Interview with Tom Igoe

Igoe mentions about the importance of Physical Computing in curriculum. In which people can learn to understand relationship between human being to digital word for developing idea, make progressive way, finding creative idea and learn more about new skill and their application in technology word to create the impressive works.  He also pointed out that the most impressive examples of physical computing are those has rich input. It was interesting to me that he also explains the role of art in regeneration, recognize and analyze of aesthetic and concept in technological works. Indeed, Art should plays as a complementary role along with a good engineer, social scientist and programmer, and etc. it should be a perfect collaboration and coordination so that the appropriate work comes out with a good result. Because for efficiency, it is necessary to have a team work with adequate skills. In this case, day by day I like the terms of Art and Technology that how they work each other and how they add the knowledge skills, concept and how much complement each other.

9/30 - Sound (CH 5)

9/38 Manga guide to electricity pgs 90-116

What is the relationship between heat and electricity. Please provide a metaphor.

Heat is the vibrations of atoms and molecules. When you touch a metalic object, the heat in your hand causes the atoms in the object to vibrate faster. The vibrations can move very quickly from atom to atom, so the heat gets carried away from the point of contact. That's what makes it feel cold.

Why is it warm near an incandescent light bulb? 

An incandescent bulb has two wires running parallel transmitting an electrical current to a tungsten filament that connects the two wires. This filament heats until its heat is reflected as light.

What is a superconductor? What are they used for in real life? You may have to look this up. How could one make a metal a superconductor?

A material that can conduct electricity or transport electrons with no resistance.

What is Ampere's Law?

Ampere's Law states that for any closed loop path, the sum of the length elements times the magnetic field in the direction of the length element is equal to the permeability times the electric current enclosed in the loop.

If current of the same size flows in the same direction in two electric wires placed side by side, what happens?

If two parallel wires have currents traveling in the same direction, the magnetic fields generated by those currents between the wires will both point in opposite directions resulting in the wires attracting each other.

What happens if current of the same size flows in opposite directions in two electric wires placed side by side?

 if two parallel wires have currents traveling in opposite directions, the magnetic fields generated by those currents between the wires will both point in the same direction

9/30 Kayla Evans Chapter 5

A link to my documentation of exercise 5_1:
https://vimeo.com/140953822
And documentation of 5_2:
https://vimeo.com/140953821

Circuit Board (*board*) Labeling

ANNIE KLOPP | Classwork: Chapter 5

Chapter 5-1

Chapter 5-2

Chapter 5 (speaker and piano) - Madeline Morales 9/30/15

Chapter 5

ch 5-1

ch5 -2

09/30 Lessons in Ch 5

Listing 5-1

Listing 5-2

9/30 Exploring ardunio chapater 5

5-1 Music

I learned that the groove in the bread board is actually a break in the rail so if you plug things in across it, they arnt actually connected. I figured this out from trail and error.

5-2 Piano

9/30 - Exploring Arduino Chapter 5 - Jen Herrera

5-1:

5-2:

Bonus: Changed A to F to make a chromatic scale.. they chose weird notes for this exercise!

Project Idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NqDTE6dHpJw

Chapter 5 Speaker

Speaker with Sound

Piano with speakers

Chapter 5 Arduino Tyra

5.1

5.2

Observations

Observe interactions between people and people, people and the environment, people and machines. Record your observations in the blog.

People using self-checkout machines at the grocery store is a really fantastic interaction between humans and machines. There's this notion that the self-checkout is faster and replaces the human teller. What is most often the case, however, is an experience filled with mechanized error which usually brings another, very annoyed, human onto the scene to arbitrarily scan an access card while the person waits in line wishing they were dead. 

At the phospherous mine we visited with Steve Rowell humans and machines are pulverizing and blending environment. Like children in a mud hole. Machines as an extension of humans interrupting environment and shaping it. What is an environment after being shaped? Paper with a human mark is not paper but drawing, or painting. 

People with people regarding machines and environment, I return to the phospherous mine where our PR host desperately exhausted his breath to convince us (himself) what they were doing was in no way harmful. Nobody on the trip ever accused their operation of being detrimental (though we all have our perspectives). He repeatedly asked us if we "still thought they were the bad guys"; met with silence.

People and environment - relavant to my mini project. Repurpose Project receives donations of unwanted building materials, electronics, and like...pretty much everything else under the sun. Rather than putting these things in the landfill folks know where to take it for their trash to become another one's treasure. The workers at Repurpose interact with environment as they act as a reservoir to keep these things out of landfills and challenge the affordance of objects and the environment of the business place. 

Projects Presentation

Powerpoint
Enterface Executable Prototype

Interview with Tom Igoe

Reading this interview made me think about my experience in Sensors class. It was frustrating in the beginning because I knew nothing about sensors or electronics and I still find it hard to follow sometimes, but as I keep working on the exercises it's super cool to see the result of the things we build. The concepts are so simple that they can be applied to multiple things therefore allowing a broader range for creativity and art. I feel some kind of power over machine when I see an LED light do as I "command" it. In the interview he mentions that he finds the work of those who are "pure" artists less interesting than those who also do commercial work. I think that working with electronics it would be hard to be just a "pure" artist because everything created would be an innovation of some sort. It makes me think of people in the Renaissance who were not only painters and sculptors but aslo architects, mathematicians, inventors etc. They used what they knew to make advancements in art. I think that it would be hard to be a "pure" artists because then we would just be limiting ourselves.

Exploring Arduino: Chapter 5

Adafruit H bridge tutorial Lesson 15

Adafruit Tutorial Lesson 14: Servo Motors

Observing interactions and people

based on my difference culture, Im always interest in observing people to find more differences in people life.

one of the most thing that I saw these days a lot is about people and their cellphone. I saw that how people involve and attach with their cellphone.  When you come to the bus you see everybody are busy with looking down to their cellphone and they prefer to pretend that  they are busy instead of talking with each other.

The other interesting thing is that people here, are observe their distance with others. For example the bus has a limitation for fulling  the people and if the bus is very full still people don't have collision or touching. Or for  working with ATM machine there is a standard distance that people can keep their privacy and avoid to show their password ad other people know that they don't  have to be very close  to ATM machine or look at the peoples working on the screen. These are shows that people know and respect to their privacy. 

In addition, I saw that people don't pay attention to other people what they do or watch them what they do, there is not too much CURIOSITY,  mostly they are busy with their own works and they don't judge  or give a comments to each other.

09/28 Manga Electricity Questions

What is the relationship between heat and electricity. Please provide a metaphor.

Good heat conductors are usually good electrical conductors. when you pass a current through a conductor, the electrons bump into the atoms as they move through it. These vibrations increase, causing the temperature of the conductor to rise, thus the emission of heat. 



Why is it warm near an incandescent light bulb?

Due to thermal emission; as the temperature of a substance increases, light and heat are emitted out of a it as electromagnetic waves, causing the substance to warm up.

What is a superconductor? What are they used for in real life? You may have to look this up. How could one make a metal superconductor?

1. A material that can produce electricity/ transport electrons from one atom to another, with little/ no resistance due to sufficiently low temperatures. 
2. In the military, US NAVY utilizes SQUID (superconducting QUantum Interference Device); as the most sensitive detector in science, the SQUID consists of a superconducting loop, used to measure magnetic fields, to detect mines and submarines. 
3. Many metals are natural superconductors when they become cold enough, though most need to be close to absolute zero. 

What is Ampere's Law?

When current flows in an electric wire, a magnetic field with a circular pattern is generated around that wire. 

If a current of the same size flows in the same direction in two electric wires placed side by side, what happens?

The magnetic fields generated in each wire are combined to generate a magnetic field of twice the current around both conductors. 

What happens if current of the same size flows in opposite directions in two electric wires placed side by side?

A force of repulsion is generated between the wires. In this case. the magnetic fields around the wires negate each other and become smatter. 

Please read about Flemings Left and Right Hand Rule. Think about this Rule with respect to the motors we have made this week.

The left hand rule is used to remember the relationship in the directions of magnetic field, the conductor and the current to understand the direction a motor moves. Extend the thumb, index and middle finger of your left hand so they are perpendicular to each other, thus representing the direction of how the conductor, magnetic field, and current move. The right hand rule determines the direction of an electromagnetic force created by an electric generator that demonstrates the direction of the conductor, magnetic field, and current flow based on the thumb, index and middle finger's perpendicular alignment to each other. 

Manga Guide to Electricity pg. 90-116, 9.28.15

·      What is the relationship between heat and electricity? Please provide a metaphor.

When current electricity I Flow through an electric heat comes out. It looks like a when you’re running in treadmill (the current flow is you trying loose your weight) and have to workout hard (which is the resistance), the more you run, the more calories burning and the heats generates, that is loosing the weight.

·      Why is it warm near an incandescent light bulb?

Because of Thermal Vibration which is thermal emission. Thermal energy along with magnitude of thermal vibration and because atoms vibrate, heat is coming around the object. 

·      What is a superconductor? What are they used for in real life? You may have to look this up. How could one make a metal a superconductor?

Superconductor is a material such as aluminum and drops with temperature near absolute zero that without resistance can conduct electricity. It causes that the atoms be in a rest and there is no resistance, so electrons can move freely without any hitting to atoms.

One of the good example about superconductor using is in trains “can be made to "float" on strong superconducting magnets, virtually eliminating friction between the train and its tracks. Not only would conventional electromagnets waste much of the electrical energy as heat, they would have to be physically much larger than superconducting magnets.” http://www.superconductors.org/uses.htm

·      What is Ampere's Law?

 When current flow goes to electric wire, the magnetic field with circular pattern around wire will be generated. It is  a relation, that can figure out the amount of magnetic filed from the flow.  

·      If current of the same size flows in the same direction in two electric wires placed side by side, what happens?

It creates two combinations of magnetic fields because there are two electric wires and they all together act as a one magnetic filed and two wires attract each other then create the force of attraction.

·      What happens if current of the same size flows in opposite directions in two electric wires placed side by side?

The force of repulsion happens in the wire and magnetic filed negate each other and eventually magnetic field will be disappeared.

·      Please read about Flemings Left and Right Hand Rule.

Flemings left and right hand rule is for Dc motors. It explains the direction of flow in wire along with magnetic filed and force perpendicular.  

Exploring Arduino Listings 3.1-4.3 - madeline morales

Listing 3.1

Listing 3.2

Listing 3.3

Listing 4.1

Listing 4.2

Listing 4.3

Mini Project plan

Im going to control an LED(s) with the use of a potentiometer (knob). I want to control its brightness. This will help me with my sketch for the final project. 

Adafruit Chapter 5 Motor Exercises

with capacitor

using a "Knob"

multimeter -Erica, Ernie, and Setareh

CHAPTER 4

4-4 and 4-5

4-1 to 4-3

Interview With Tom Igoe Response

Tom Igoe expresses a belief that the most powerful physical computing projects, "art" or otherwise, often come from collaborative efforts that effectively solve many different issues in design and purpose. He makes a very relevant point about how these projects are often greatly improved, or maybe not even possible, by having someone with good business sense. Projects benefit from a team set up so that strengths and weaknesses can be balanced since physical computing demands software fluency and hardware engineering skills.

In my semester-long project I have been taking Igoe's approach trying to recruit a small team of individuals to make Enterface: somnwhere all that it can be. Art work is often very subjective and dependent on the individual but in physical computing projects the medium requires such a broad array of knowledge it behooves you to seek out help.

Conversely, Igoe also gives examples of projects that are successful in their simplicity. The phantom limb project he describes using just a few servo motors paired with the human sensory is a powerful example of how physical computing can be an extension of our own senses. By breaking the idea down to what is essential to experience Caren Rabbino makes the experience accessible.

9/28 Kayla Evans Project 1 Ideas

Theme of signals
I'm really interested int eh definition of a signal as a "beacon":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal

-Having dust sensoir inside of an object filled with tatters or ash; as person looks through them, projector image changes based off of reading from dust sensor
-A sense of fluttering, wispy objects, becoming more solid or frantic as person looks through tatters
-A beacon: beacon becoming larger amid fluttering, tattered fabric as person adds input
-Feeding a meter wishes or ash to keep light going
-Something involving paths?
-Projector shining light on uneven surface of metal

Project 1 Sensor Presentation 9/28

Online Sensor Presentation 

You will do a 3-5 minute presentation on a sensor that you plan to use in the semester project or are using in the mini-project. Pick one of the sensors that you are using in your group project. How does it work? What different flavors does it come in? What are its practical applications outside of art making? Find as much information about that sensor as possible. Locate the schematic. Find the inputs, outputs, how to calibrate or impact the use and other relevant information on the diagram. What are its power requirements and what sorts of other electronics are necessary to get it to work. Label the diagram and explain to us how to use the sensor. Tell us how the sensor is typically used. Tell us how you plan to use and/or modify the sensor. Please post this as a vidoe. It should be accurate as well as engaging. Channel Colin. Please have this posted by Thursday, October 1.

http://www.adafruit.com/categories/59

Mini Project #1 Tyra

Online Sensor Presentation

I am away next week. You will do a 3-5 minute presentation on a sensor that you plan to use in the semester project or are using in the mini-project. Pick one of the sensors that you are using in your group project. How does it work? What different flavors does it come in? What are its practical applications outside of art making? Find as much information about that sensor as possible. Locate the schematic. Find the inputs, outputs, how to calibrate or impact the use and other relevant information on the diagram. What are its power requirements and what sorts of other electronics are necessary to get it to work. Label the diagram and explain to us how to use the sensor. Tell us how the sensor is typically used. Tell us how you plan to use and/or modify the sensor. Please post this as a video. It should be accurate as well as engaging. Channel Colin. Please have this posted by Thursday, October 1.

One of the sensors I plan to use in my project is the proximity sensor. A proximity sensor basically detects motion and how close something or someone is to the sensor. In our exercise using the proximity sensor we got to see how moving our further and closer made the motor speed up or slow down. Although that was cool, I would like to use the proximity sensor as a trip wire that results in images or videos displaying on walls.

Sensors have a wide set of uses and for each function there's a different sensor. Some of those sensors include capacitive, doppler effect and laser rangefinder.

Outside of art making, proximity sensors are used for parking sensors, roller coaster, mobile devices and a host of other things. 

As far as the actual schematic drawing of the proximity sensor, I found that the power supply can vary from approximately 5 Volts to 12 Volts. For the sensor to work the following parts are required:

1. The sharp IS471

2. a 940nm IR emitter

3. A breadboard or perfboard

4. 9 Volt battery and battery clip

5. Soldering Iron & solder

Exploring Arduino Chapter 4 - DC and Servo Motors

ADAFRUIT Servo Tutorial

9/28 manga guide to Electricity 90-116

Manga Guide to Electricity Read 90-116

What is the relationship between heat and electricity. Please provide a metaphor.

• Heat is produced when electricity flows through an electric resistance much in the way that the digestion of food produces heat. The heat produced by the electric resistance is called joules  heat. Heat, or temperature, is essentially vibration, so when electricity flows through the resistance, it is similar in effect to when someone yells "fire" in a crowded room, creating panic, or in the case of the electricity, creating more vibrations. 

Why is it warm near an incandescent light bulb?

• The bulb's electrical resistance generates heat and in turn heats the air around it. The heat takes the form of thermal emissions,

What is a superconductor? What are they used for in real life? You may have to look this up.

• A superconductor is a material with no electrical resistance. Aluminum is a superconductor when its temperature reaches near absolute zero
• Superconductors are used in MAGLEV trains, since they can be used to make extremely strong magnets. The train 'floats' on the magnet, which eliminates the friction between the train and the track. 

How could one make a metal a superconductor?

• To make a metal a superconductor you need to cool it below a certain critical temperature.

What is Ampere's Law?

• The creation of circular magnetic fields around a wire when electricity floes through it. 
• The direction of the current determines the direction of the magnetic field. This can be determined by using your right hand; with your fingers curled and your thumb sticking out in the direction of the current, your other fingers curl in the direction of the magnetic field. 

If current of the same size flows in the same direction in two electric wires placed side by side, what
happens?

• The two magnetic fields generated in the two wires are combined to form one large magnetic field. A force of attraction is also created that causes the wires to attract each other. 

What happens if current of the same size flows in opposite directions in two electric wires placed side by side?

• A force of repulsion is generated in the wires and the magnetic fields negate each other.

Please read about Flemings Left and Right Hand Rule. Think about this Rule with respect to the motors we have made this week.

• Fleming's left hand rule demonstrates how a conductor placed a magnetic field and current flows is affected by forces generated by the current or the field. When your left hand is bent into the unbeatable rock, paper, scissors combination trick your thumb indicates the direction of the conductor, pointer finger points in direction of magnetic field, and middle finger points in direction of current. A DC motor move by this force. 
• Fleming's right hand rule is relevant to generators

9/16 Exploring arduino 3.2 - 3.3

[forgot to link to this earlier]

[insert 3-3]

Repurpose - Mini Project 1

On October 10th the Repurpose Project in Gainesville, FL will be hosting a festival -- The Trash Festival. By pairing the Arduino micro processor with "e-waste" and using materials found at the center I will create an interactive work to be displayed and documented during the Festival. I will also heavily document what parts are being used and what they were scavenged from. The focus of this project is to engage the community with an interactive artwork that also exhibits the potential of materials often seen as waste when they have been but retired from duty.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-control-your-TV-with-an-Arduino/

VHS tapes are abound. Motor controlling could serve some really interesting purpose either with the tape housing mechanism or by programming the arudino to interface with Infared remote code.

The view input could be manipulated by sound from the live music, a tactile "controller" for a work that envelopes the performance stage, fingerprint scanner juxtaposing a sort of scary "futuristic" tech with older technology.

The scavenging part of the project will be documented and discussed with Repurpose to be hosted on their web platforms. By providing how someone can move through this space and fully utilize the materials at hand I can contribute to the apparent value of a resource like that of Repurpose.

9/27 Sparkfun sensors & Project ideas

Tatyana and I have flushed through more ideas for our final semester project. We would like to make an installation piece, maybe in the walkway of the second floor going between FAC and the library. In this installation we want to rely on motors and proximity sensors. Since completing the chapter 4 exercises,  this project seems very possible. I feel like what we want to achieve is basically a much larger, better version of the last chapter 4 exercise.

Here is the infrared sensor we think would fit to our project: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8958

Possible codes used with infrared sensors:
https://learn.adafruit.com/ir-sensor/using-an-ir-sensor

Examples for controlling a robot but I feel like all the links have helpful insight
http://www.robotshop.com/blog/en/arduino-5-minute-tutorials-lesson-4-ir-distance-sensor-push-button-2-3637

9/28 Manga 90-116

Manga Guide to Electricity Read 90-116


What is the relationship between heat and electricity. Please provide a metaphor.
When current flows through a resistance, heat is generated. Like when I pet (current) my dog and she sheds(heat) everywhere.

Why is it warm near an incandescent light bulb?
because of thermal emission, when the temperature of a substance increases and thermal energy is emitted as electromagnetic waves

What is a superconductor? 
http://www.iflscience.com/physics/explainer-what-superconductor
A superconductor conducts electricity perfectly, meaning an electrical current in a superconducting wire would continue to flow round in circles for billions of years, never degrading or dissipating.

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/superconductors.html


What are they used for in real life? 
MRIs
How could one make a metal a superconductor?
lower a substance's temperature to be near absolute zero


What is Ampere's Law?
Magnetic fields are generated in a circular pattern around the wire the current flows in.

If current of the same size flows in the same direction in two electric wires placed side by side, what happens?
the magnetic fields generated are combined to generate a magnetic field of twice the current around both conductors

What happens if current of the same size flows in opposite directions in two electric wires placed side by side?
a force of repulsion is generated between the wires

9/28 Adafruit tutorial 14 Servo motos

sweep

Knob

delayed sweep

9/28 CH4

Exploring Arduino Chapter 4 DC and Servo Motors

4.1 Automatic Speed Control

4.2 Adjustable Speed Control (featuring: Ernie's helpful hands :P )

4.3 H-Bridge Potentiometer Motor Control

4.4 Servo Potentiometer Control

4.5 IR sensor

yay for making things move!

:)Erica

9/16 CH 3

Exploring Arduino CH 3

3.1 Potentiometer Reading Sketch

3.2 temperature Alert Sketch

Had a lot of trouble with 3.3, still trying to get it to work but had to move on

Manga Guide to Electricity pg. 90-116, 9.28.15

What is the relationship between heat and electricity. Please provide a metaphor.

When current flows through a resistance and the temperature rises, heat is generated. It is like when you’re hungry(the current flow is you trying to get to your food) and have to wait in line(which is the resistance), the longer you wait the angrier(heat) you get.

Why is it warm near an incandescent light bulb?

It is warm near a bulb because of the Thermal Emission which happens when the temperature of substance increases and thermal energy is emitted.

What is a superconductor? What are they used for in real life? You may have to look this up. How could one make a metal a superconductor?

http://www.iflscience.com/physics/explainer-what-superconductor

A superconductor is neither a metal nor an insulator. It is a material that can conduct electricity perfectly.The electrical current will flow infinitely never degrading or dissipating. Superconductors are enhanced when combined with magnets. MRI’s create a large magnetic field so doctors can screen people. To make a metal a superconductor you could place a really strong magnet next to it.

What is Ampere's Law?

The magnetic fields that are generated when using electricity. They are generated in circular patterns around a wire.

If current of the same size flows in the same direction in two electric wires placed side by side, what happens?

The two magnetic fields combine to form a large magnetic field and a force of attraction is generated causing the two wire to attract each other.

What happens if current of the same size flows in opposite directions in two electric wires placed side by side?

A force of repulsion is generated and the two wires negate each other and the magnetic fields disappear.

Please read about Flemings Left and Right Hand Rule. Think about this Rule with respect to the motors we have made this week.

Flemings left hand rule demonstrates how force behaves when placed in a magnetic field. A DC motor turns by using the Left Hand force. The left hadn rule is used to determine the direction of the current.

Mini-Project 1 thoughts, Post #1 - Jen Herrera

For the first mini-project, I definitely want to explore using conductive thread so that I can get some experience with it before the final project.

Signal is an interesting theme to think about. It's obviously an important element to electronics, but signal has definitions outside of that. To signal is to transmit information through gesture, action, or sound. Signals have the connotation of understandings and agreements, as to be recognized, a signal has to be agreed upon. A signal might not be recognized and could go unnoticed. Electrical signals are related in that depending on what they are, they are not perceivable by the human senses until there is some sort of reaction.

I'm thinking on this, and how I could possibly relate it to thread, textiles, embroidery or sewing. To use the conductive thread, there has to be some sort of physical interface to be the sort of substrate for the thread. I don't want to get too caught up in the construction of a garment or item of clothing for the mini-project... I may try to make an accessory or something small, or alternatively decorative piece like an embroidery hoop that can hang on the wall and perform its function.

Some small thoughts on accessories:
-Sunglasses as a signal themselves (Don't talk to me)
-Headband
-Bracelet
-Scarf(more conducive to thread obviously)
-Some kind of crochet/knitted hat

I definitely want the signal to be meaningful and possibly related to interpersonal interaction, or intrapersonal thoughts.

9/26 Kayla Evans Chapter 4

A link to documnetation of my exercise 4-1:
https://vimeo.com/140523114

Exercise 4-2:
https://vimeo.com/140958252

And exercise 4-3:
https://vimeo.com/140962813

9/24 - Servo and Exploring Arduino Servo (4-4, 4-5)

Sweep:

Knob:

4-4:

4-5:

(I didn't want to actually glue that sensor so I took video of both the sensor and servo working just without being glued together. )

Setareh Ghoreishi, Exploring Arduino ch 4

4-3

4-4

4-1

4-5

4-2

9/23 Gibsons Affordances Questions

"an action possibility available in the environment to an individual, independent of the individual's ability to perceive this possibility"

1. How do you understand this definition/description of affordance? Please put into your own words. What if anything may or may not be problematic about this interpretation of the notion of affordances?

            We understand affordances as a type of functional fixedness that the individual has to overcome.

2. What might be the connection between affordance and evolution?

According to the article, an animal’s way of life is set by a series of affordances.  Species evolve because the affordances are persistent and ongoing.

3. What is the difference between a niche and a habitat? Explain in your own words and give an example of each. What is your niche?

A habitat is the actual environment where something lives whereas a niche is a adaptive role of an organism that lives in that environmental system.

An affordance cuts the dichotomy of subjective and objective and helps us to understand its inadequacy. The affordances of the environment are facts of the environment, not appearances. But they are not on the other hand, facts at the level of physics concerned with matter and energy and animals left out.

Get into your groups and answer the following questions

4. Pick three aspects/environmental conditions of this room or the third floor of FAC. Describe each of these aspects as an affordance. What activity is implied by the material? What sorts of sensory input does this  condition/object offer the user? One way of doing this might be able to put yourself in the place of an alien. What about the object or condition compels you to act upon it in a particular way?

1.    Chair, white board, computers used in class can all be categorized as affordances.  Each of these aspects has a potential possibility for the other to improve learning conditions.

a.     Chair: because of its curved surface it’s known it is contoured to the body and because of its hard surface it’s known that it can support weight.

b.    White board: because of its flat surface and its existing markings tells us it can be used for writing and communication.

c.     Table: because it is placed in front of the chair and it is sitting level and its flat surface we can see the potential ability that it can support the weight of other items.   

2.    Implied activity

a.     Chair: sitting

b.    White board: writing, displaying, communicating

c.     Table: support, suspension

3.    The sensory input

a.     Chair: touch, sight

b.    White board: touch, sight

c.     Table: touch, sight

d.     

4.    Condition

a.     Chair: curvature implies it can support a body

b.    White board: existing marks and markers and erasers placed in front of board

c.     Table: Its position in front of a chair and its level with the chair and existing items placed on top.

5. What do you think is the difference between usefulness and utility with respect to affordances?

Affordance is the initial thought of how to interact with an object.  Usefulness is the subjective and utility is the objective; usefulness depends on the individual and how they deem something as useful while utility is the actual action or design of that object.

6. What might be a false affordance? Create a situation other than that of the cat on the glass floor who is afraid to walk because the glass is transparent and there is a drop in floor? Think about how zoos keep animals in w/o cages or slapstick comedy.

When Kelsey’s Corgi (Kristie) sits in her cage and cries thinking she is locked in because the door is closed, but she could easily push it opened because it is not latched.

7. Are we aware of all of the affordances of an object or a condition?  Do you think affordances are cultural? Are they different for people with disabilities? 

No. For example we do not know the cultural affordances of an African tribal mask because we not necessarily understand how or why they were used, we just understand them as a piece of cultural art. It is almost like how Ariel does not know that a fork is used for eating because it is not part of her culture. 

8. metaphor and affordances? I think this might be worth thinking about this.

An affordance is the relation between an object and its environment and the potential action that the object can perform in said environment.  A metaphor figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object.  For example, an umbrella. Its affordance is to protect from the natural elements, but at the same time it is protecting you from something that is not exactly harmful.