This project by HC Gilje has found its home in the woods of Lillehammer Norway. Part of the UT-21 project that invited 7 Polish and 7 Norwegian artists to work outside galleries in Norway.

By using low energy xbee wireless radios in conjunction with the Arduino platform, the artist was able to create a mesh network. The birds peck every 5 minutes. In between pecking and at night they are asleep to conserve energy.

The actual woodpeckers consist of the circuitry, an actuator that hits a wooden block and a small curved metal roof.

The amazing part is that it took 15 minutes for an actual live woodpecker to end up on a tree next to one of these fake ones. Probably completely confused the live bird.

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