Morgendauw (‘Morning Dew’ in English) is an abstract, interactive artwork. It draws inspiration from multi-sensory rooms and experiences and presents a similar experience, without the limitation of a set time and place, with the aesthetics of an (interactive) artwork. It was developed and built by Tom Luyten during his PhD period. The effects of Morgendauw on nursing home residents have been studied, described and published in international academic literature.

Morgendauw was designed to provide short, meaningful interactions to escape the routine of daily life and promote introspection. Physically, Morgendauw is a black, table-like installation, shaped like the silhouette of a larger-than-life oak leaf. The surface of the leaf consists of touch-reactive LED panels.

Morgendauw shows a constant stream of coloured particles, which resemble a stream of water flowing downhill. The color, direction and velocity of the particles are influenced by the current weather conditions in one of five pre-programmed cities (Eindhoven, Quebec, Spitsbergen, Tokyo and Kaapstad). Every five minutes a different city is automatically selected.

When the surface of Morgendauw is touched, or an object (e.g. stone) is placed on it, the stream of particles will react and find a way around the hand or object. This results in a change of composition and a distortion in the particle system that will try to find a new balance. This choreography of light is augmented with an ambient soundtrack and subtle nature sounds.

Morgendauw was supported by the Vitalis care group and has appeared in 2 nursing homes in Eindhoven and Heerlen