Stadspoorten van Almelo is a public-space lighting installation that marks the locations of the city's long-vanished medieval gates. At each former gate, a sculptural, lantern-shaped marker is suspended above the street, with a matching gate seal set into the pavement below. The markers do more than decorate: when someone stops and stands beneath one, the installation notices and lights up, turning a quiet historical reference into a small interactive moment for passers-by.
The work was commissioned by the Historische Kring Stad en Ambt Almelo, with the artistic design by Buro PoelmansReesink, and was manufactured and installed by Arsis street lighting of Amsterdam. It was officially unveiled in December 2022.
JDT Engineering's contribution
JDT Engineering developed the custom electronics that make each marker interactive. We designed a compact WiFi-connected control board, built around an ESP32-S2 microcontroller, that reads an ultrasonic distance sensor to detect a person standing directly beneath the gate marker. When presence is detected, the board smoothly drives a high-output LED spotlight so the marker and the space below it respond to the visitor. JDT continues to provide support and maintenance for the deployed units.
Key features
- Presence detection via a MaxBotix ultrasonic distance sensor
- ESP32-S2 microcontroller with WiFi connectivity for networked control
- Smooth PWM-dimmed LED spotlight based on Cree XLamp XP-E emitters
- Custom-designed control PCB, engineered for reliable long-term outdoor operation
- Distributed across multiple gate locations throughout Almelo's historic centre
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