Communia is a speculative public installation prototype that explores the emotional gap between generating energy and experiencing its result. The project was designed with future applications in resource-limited neighborhoods in mind, where public installations may need to be durable, low-cost, and independent from constant grid power. Kinetic tiles already exist, but their output is often hidden in infrastructure; users may contribute energy without seeing what their action produces. Communia instead creates a direct feedback loop between motion, power, and reward, giving users immediate proof that their motion has produced an effect: a visible image that remains on the screen after the interaction.

The prototype uses a lever-driven gear system to rotate a motor, sending power through an Arduino to an e-paper display. Since e-paper can retain an image without constant electricity, the display becomes well-suited for low-power public signage. As the lever is pressed, the Arduino’s indicator light blinks and the screen updates, translating physical effort into a visible image. By making generated energy immediately legible, Communia imagines a tile-like system where public participation produces not just electricity, but a shared visual moment.

For this prototype, I tackled mechanical fabrication, gear-based power generation, Arduino integration, e-paper display control, and physical interaction design. The final build demonstrates an early proof of concept for a community-facing installation where manual effort becomes both an energy source and an interaction ritual.