Specifications

Serpent Mother is constructed from steel, stainless steel, copper, light and dynamic fire effects. The installation has a footprint of 65’ x 50’, reaching a height of 20’, with a total body length of 168’, and a 10' cracking egg. The serpent includes a hydraulically animated head and neck, a 160' central structural support, 64 vertebrae, 56 cartilage rings, 8 fused vertebrae, 46 discrete rib pairs, a cracking egg, 6 dynamic fire systems, an LED illumination network, not to mention 50 Flaming Lotus Girls.

The top of the serpent head is 18’ off the ground while the bottom of the jaw clears 12’. The head measures 6’ tall by 4’ wide and 8’ long. The downward-pointing fangs glow red hot through a forced air fire effect that hisses and pops as her LED illuminated glass eyes look down upon participants.

The neck and head move with hydraulically controlled systems. Two hydraulic cylinders at the bottom of the rigid neck segment actuate the neck from left to right and tilt it up and down. Two similar hydraulic cylinders at the top of the neck create a joint that attaches the neck to the head and creates corresponding movements. A fifth hydraulic cylinder opens and closes the serpent’s jaws. The same PIC microprocessor boards that control the propane solenoids also control the solenoids for the hydraulics. These boards are connected to a central control unit, which allows coordinated motion between all five hydraulic cylinders. The hydraulics provide a smooth graceful motion lending to the lifelike quality of the serpent.

The coiled skeletal frame is 160’ long, ranging from 2’ to 20’ high and 2’ to 8’ wide. The spinal frame is composed of 16 curved sections, each 10’ long and bolted to one another with flanges. Each 10’ section carries 4 vertebrae that are fabricated from steel sheets. In addition to their aesthetic contribution to the piece, they serve as protection for the flame effect plumbing, wiring harness and attachment points of the ribs to the spine. There are 64 vertebrae with 46 rib pairs; the last 8 vertebrae on the tail and the 2 nearest the head will be fused with no ribs attached. Twenty-three structural rib pairs support the body while another 23 kinetic rib pairs are suspended on bearings allowing them to be moved by the winds and participants. The ribs are constructed from bent, tapered and shaped steel tubing. The ribs and vertebrae are painted bone color. Between each pair of vertebrae is a round stainless steel ring representing cartilage. Five control boxes for the fire effects seen along the spine will be installed on the tail.

The egg has a polished reflective surface with a shaped-steel substructure and is skinned in copper. The egg is 10’ high and 6’ in diameter. It has three physical states: at rest, cracking, and wide open. During the day, while at rest, the egg is round, still, smooth to the touch, glistening in the sun and emitting subtle ambient noises. A hot blue flame emerges from the jagged edges of the shell, in its cracking state, lighting up the copper and reflecting light and heat onto participants. In the wide open state, the egg opens fully exposing the nine nozzles that create the fiery liquid birth. At this moment, the Egg is pure energy, the Egg is life!

Serpent Mother has an ambient propane flame running the length of its 160’ spine. This ambient flame runs from dusk until early morning illuminating the outline of the serpent.

The spinal fire effects feed from two 80 gallon liquid propane tanks with ¾” hoses to a 40/40-propane vaporizer. This breaks out in 7 underground lines, feeding 14 sections of the serpent. Every 10 inches, each section uses one 10’ x ½“ steel pipe with 1/32” holes drilled into it. Each vertebra has an electric igniter that ignites the flame and automatically relights the flame if it goes out.

Nestled inside 31 of the rib-bearing vertebrae are 31 electronically controlled three-way solenoid valves. These multiple valves are electronically triggered and create dazzling animated fire patterns and chases down the Serpent. These valves create a poofing effect. Participants control these effects with button boxes placed throughout the installation. The second level of this effect is when all 31 will be electronically sequenced into 10 unique patterns. This will also be an interactive component with Flaming Lotus Girl supervision. Each programmed sequence lasts approximately 2-6 minutes and is interspersed with 10-minute pauses between sequences for fuel economy.

The poofers are fed from a second dedicated 150-gallon liquid propane tank with a ¾“ hose to another 80/80-propane vaporizer. This supplies 7 underground lines, feeding the 14 propane expansion chambers. Each chamber spans four vertebral sections and hosts 2-4 solenoid valves. Participants using banks of buttons scattered around the tail can also activate the solenoids.

The head of the serpent contains a hollow stainless steel channel leading to the two large upper fangs. Propane injects into these chambers and is super-charged with air. The fangs glow hot with blue flames flicking at the ends as if dripping venom, popping and hissing from its venturi. This effect feeds off the vertebral flame system and links into the central manifold.

The flame effects of the cracking phase of the egg run off a separate feed tied into the poofer system. This line runs from the propane vaporizer straight to the egg. Propane enters between the inner and outer wall of the egg and exits through small cracks on the surface of the egg. This flame infuses with air through three high-output fans placed in the bottom of each part of the shell. Additional gases vent into the egg along with colorants as the egg transforms throughout the evening.

When the fire effects of the egg are fully alive, it signals the beginning of the egg’s ‘birth.’ At this point, we relocate the audience behind a safety perimeter. The shell spirals open into four sections through an arrangement of acme screw and linkage. Hidden within will be a unique, two-part liquid fuel effect. It consists of a circle of nine midi-controlled pneumatic valves with ¼” nozzles around the outside with a 1 ½” spinning nozzle rising from the center. The nine outside nozzles are pointed at 70 degrees and when actuated in a sequence they create a spinning circle of fire. The core of the egg’s liquid flame effect is a 30 gallon fuel tank pressurized with liquid propane that will run upto 2 times each evening and 31 solenoid valves in the vertebrae will poof in coordination with the egg effects.

A network of microprocessors provides digital control to the poofers and head kinetics. The processors communicate with the effects they drive via an RS-485 network, implemented using a simple data protocol compatible with an RS-232 terminal. PIC microprocessors (reference design prepared for PIC 18f2525) control Solid State Relays (SSR's) that act as switches for the 110 VAC solenoid valves, which in turn, activate the poofers. The same PIC boards control the head kinetics and a single central control unit orchestrates the operation of these boards.

The design of this central control unit will enable the interactivity of the project. The use of an embedded Linux platform powered by an ARM processor, such as a Gumstix or a modified Linksys NSLU-2, is being developed for this control unit. This platform will allow the Flaming Lotus Girls to implement control using the embedded version of Pure Data (PD), an open source graphical programming language for interactive art applications. The control unit runs in a fanless, sealed box with no hard drive, ensuring rapid, predictable startup and complete isolation from the harsh desert environment.

A central control panel for this network orchestrates performances on the networked components. Spaced around the body of the Serpent will be button panels and infrared sensors for audience participation.

The LED system is integral to the installation and will be operational from dusk to dawn. It is a three-color system that has a full light spectrum control. Housed in the vertebrae, ninety-six LED clusters run the length of the serpent underbelly. Two additional clusters in each eye stare down at the participants visiting the serpent. The LEDs in the vertebrae will pulse to the heartbeat of participants creating the sense that the serpent is slithering across the playa. This simple and beautiful lighting system complements and interacts with the flame effects. The networked control system turns off an LED cluster whenever the poofer above it fires.

SPECIFICATIONS