This article was originally posted at It Is Alive in the Lab; words by Scott Sheppard, photos by Ryan Arnaudin

Design Night: Peddle Away with Project Falcon - It is Alive in the Lab

Design Night is an events program at the Autodesk Gallery. At each event, guests explore a different theme — such as biomimicry, light, or robotics — that challenges the conventionally narrow definition of design. The theme is reflected in all aspects of the event, from the activities guests enjoy to the food they eat to the music they hear. The latest one, on June 6, focused on technology as it relates to athletics.

As part of the night’s activities, I was able to ride a stationary bike (the PiCycle) and see a simulation of what it would be like for me to ride in the wind. This was made possible by Project Falcon, a free technology preview on Autodesk Labs. Project Falcon simulates air flow around vehicles, buildings, outdoor equipment, consumer products, bloggers, or other objects of your choosing in a virtual wind tunnel. Results update almost in real-time in response to changes in wind direction and speed.

For this Design Night exhibit, I sat on the PiCycle:

The geometry of my body was scanned:

Project Falcon showed me the effects of wind on my geometry:

Cutting through the virtual wind is alive in the lab.