CHUNFU . SU

Research out put- The Loop

• What is the design in a nutshell?

The Loop is a circular time-telling light fixture orbiting within an inhabited space. Its function resembles much of sun
paths and its shadow transitions indicating time; for the Loop, the position on the orbit emulates it, with a full orbital
rotation equating to a full day’s passing. The designers aim to infuse time into space, making the telling of time an
experience concurrent to an encompassed dimension. The gentle indication of time enabled by The Loop hopes to
eliminate the potential stressors brought forth by clocks and their unsympathetic numbers, reimagining the
relationship between time, space and people.

• How does it work? 

The Loop is an apparatus that tells time visually and spatially. The instrument encompasses a circular orb made of
fibreglass, producing a soft creamy shade of warm yellow. Once powered, the LED bulb glows a warm hue that
delicately illuminates the room. The orb neatly wraps around a stepper motor that attains its electricity supply from an
AC power plug and carries it around the 24v dual rail track that is interpolated on the wooden tracks. Although the
motor was readymade, it was reprogrammed to acquire desired functions. Once anchored to the track, the motor
carries the orb on its path, completing a loop in precisely 24 hours.
Much like a jigsaw puzzle, the track is made by piecing together various shapes of blocked wood. The amenability of
the track allows the Loop to be applied to various environments. As the orb would need to circumnavigate the tread, it
must complete its circuit back to the beginning. Where the day draws an end, another starts anew.
The Loop calibrates its time-to-space ratio with the implementation of multiple elements. Such includes the built-in
ultra-low-power microcontroller unit (ULP MCU), which processes localised data like track length and motor speed,
and the attachment of a real-time clock chip on the circuit board, a critical element that keeps time even as electricity
suspends. The cooperation of all parts ensures the orb’s progress around the track accurately reflects the time of day.
Insofar, the microcontroller unit is programmed to self-measure track lengths. The unit recalculates its motor speed
when the path is reassembled, lengthened, or shortened. The orb travels slower in its orbit with a smaller space and
quickens its pace with a bigger one. It is a space-conscious form that translates its understanding of time and space into
rhythmic movements. The equipped Bluetooth functionality allows easy adjustments of bulb brightness and turns the
motor on and off. However, the complementary mobile app is yet to be developed.
As a timekeeping device, the Loop accompanies the users around their space according to their daily activity. Unlike
clocks affirming their stance on simply telling time, the Loop begins the day where the user instructs. In a domestic
environment, this would likely be in the bedroom, and it would commence its travel on the customised path into the
living room or workspace. As the orb sensibly casts its shadow around the room, it reminds gently of the time of day,
removing the anxiety-inducing factors from the endlessly ticking away of numbers and second hands.
The Loop illuminates time. It casts shadows onto users and the enclosed spatial volume to reimagine our perceived
relationship between ourselves, time, and space. Aesthetically, it is minimal. It is an element that is simply there, a quiet
companion to any user. As you build the track, you assemble a tangible relationship between yourself, your domestic
space, and your time. The act of assembly begins the dialogue between the triad and carries on as the Loop orbits. It is a
conductor of life and its mundane yet essential activities.

• Why is it needed? 

The Loop targets the issues many faces in this fast-paced world, primarily the stressors induced by the need to meet
deadlines and the inability to grasp and master time efficiently. Presently, our familiar timekeeping devices are the
digital clocks on our phones, in the corners of our laptop screens, or the analogue clocks on our wrists. These devices
are mechanisms designed to tell time with precision and accuracy. Although functional and, if anything, a vital element
of our lives, its rigour also makes it insensitive to one’s situation, delicate as it may be.
We wanted to reconstruct our perception of time and clocks with an apparatus conscious of time, space and its users.
To make ‘time’ a malleable, customisable element integrated and moulded around the inhabitant's lifestyle. With the
Loop’s gentle qualities of telling time, we are minimising the anxiousness that often comes with reading time. As an
instrument, the Loop will reconstruct our relationship and understanding of time through movement, light and
shadow. It will be our companion, a comforting confidant at struggling times.

• How does the design improve life?

Our perception of time is often the projection of numbers on a battery-charged digital clock. The incessantly flickering
of colons between the hours, minutes, and seconds are restless. They are inconsiderate, oblivious to our quality of life,
and especially cruel to those meeting deadlines. Each flicker and each change begets the anxiety that deadlines are in
partnership with.
During the development of the Loop, we wanted to target the perturbation of clocks by reconstructing the projection of
time, as we sympathise and understand how stressful one can be when chased by it. By reimagining time projection, we
target an issue that decreases our efficiency and, thus, the quality of life. The warmth hue of a lit globe and its location
in an environment is a gentler way of keeping time; it leads us with light and shadow rather than changing numbers.
We wanted to portray the tenderness of time that is often lost in its modern translators. And to help reconstruct our
perception that allows those unable to master time management and grasp it. Time is evermoving, we do not possess
the power to change it, but we may change our attitude and perception. We aim to incorporate time into a space that
embraces and encapsulates us with its glow and quiet pacing and, ultimately, turn down the noise of anxiety to attain
inner peace.

• Keywords

Time. Space. Experience. Nature. Periodic.

• Where is the design from?

The Loop was designed by four members, Chien-Ching Hung, Chun-Fu Su, Jie Ren, Wang Yang.
Made in London, 2022 - present.