Hacked Etch A Sketch Becomes Generative Map Maker

Dmitry Morozov, aka :vtol:, has a near-fanatical need to warp machines, hacking them until they serve some odd function totally different from what their inventors intended. From his sound-controller turned tattoo-reading instrument, to his barcode art, :vtol: is an ever-interesting machine manipulator, and his newest work Cities and Complexity is a sensible addition to his oeuvre.

Based on the book Cities and Complexity by Michael Batty, which had the subtitle "Understanding Cities with Cellular Automata, Agent-Based Models, and Fractals," :vtol:'s latest work is an autonomous, algorithmic city plan generator made through a modified Etch A Sketch. The device makes generative (and abstract) city maps through Arduino Uno, a stepper motor, and a speed/delay/step length controller. It's fairly simple, but is an interesting interpretation of Batty's work, and also makes a favorite childhood toy look like a possessed prop from The Poltergeist.

The generative maps are chaotic and unwieldy (and would cause a massive headache for any city planner), but that's besides the point. Like always, :vtol: has created a fun and experimental machine using unexpected objects as the backbone. We wouldn't count on him for any cartographic advice, but we also can't wait to see what he hacks next. Fingers crossed he's got plans for a Tamagotchi.

For more on :vtol:, visit his website here.

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