Elise is a little girl, but also a design tool and loves to draw. She helps people draw beautiful shapes based on simple rules. She is used in education and by designers to create patterns and explore the intricacies of natural growth.
- Year
2009-2011
- Client
studio:ludens
- My role
Initiator, designer, programmer
- Team
Wouter Walmink
,MAD Lab
- Links
- Tech
Flash / Actionscript
,Processing
,C (for the robot)
Penrose tiling made with Elise
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Background
The name Elise is a word play on L-systems, short for Lindenmayer systems. They are a 'language' for describing (plant) growth and aim to make it easier for biologist to model the shape and growth of plants. I wanted to bring this very easy to understand language the the masses by providing a graphical interface that allows for easy experimentation.
The Elise Interface
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Use
Elise is offered as a free download on my company website and provides a library of interesting shapes to start exploring and adapt. The tool outputs vector files that can be read by any vector editing software (like Adobe Illustrator) for further use and incorporation in designs.
The Elise Interface
click to show image
In real life
In 2011, Elise has been reincarnated as a cute little robot that can be programmed remotely and draws patterns on the floor. This project was sponsored by Mad Lab and has been exhibited in Eindhoven, Tilburg and Breda. The robot avoids obstacles and has a pen in the middle, allowing it to draw on the floor.
The Elise Robot
click to show image