics, electronics were done by Loren Crotty of Santa Rosa. Contributions were made by over a dozen other individuals over the course of its build. The car is powered with 2 lithium battery banks with onboard generator power as well. There are multiple moving systems including 4 cam driven fin arrays and 9 linear actuators control head tentacles using Arduino +switches. Thousands of LEDs are controlled via computer, and 2 hemispherical LED monitors serve as eyeballs.

What inspired you to make this project?:
This project was inspired by a lifelong affinity for the amazing cuttlefish, A blend of fascination with marine life, a passion for design and engineering, and a desire to bring joy and wonder to people in public spaces led to the creation of this project.