Final Project Update

Code is done- I just need to figure out the mechanism to create the clap. Tomorrow I'll be going to a percussion instrument store and try and find some wood blocks. I got a couple of ideas. Sketches are included:

My friend James is helping me with this, he had an automated xylophone type mechanism and the design I thought could apply to my project. Other than that I'm thinking of a stepper-motor with the two wood-blocks I will hopefully find tomorrow.

NEXT big step is learning how to interface arduino with a more powerful stepper. Need to learn that Wednesday. Need to do a lot this week.

Final Update

Alright, so far I have finished making my mat and all of my switches. They are arranged in a grid pattern with 4 rows of 4. 8 of the stepping pads are real switches and 8 are dummy pads that signify incorrect movement.

I have also picked the quote that will be played aloud by the waveshield broken up into a few words a piece.

The quote reads, "Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology."

I felt that this was an effective phrase to be put together as you walk through the maze. As you complete it and think that you're figuring out the path on your own, the words help remind you that you're actually operating under the control of the technology.

To take the point even further it will be read by an automated voice to get the sense that technology itself is speaking to the audience.

I still have to finish the code and wire the circuit.

Instant Project Update!

Alright, it appears my idea has changed. Now the fate of my project lies on these little robotic bugs.

My amazing bug army will soon be deployed to the unassuming masses. ...but seriously, I've ripped off the tops of these bugs and tore out the existing hardware. Now I've got to get some small circuit boards to replace them with, attach the motor wires to it and add on the photoresistors I got at Skycraft. By either reversing the photoresistors manually, or inputting a code I found (hopefully one of these will work), I can turn the robot into a photophobe, and it'll avoid light. There's not much more information I can give now... process photos and tests coming soon...

PING Ultrasonic Sensor Links

PING from arduino playground

http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Ping?from=Tutorial.UltrasoundSensor

I found the arduino playground stuff to be the most helpful, its basically the bare essential code to make the PING run...you can cut out all the inches/cm conversions to clean up the code a bit.

IR distance sensor with LEDs

http://dailyduino.com/archives/335

I was able to hack this code together with the Arduino code...but the IR sensor is alot more basic than the Arduino, and has a much simpler code, check it out and maybe see if you could use just a IR sensor...

Ladyada Arduino Tutorial

http://www.ladyada.net/learn/arduino/

So I know we already went over this stuff in class, but i actually went back and re-did all these exercises, they really helped me understand Arduino code, and it allowed me to modify the two above codes....

Also, just type in what your trying into google and see what happens, and look into joining/searching the Arduino Forum, its been a huge help, and people will reply to posts very fast.

http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl

Expensive Garbage

TOPCON ET-1 PRECISION TOTAL STATION

With a name like that, How could this thing not be AWESOME?!?!? well, infact it is not awesome, but it is insanely expensive... http://cgi.ebay.com/TOPCON-ET-1-PRECISION-TOTAL-STATION,-SURVEYING_W0QQitemZ110459940669QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20091121?IMSfp=TL091121186006r28353
Anyway, apparently TOPCON is a leading manufacture of professional surveying equipment, and the TOPCON ET-1 is a pretty serious surveying tool. It has a laser guided balance system, and several LCD screens, its also not cheap.

KRETZTECHNIK Ultrasonic Opthalmoscope SERIES 7100 MA
sorry no picture found
SO based on what I found for this jem of technology, I learned that Kretztechnik is a really old austrian ultra sound technology company that had a major part in developing ultrasound instruments for medical use. I also learned that Opthamology pertains to eyes, so Im guessing that the SERIES 7100 MA is some sort of Ultrasound instrument for looking inside the eye.
Link to KRETZTECHNIK history http://www.ob-ultrasound.net/kretztechnik.html

ParkerVision CameraMan II CAM-2112-AIN with Adapter

When I saw this thing at surplus, i thought it was some cool camera system, then i looked it up and found that it is a camera system, but its not really that cool... basically its just a camera hooked up to some motors that allow it to be remote controlled. It can tilt, pan, swivel and zoom. although this seems very coool, its application is not that cool... its used to record lectures and classes at UF... So i guess it is cool to all those buisness majors that are able to watch lectures from their homes thanks to this handy Cameraman.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390120522815&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=M*S%3F&GUID=5761cbb511e0a09c1361f621ffd277c2&itemid=390120522815&ff4=263602_263622#ht_2298wt_941

With a name like that, How could this thing not be AWESOME?!?!? well, infact it is not awesome, but it is insanely expensive... http://cgi.ebay.com/TOPCON-ET-1-PRECISION-TOTAL-STATION,-SURVEYING_W0QQitemZ110459940669QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20091121?IMSfp=TL091121186006r28353 Anyway, apparently TOPCON is a leading manufacture of professional serveing equipment, and the TOPCON ET-1 is a pretty serious surveying tool. It has a lazer guided balance system, and several LCD screens, its also not cheap.

Final Project Ideas

For my final project I was really unsure of what direction to go until I stumbled on a website highlighting the 10 most innovative instruments that have been created recently, or are still in the process of being created. I got inspired by the idea and was thinking of creating a garment that was essentially a large instrument in which each finger on the hand acted as a particular note.

Upon further discussion I think that I am going to be creating an outfit that has certain touchable points in which particular noises, sounds, or words are played on each point (the sounds will depend on what finger is touching the particular area). I have created a prototype of how the system would work with LEDs instead of noises.

Essentially the circuitry is rather simple, but sewing circuitry will definitely increase the difficulty. I am going to also be using a wave shield with my project, though I have yet to work with one yet. As for the content of the piece, I am still sorting through ideas, though I am thinking of using pop culture as a reference, as this is an interest of mine and (for obvious reasons) relates well to fashion.

Sensor Presentation Substitute

Since I had no sensor presentation, hopefully this write-up on infrared sensors will make up for it. Hopefully. ...please, I'm begging you.

My project will utilize heavily on motion sensors, particularly IR distance sensors. Motion sensing is a passive system that detects infrared energy, known as PIR (passive infrared). In order to detect a person, you need to make the sensor sensitive to the temperature of the human body. So, 93 degrees radiates at a wavelength of about 9-10 micrometers, so those kinds of sensors usually have a range of about 8-12.

The devices themselves are simple electronic components. The infrared light bumps electrons off a substrate, and these electrons can be detected and amplified into a signal. The electronics package attached to the sensor searches for fairly rapid changes in the amount of infrared energy it sees, which means it can detect someone walking by, but not if someone is standing motionless before it.

IR motion sensors are in common use, particularly with security systems. Tracing past the path of a sensor will trip an alarm, alerting security to the presence of no-good-niks. Although, motion sensors normally cannot “see” someone through a window; this is because glass is not very transparent to infrared energy.

In my project, the IR sensor will be at the helm of the robot car (and possible on all sides, depending). When the sensor detects motion, it will trigger the motor in the back wheels and move away from it. If one were to start out approaching the robot from the front (and the way I would set it up, they would), it’s possible one sensor would work, as it would continuously move backwards, but stay in view with whoever is in the room, but if not, more sensors may be necessary to give the robot more acknowledgment of its full surroundings.

Junk.

Dentsply Cavitron 11905203

Apparently it's something that can emit high frequency vibrations to remove deposits from teeth and inflamed tissue from the walls of the gingival crevice. I don't understand how that works...



Automatic Seed Analyzer 81261077TRP

This device extracts visual data from seeds in the tray via a camera and displays them as silhouettes. From there the analysis returns various information about the seeds such as type, approximate size, etc.



Data Transfer Switch

I think it basically allows you to have several computers hook up and use the same device, like a printer or something.

Project Progress

I soldered my waveshield pretty nicely, though there is one spot where the metal might be touching and I need to ask Katerie to see if that messes things up or not.
I also hooked up the speakers to the waveshield, so I have the physical prototype. I uploaded a wav file to my SD card (which I formatted) to test with. The code I was using however is giving me errors. The error relates to the FAT format, so I'll have to ask Katerie if she understands what it's saying. Is there something wrong with my waveshield or just with how I formatted the SD card? Also, did I solder the speaker on properly? I had no instructions- just a picture, so I'm unsure about that. I'll probably work on the codes over break, but before hat I need my waveshield to work. :/

3 Surplus items I didn't recognize

Transit Theodolite

A theodolite is an instrument for measuring both horizontal and vertical angles, its used a lot in traingulation networks. Apparently its essential for engineering and surveying work. A lot of the equipment in that section of surplus was surveyor's equipment.
"Transit" refers to a specialized type of theodolite that was developed in the early 19th century. It featured a telescope that could "flop over" ("transit the scope") to allow easy back-sighting and doubling of angles for error reduction.
In my mind it was a cryptic navigational device. For sailors.

Balance

This thing seemed a lot more mystifying when I was playing with it at surplus than it did after I looked it up. Its a balance with a 45 gram weight limit. Oddly enough, there is very little information on this thing that I could find after searching its serial number, model number, or name. SEEMS like it should be the simplest. I did find this though, but it hasn't helped much. Completely in Japanese. So this still confuses me a little. But its a balance right? What could be so complex?


DataSim 6000

So this is the information I got off the site:
Davis Calibration provides expert calibration services for MEDICAL DATA ELECTRONICS instruments including, DATASIM 6000– PATIENT SIMULATOR. Select from options for the DATASIM 6000which includes calibration at your location (onsite) or convenient pick-up and delivery from one of our many regional calibration labs, 17025 and NIST traceable certification.
Doesn't help me much, but I can't find more. I actually took this guy home. Its really bizarre. Phone jack and power inpute, a tiny little screen and a lot of inputs I don't recognize.
I'm pretty sure doctors or nurses type in potential data (e.g. heart rate, breathing rate or whatever else this thing will accept) along with whatever they may treat it with, and it simulates responses. I think, the phone jack is to transfer this data.

What the Hells are These Things?

1. Konica Minolta PS3000 Publication Scanner

Creates crisp photocopies of pages from books, regardless of how thick, face-up! Amazing!
350W Halogen projection lamp, 220V/240V VAC (50/80 Hz), 4A or less plugged into the wall.


2. Applied Biosystems ABI Prism Sequence Detector 7700

This is a complete, real-time PCR system that detects and quantitates nucleic acid sequences. In real-time PCR, cycle-by-cycle detection of accumulated PCR product is made possible by combining thermal cycling, fluorescence detection, and application-specific software in a single instrument. Multicolor detection provides the flexibility to perform a variety of applications including gene expression analysis, pathogen quantitation, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, and plus/minus assays that utilize internal positive controls. Whatever that means.
Typically connected to an Apple PowerPC, plugged in the wall (200-240V).


3. Perkin Elmer Geneamp PCR System 9600 Thermal Center

The GeneAmp PCR System is specifically designed for the amplification of nucleic acids, using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process. The ergonomic design of this instrument includes an easy view fluorescent 2x20 chr. display. You navigate the menu selections and input and edit data via the keypad.

Three Things I Don't Know

ISCO Type 6 Optical Unit SN: 134309

This is an absorbance detector. The absorbance monitor gives a reading of the optical density of the material that is being scanned.



DR/3000 Spectrophotometer SN:920900003700


This piece of machinery tests water for several different parameters. It analyzes things like color, chlorine residual, phosphates, and total phosphate. It also tests for amounts of iron, copper, fluoride, nitrate and zinc in the water. It comes programmed with over 100 calibrations for important water parameters and offers three operational modes: absorbance, transmittance, or concentration.



Sona-marker Timing Marker 6077A SN:18-11

This device measures vocalizations in order to judge distance or the location of things hidden from the naked eye.

Final project update and Surplus Findings

I didn't get the chance to update about it during class, but my project has come to a standstill right now. I wasn't able to experiment on it due to projects in other classes and no work time during sensors class. I am working on it this weekend however and will report with more information later.


These things are the three things I found in surplus and had to look up what they were.

1.
491000397672 Optical Unit, Type 9
serial: 134309
shelf: E070



Optical Units mean CD, CD-R, DVD, DVD-R and similar units.

2.
W10-2272 Power Supply
serial: 91209
shelf: E070
A source of electric power supply. Possibly used for engineering and construction.



3.

W10-2065 Pump, Masterflex
serial: 405079
shelf: E065
Peristaltic pumps are typically used to pump clean/sterile or aggressive fluids, because cross contamination cannot occur.

Final Project Change

While I was initially interested in creating a LED display in the DAM room, I soon realized that the time involved in such an endeavor would have severely impaired my chances of getting the project completed. Instead I have chosen to work on a joint project with "Advanced Experiments" in which I will be creating wearable technologies using either an Arduino or a Lilypad (or both).

By changing my project idea so suddenly, I have still yet to figure out exactly what I am going to create, but as this is a joint project, I would like to create two separate garments (a mens piece and a womens piece) that function either similarly, or in tandem with each other.

As of right now, I have been working with different ideas, such as connections, and have created a shirt cuff that lights LEDs when the cuff is buttoned. While it is not a very elaborate experiment, I have been working with conductive thread as well as a metal button to allow me to create a circuit within the fabric.

I plan to continue making more experiments for myself this weekend as a way of brainstorming for the project. I have already purchased all of the supplies and fabric that I need for testing and fortunately, by next week I should be in possession of a sewing machine, which will greatly enhance the speed at which I can test my ideas.

I will be posting soon the schematics for the wearable cuffs as soon as I take a picture of the item and diagram it out. I'm hoping that focusing on one project instead of two will aid me in creating a final project that is conceptually well thought out and cohesive.

Final Project Updatttee

The Myvu glasses came in and I've been messing around with them to get a feel of how well they will work for my project. It seems as though they will work as a vision alternative for my project. The issue I'm going to have is mating a stripped webcam to them without having a computer or video processor in between. I'm not sure that webcams output a component signal or an unprocessed signal, probably unprocessed haha. Anyway, class over, gonna edit this later....

I picked up an Xbox 360 Live vision webcam and took it apart to find out how compact i can get it, and it looks, assuming the video output works for me, to be a small enough size to mount it to the Myvu glasses. I'm currently working on figuring out the power and video out pins on the camera. I'll post more info and pictures once I figure it out better... stay tunedddd.

Final Project

For my piece I have made progress not only in my design and component selection, but also my conceptualization.

at the moment I am leaning towards a 1 meter by 1 meter white light box on the wall as the form factor for my piece. This design would fit in well with he rest of my current body of work and the minimal properties of the piece are very appealing to me. Im interested in how the light itself will affect the space and the viewer, so a minimal white light box would be a very effective way to focus attention on the light itself.

To build the box I plan on using plexi and wood for the frame, and LED strips from superbrightleds.com The LEDs will be easy to dim and brighten with arduino and the Ping sensor.

As for my concept, ive been reading Michael Fried's essay "Art and Objecthood" aswell as Rosiland Krauss' book Passages in Modern Sculpture. more on that soon.

Project Update

Made a partial prototype, got my motors to work with buttons, using a code involving a servo library. This time the code actually worked beautifully and I did not have to futz around with it anymore. I fear that this is appearing more and more simplistic than I thought it would be... But I don't want to add on parts just for the sake of making it more complicated.
Libraries, libraries, libraries. Finding this library made my life so much simpler
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/ComponentLib/Servo
All I did was manipulate the code so that it was just the HIGH input from the button, instead of a varied value from the potentiometer, and all was good. Most of the work now is going to be figuring out where to put the buttons and how to position the whole piece so that it can be stand-alone (since I used buttons instead of IR or ultrasonic sensors, which could have been put into the piece, I chose button/switches, which will have to be strategically placed around the piece). The trick is, how to get people to step on the buttons - either to make them "invisible" so that the viewer is unaware that they are stepping on them, or make them visible and figure out the problem of how to get people to stand/step on them without the stigma that comes with art and gallery spaces. What to do what to do...

Final Project continued

My experimenting has really come to a halt so far, I'm waiting on my solenoids. Don and I just started messing around with the ultrasonic sensor. A simple little cut and paste and that thing was outputting distance in not time, I was impressed. 

I think the code I need will be even easier. I only need to adjust a few things:

-Check the distance from where I'll place the sensor and have the arduino only activate the solenoid when something changes that distance.

-I've been testing out noise echoes in the corridor, everything sounds great in there. But I'm a little worried about the sound the solenoids with produce. 

-An emptied out old rca to coaxial cable box will be the housing for my electronics to protect them from the elements. 

SHOULD be exciting, right now I'm just researching code and testing noises. Soon I'll upload some of the designs for the stickers.  

FINAL PROJECT (It's IMPORTANT!)

I feel I've been falling behind on this, so hopefully a pretty substantial entry here collecting all that I've come up with for my final project will make up for it? Eh? Eh?

What I'm thunkin' of:
I'm really into taking project requirements, then telling them to go f themselves and doing something that subverts the entire project's intentions. In this case, creating a piece of interactive art, that is not interactive. If it were up to me, I'd like to concoct an amazing looking machine that you'd really want to operate, and then when you try to, nothing happens. But since this is a sensors class... which you really should actually have a sensor that works, I've taken this idea in another direction: the art doesn't want to interact with you. But what would make you want to interact with the art in the first place? And make it tie in with this madness? Make the robot appealing. Something you want, but you just can't have. It's within your midst, but you can't get it. What could it be? What do we desire more than anything else? Love? Money? Sex? All have their separate connotations, and whichever I pick will probably be a heavy part of the perception of the piece. Or maybe I'll make it an amalgamation of all of them as to cover all my bases. Like a hooker with a heart of gold and fistfuls of cash. ...maybe that's a bit too silly.

What I'm guana do:
I'll have a lil' RC car, which I mainly need for the wheels, and a sort-of base for the Arduino and breadboard. I'll then put in a Servo and attach it to its already built-in motor, which will then be attached to the breadboard, which if all works well will relinquish control of the car... to me. Then comes the matter of the sensors. All they really need to do is to detect the presence of someone, and that would trigger the code telling it to move away. I'm thinking some simple PIR sensors would do the trick, but I'm not entirely sure. I'd have to test them and see.

Another Final Project Update

Over the weekend I build a prototype of the switch I will be using in my final project. I needed to find metal that would carry a current. Many of the types I experimented with had coatings that left them not conductive but I found that electrical covers carried a charge nicely.



For the prototype I hooked up one cover as a ground to a battery and one as the positive. A light was hooked up to the ground and another smaller piece of metal. The smaller piece of metal is held off of the positive with a tiny flexible piece of rubber. These parts were stacked and encased with disks of foamcore to keep everything in place.

When the top of the switch is stepped on, the circuit is completed and the light lights up.



For the final I will wire several of these switches in a parallel circuit to either a light matrix or possibly an auditory sensor. The switches will be placed in cut out circles from sheets of rubber so they are only compressed a certain amount without applying too much pressure to them. Over that will be some sort of mat that let's you know where possible stepping locations are.

Bladeless Fan

"Blade-Free Fan"

Using the Dyson

I'm not sure if this directly pertains to sensors, but I think it is an interesting look into how a household device (in this case the Dyson) can be easily transformed into project ideas. While I would hardly call this a conceptual art piece, I figured it might give people some ideas that involve using existing components. I know there are a ton of different projects out there that are based on appropriating other systems, but this one really caught my attention, largely due to its simplicity. I've included a link (click the quoted title) to the website which has an article explaining the physics that went into designing this object.

(Pictures courtesy of wired.com)

2 artists for group project

Sabrina Raaf is a very interesting new media artist that made a piece title "Pink Bliss". Here's the description:

Pink Bliss (Breath V) explores the pure fetishization of technology. Here a calculator face is rubbed repeatedly with a prosthetic finger, creating shimmering pink waves of liquid crystal to slide across its LCD panel. This action occurs only when a viewer is watching. The experience is sexualized by the breath sound patterns emitted by the piece. With each stroke the piece sighs and gasps with erotic satisfaction as the calculator counts higher and higher. Pink Bliss is about consumption. It speaks to the common material preoccupation in our culture with electronic gadgets and hand-held technologies. The name “Pink Bliss” is the actual name of the Cover Girlª brand nail polish used to colorize the prosthetic finger. The finger’s press-on nail is made by Naileneª.

Media: Aluminum, custom electronics,calculator, Plexiglas, rubber, sound

Dimensions: 32”h x 7”w x 7”d

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer does a lot of digital video work that has an interactive element our group investigated in the touchable painting project. My favorite work is "Pulse Spiral".

Go see his website.

2 artists

Here are two artists you should check out:

Electric Eigen-Portraits
Face Shift
Arthur Elsenaar, Nottingham Trent University
Electric Eigen-Portraits and Face Shift are original performances of algorithmic facial choreography exhibited as two video works. These works turn a computer-controlled human face into a medium for kinetic art. Arthur Elsenaar is an artist and an electrical engineer, finishing his PhD work investigating the choreographic capabilities of the computer-controlled human face. He collaborated with Remko Scha, artist, programmer, and professor of computational linguistics at the University of Amsterdam.
I found this info on rootoftwo website.

The second artist is Will Pappenheimer who does a lot of installation/digital media stuff. It's worth checking out.

how the internet works

Ok where do I begin?? I know the internet is a "web" of information. I'm not sure what exactly is in the center of the web, but I know there are IP addresses for a reason. I know they identify your computer, so I'm guessing they are indicators of where information is coming from, or where it's being sent. Websites also have IP addresses - it would make sense that the IP sends the website's information to your home computer.

This diagram explains how many computers from the same location (LAN) share a point of contact to reach the internet. This is how the web at school works. When we log in the ufl, we become part of the ISP (internet service provider). Magic!

I have the IR sensor and a Ultrasonic PING sensor

I took the above sensors from the studio, i should have them back by monday. Don

Final Project

I've been reading about sound waves. Just the vibration of matter. Its a regular mechanical vibration. 

(neat little tidbit, since space is a vacuum with no matter to vibrate, you can't hear anything. So any explosion you've seen happen in space in a movie should have had no audio at all.) 

A true echo is nothing but the single reflection of a vibration. In the corridor between FAC and FAD the sound waves, traveling at 1,125 ft a second, have the opportunity to bounce back and forth a LOT before the waves start to dissipate. 

It'll be interesting to see the ultrasonic sensor readings in an enclosed space. If I'm lucky the echo will keep affecting the ultrasonic sensor and it'll keep going off. OR it will be too jarbled to produce any result. Either way, using an echo we can't hear to activate an echo we can. I can mine something from that parallel. 

I just invested in 3 push-type solenoids. 2 dollars a piece at allelectronics.com. 

                      

Now I'm just trying to settle on the icon I'll be using to identify these spaces. Luckily, soundwaves look cool as hell- so I have a lot of options. Here are some google images I'm been looking at to get my brain stirred up:

 

Final Project Update

For the final project I plan to keep the same concept that I discussed before. I want to comment on human dependence on technology to give us answers and make decisions for us without having to think for ourselves.

I plan to create a maze made up of simple switches. A mat will be laid out on the floor with visible squares to step in. Underneath the mat will be certain areas where metal will connect to metal to complete a circuit when stepped on. When that circuit is completed either a LED will light up or a tone will be played to let you know you've made a correct move. This is how you will navigate through the maze.

I will be experimenting with different metals this weekend to see what I can use to be the most effective in this project. I'll report my finding on the blog.

Final Project Update

I've been experimenting with servos (basically the ones we have in the classroom, I'm going to buy the same kind). The point right now is to figure out how to get the servos to turn the right degree when an analog input is high.
The problem with the code on the ITP site ( http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Labs/Servo ) is that it deals with changing input to designate changing output (potentiometer readings to determine the pulse of the servo). This is not what I need. I need the simplest version of this. Even on the arduino website itself, there is only a code for the pulsing of the arduino. What I basically want is for the motor to turn about 180 degrees when the button (analog sensor) is on HIGH (when it is pressed and the circuit is complete) and then for it to return to it's original position. In this way, the servo does not have to have a lot of "strength" (my brain can't remember the correct term for this) or have a wind-up device to continuously pull tighter and tighter, rather just tug, constantly. Nothing is ever pulled without losing momentum in the metaphorical sense, unless it happens continuously without a lapse in time, and then even the movement is relative to the position it was in before and the environment around it. (Note to self - try to define this more clearly).
So, in order to get this thing to do what I want it to do (which I think is really very very simple, but then again my experience in this sort of thing is very limited), I've been searching high and low on forums and projects that other people have done. I did find this: ( http://www.tigoe.net/pcomp/code/category/code/arduinowiring/31 ) It worked for about half a minute and then the servos would not respond to the input, instead they would just sit there and make a strange little humming noise. It was very perturbing. But I got two servos to work at the same time, even if it was for a very small amount of time. My thought on this are that maybe the math in the code had something to do with it... and that it just stopped all together after it reached a sort of leveling-off point. If anyone knows the answer to this, that would be amazing. Until then I will be searching other options, possibly downloading some special libraries or something... Anything to get it to work!

conceptualizing on space, time, reality, objecthood, theatricality, zombies and beyond.

For my project I have begun to lean towards making a wall piece that will emit light, getting bright as a person approaches it. I have been working with 1-meter units of length and light in my sculpture, so for this piece I believe I will make a 1 meter beam of light that "floats" or hangs on the wall. The object will also incorporate some sort of a inscription that will only be visible at close proximity dealing with themes of the speed of light and space. The object will also emit a quiet metronome-like sound on a 1 second cycle to push the idea of time in seconds. As of right now I am trying to get the IR sensor and ultrasonic Ping sensor working to see how they work, and how people could interact with them.

Thermometer with Processing

So I continued working on Monday's assignment to create a display in Processing that uses the data output from the Thermistor and after getting through a couple of problems, I finally got it to work. I've posted an image of the application as well as the codes and a link to the site that best aided me.

There are two codes at work here, one for the Arduino and one with Processing.

ARDUINO:
(The image and most of my code for the Arduino side were from the WEBSITE that Katerie posted on the class page, as it was a clean, well-written code)

Once you have the thermistor set up properly with the Arduino, upload the CODE to the board, making sure that the analog in wire is in the corresponding port.

The uploaded code takes the analog value of the thermistor and runs it through an algorithm that outputs the temperature in Fahrenheit. This value is sent in via serial communication to Processing.

PROCESSING

For the Processing script, I ended up writing most of it myself with some bits and pieces from the Arduino WEBSITE. Essentially what the program does is take the temperature reading and outputs an image of a thermometer that changes appropriately based on the value. I also included text that outputs the actual number as well. I have thoroughly commented the CODE, so even those who don't know Processing should be able to understand what each piece of code is doing.



If anyone has questions on how any of the components work, please let me know and I will be happy to assist you.

If you didn't catch the previous links to the code, here they are again:

Arduino Code

Processing Code

DON WILL DO INFRARED SENSOR

title explains the purpose of this post

Jason and Sarah C. **GUI**

Sarah and I were asked to research GUIs (Graphical User Interface) and discuss their importance and their practical uses.

Commonly associated with GUIs are the three major operating systems, however, a large portion of interactive systems involve some sort of GUI. While not as flashy as a proper OS, things such as vending machines, digital watches, and countless other systems rely on having an interface that allows the machine to interpret a person's input and vice versa.

Gaining more popularity, especially with advancements in technology, mobile phones have become a huge success, largely in part to added functionality as well as an easy to use system.

Ease of use is by far one of the most important component when constructing an interface. As a lot of these electronics are made for a mass consumer market, having an intuitive system generally means increased sales and an increase in product sales.

In terms of computers, there are the three main operating systems: Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Mac is an extremely stable OS that garnered much of its success from having an easy to use GUI, which was used to mask the inner codes and scripts that allow for the system to run. By disallowing a great deal of options and settings, they created a system that gave users fewer ways to harm the OS. Because of this, Apple has been extremely successful in offering a line of computers that are both functional and stable, but it comes at the expense of customization.

Windows, though less reliable and more prone to fatal errors, exceeds Apple when it comes to giving its' user base more options. However due to the expanded freedom, there is more room for problems to arise. While this is not necessarily a frequent problem with Windows users, these problems are inevitably adding to some people's distrust of electronics. Recently Microsoft has been going to great lengths to redesign their OS and make it more user-friendly and stable, while also attempting to maintain their higher level of customizability.

Unlike the other major operating systems, Linux is an open-source project that is free to the public and generally relies on the public's support and help to expand. As stable and as customizable as it is, Linux lacks a major component that Windows and Mac users have come to expect: ease of use. Though Linux was designed to be stable, the amount of knowledge needed to proficiently use the system is one of its larger drawbacks. Another challenge Linux users face is the lack of programs and drivers for their computers. While the Linux community constantly tackles these problems, it is still not a simple enough solution for those without much computer knowledge. However, while it has its flaws, it does have a huge advantage by being the only major OS in which you can fully personalize your GUI.

While each OS has their own pros and cons, their differences can be seen as largely stemming from differing approaches on how to create an effective GUI. It is hard to say that one GUI is better than the other, but it is more a matter of relativity. If I am not proficient with computers, I would personally lean towards using Windows or Mac, however, if I were knowledgeable with computers, I may chose to take control of my computer and design it in the way that best suits me. There will never be a perfect GUI that works for every individual, but the ones that seem to do best are the ones that people can readily consume.

LINKS:
Mac
Windows
Linux

Neat Ceramic Instruments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LhMu7XwxVw

some really beautiful ceramic percussive instruments.

Two Deadly Sins of Designers- Greg & Lauren

1. Creeping Featurism:
Designers think that adding more functions will ultimately make the device more desirable and useful. However, this just complicates things even more to the point where the user gives up or only uses a few functions.

Examples: Car GPS system- While driving, this device becomes extremely complicated to try to navigate and use. This will actually become a hazard on the road.


Bernina Sewing Machine- My mom was so excited to get her new Bernina which apparently would make sewing easier for her. However, they added so many functions that it took her a year to master. She still doesn't know all of the functions.





2. Worshiping false Images:
The designer creates a device that looks really sophisticated in aesthetics. However, the design is extremely complicated and cannot be figured out. They lure the buyer in, but then remain unused once bought.

Blackberry Phone- My aunt was having issues with her new blackberry phone. She couldn't figure out how to change her ring tone, lock her keypad, or change the menu settings. She asked for my help, but I couldn't figure out anything either!


Another device that worships the false image is a new keyboard by logitech. It contains an entire computer inside a keyboard but it is still designed to work with a full sized computer. The company says that if you want you can take the keyboard on a trip or something without bringing the full size computer.

Mac vs PC usability

So after reading DOET (or rather refreshing my memory) I saw the expectations the book had for computers and felt that alot of them were obsolete. So I'm going to talk about usability issues with the current Mac and PC and what they're doing well or horribly design-wise. As a side note, while creating the faults of windows, I found alot of its faults were non-existent with the mac.

Windows makes alot of things invisible in the design, such as the monitor power button or the brightness of the screen button. Windows does not give feedback ...audio feedback for actions you're doing. Mac automatically gives audio feedback . Faults of the mac are that it's not easy to left click using the shortcuts. Also the one-click mouse is frustrating.

Unix and Linux are other user systems.
Some suggestions are for the mac to instill a left click in the mac and make it obvious.
Windows could make things more visible, such as placing the buttons on the face of the monitor rather than hiding under it. Also it should automatically give more audio feedback such as when throwing things away.


this info brought to you by:
Allyse
Alan
Rudy

Toilet Talk

This weekend I investigated both the Karma Cream bathroom, and the Starbucks (downtown) bathroom. Karma Cream does not have a visible bathroom - you have to go out the back door and down a flight of stairs. It is not easily accessible - without any previous knowledge, I could not have found it on my own. Though it was clean, it was dimly lit. It was a unisex bathroom, and I could not find anywhere to hang my purse. (This is important to me, I do not like my purse resting on wet porcelain.)

I work at Maudes Cafe, and I have to admit the Starbucks bathroom across the street is much more pleasant. At Starbucks, you do not have to leave the cafe and go down a creepy hallway to relieve yourself. The bathroom light has a motion sensor, which saves energy when it is unoccupied. It could be more sensitive, however - the lights turned off unexpectedly on me. The soap and paper towels were operated by sensors as well. In this race, Starbucks wins.

Toilet Time (also known as toilet talk in Canada) JUST DON!

For my toilet of exploration, i ventured to the far off toilets of the Maudes. the Maudes is an exotic and far off coffee dispensary retailer and employer of several UF students. SO as to the topic at hand, the Toilets. First, the toilets at the Maudes are not actually at Maudes, instead, they are in an adjacent mall, protected by 4 doors, further, the final door is LOCKED!!! so After, confusedly searching for the elusive toilets, you eventually come to find the final door is locked, and must walk ALL THE WAY BACK to Maudes, and ask the unfriendly staff for a key. This brings me to my first critique of the Maudes toilets; They are dang difficult to find, and require alot of opening of doors-none of the doors have handicapped assisting motor devices, so I would imagine it cold be difficult for persons in a wheel chair, or with a walking device to actually get to the bathroom(not laid to mention the doors are kinda heavy). 

NOW, once you finally actually, ultimately, eventually, finally make it into the bathroom, you are greeted with a very bland, seldom clean bathroom. BUT! now the maudes bathroom's merit begins to change. The entire space is very well out, 4 stalls, each with handicap bars, good locks, and ample toilet paper, 2 well spaced flushless urinals (no barrier between them, but they are far enough away to over-come the threat of a roaming gaze), AND 3 nice faucets with good counter space and a decent mirror. Basically, the bathroom works well, but i would have to say, once again, that the stall sizes are far too small to accommodate a wheelchair, even though they have handicap assisting bars. Also, there were no small signs on the wall with descriptions of the room in brail(this is a bazar concept for me aswell, i never understood how the blind find these small signs on walls)...

Finally, the flushless toilets dont abide by me...im all for conservation, but ive grown so accustom to a flush, when its missing, its so strange... 

Toilet Talk_with Ryan

We had to judge bathrooms based on layout, intuitiveness, and function. 

Ryan's bathrooms:

Boys bathroom in FAB:

I wouldn't say this bathroom was designed so much as it was put together. You enter and you're facing the sinks, two stalls are on your left, and the urinals are directly on your right. The stalls are fine. But the urinals. The urinals are where we run into trouble. You walk in, and they are directly to your right. Two of them. This means that anyone using the urinal close to the door is directly facing whoever is entering. And the door is a push, giving the person entering and extra forward momentum as they are unwittingly forcing their way into your personal space. This leaves the pee-ER stuck, literally POINTING at any person standing in the doorway. Its almost impossible to not make awful, violating eye contact when you're peeing and someone's entering. Not very well thought out.

Also the sink barely allows enough space for your fingers to get underneath the soap dispenser. 

F-

Bathrooms in FAC:

The bathrooms in FAC all work fine, there are usually two doors leading in, some extra privacy. Stalls on the left are comfortable  and the urinals make sense, facing the wall. Even the mirrors across from the urinals are sort of facing down, giving you better look at your whole person and a worse look at those peeing behind you.

But ALL of the sink fixtures are too short and make you touch the porcelain sink when you're trying to get water on your hands.

A-

Bathroom in first floor of FAD:

The boys bathroom is BIG and empty, probably the most handicap accessible of all the bathrooms mentioned. The placement of the sink and paper dispenser makes sense, but the toilet is facing the door, which leads to some unwanted stress when you can't remember if you've locked it or not. Its too far away from the door to correct that mistake mid-business, so you just sit there hoping no other dude on the entire floor has to use the bathroom anytime soon. 

C

Adam and Sarah S. Keyboard Configuration

Keyboard configuration is a way to reprogram your keyboard to type different symbols when you hit keys. This benefits those who speak/write in different languages as well as those in our own culture. Often times this primarily to make it quicker and easier for you to type. You set it up to make it faster for your own personal use with the characters that you most often use.

The following link shows examples of how you can configure your keyboard to have different letters and symbols closer at hand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_and_American_keyboards


We're programmed to know the symbol layout of querty keyboards rather than alphabetical because they are arranged to accommodate the mirror image symmetry of the hand and keep the existing mechanical layout of the keys. But if we didn't know either layout both would be equal in difficulty to learn. Since we were raised with keyboards/typewriter layouts in this way it is easier for us as a culture to use today.


The typewriter layout used to be in in an alphabetical form, but the mechanical jamming that would occur when two letters close to each other were typed in succession kept typists from efficiency and accuracy.


The closest thing to a revolutionary keyboard layout since qwerty is the Dvorak, which increases speed by about 10%. But, for this to be more efficient overall, all of the keyboards would have to switch over to this new format and all learned typists would have to learn this new system.

Final Project

So I changed my idea for the final project completely since my last post. Since I was sick during the presentation of our ideas, I never got to show my idea/concept. I'm just going to post it on here.

In a way, this project is similar to my midterm group project in the sense that it deals with the way we interact with/create art. I want to create a piece that enables a viewer to sit down at a computer and type in different emotions and as a result, completely seperate from them, they begin to paint an abstract painting. In the past, prior to technology and computers, all art was created in a hands on fashion. Now, with the introduction of computers, many different new mediums that the computer introduces are being questioned as art, or rather the term art itself, because they lack that physical and intimate creation from the artist's hands. I want to create a new kind of experience, where one can physically create a painting in front of them, without even touching a paintbrush or paint, but rather, merely type at a computer. Thus creating this unusual interaction between technology, classic art, and ideas surrounding the two.

The design of the project is going to be a bit harder. I want a large stretched canvas to be displayed up on the wall. As a person types in emotions, I want to have different colors begin to drip down the canvas and begin to mix and interact with eachother. The hardest part of the project will be figuring out a way to open/close the valves that hold the paint. I'm thinking that maybe a servo motor that ever so slightly slides open the valve and lets the paint drip and then closes again after a few seconds would be ideal. I'd have to purchase several motors to be able to do this.

Sensor presentation... change of mind!

Actually since we already went over accelerometers in class, I'm going to do a presentation on pedometers instead.

Sensor presentation

I will be doing my presentation on an accelerometer.

Operating Systems Crit

We were assigned to do a critique of the mac and windows OS's. With Snow Leopard and Windows 7 both being very new OS's, I feel that they would be the best representatives for the OS crit.
Both are visually appealing and pretty stable systems. Each has it's own flaws that are still being worked out from the companies, but they never become free of all flaws.

Some other operating systems are Linux, Unix, Sun Microsystems OS (all 3 are essentially linux based), DOS, a bunch of portable/handheld systems, and all that other jazz.

More MIT advancements

So I just came across this reading some recent stuff on Engadget. It's bad-ass and stuff that actually relates to what we're working with, and what you'll be doing with processing also. I'm sure they're using a different system, but it's all relative.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/02/ted-digital-six/

It's a super cool, wearable computer with color/motion sensing controls. AWESOME!

Form Over Function: Stuff from Mike and Brian.

OK, so our assignment was to find examples of aesthetically pleasing objects whose form interfered with the way they were intended to be used.

Exhibit A: Crazy Lamp



Yeah, believe it or not these... things are actually lamps. They do provide light, yes. My problem with it is that they look like they could roll away any second and break. Also, I don't even see any kind of switch that allows you to turn it on/off. Because of the unorthodox shape, I doubt most people would see these as lamps at first sight.

Exhibit B: Crazy Clock



Again, ridiculous shape for what it's supposed to be. It's probably easy enough to tell when it's noon/midnight, but anything besides that and it's kind of weird trying to tell time. If I'm not mistaken the point of a clock being circular is so that each number is the same distance from the center... When it's a triangle it's ambiguous near the diagonal numbers. I even think square clocks/watches are odd because of this. Oh, and that's another thing, there are no numbers.

Exhibit C: Crazy Chair



Not gonna lie, this chair looks really nice. It looks bad for your back, though... The angle at which the seat slopes downward seems pretty steep, that looks like back pain waiting to happen. And the back part seems too low to really be of any support. Doesn't look very sturdy...

Poor, Poor Design

So the DOET assignment Brian and I were given was to find products that were poorly designed, aesthetically or confusingly; just an object that makes no practical sense of what it's supposed to be. So where to look first? Why not one of the simplest objects around: chairs. Four legs and a seat. Not too difficult... right?


Alright, you're one leg short. I can't see how this thing would be very supportive of someone's weight. Plus the little half-completed backing is more awkward than anything. And I sense it would dig into my back and be pretty uncomfortable.


Now who's gonna sit on this? At least the other chair had a flat seat. If I wanted to sit on uneven rocky surfaces, I'd go back into the woods.


Well this makes a little more sense... but not really. There's considerably less ass space than for your legs. Or maybe you're supposed to straddle it the other way around, but even then you'd be hard pressed to get your arms around the looped chair backing. What the hell's going on here...

Bad design is not limited to just chairs, believe it or not.

Now this doesn't make any sense. You either build your stairs skinnier, or you have one set of handrails. Now you've just blocked off a considerable amount of stair space.


This can't be real, can it? No one could have lacked that much common sense. Maybe the poles were built afterward or something, but even then, it would be astounding. Could it get much worse than this?


Yes it can.

Sensor Study

I'm gonna try to do a presentation on those speaker-like sensor things. The ones we used for the Melody tutorial.

Yep...

Sensor Presentation

I'm calling dibs on ultrasonic sensors!

Final Project

Concept:


I am working with the idea of creating a site-specific work that functions through calling attention to the presence of a person and the mark that they leave on a space. Using audio, something that people do not normally associate with leaving a mark, I am calling attention to the impact that a person has in a space regardless of its visible presence. I am hoping that the sound can essentially create a map of the space and be used to illuminate the room based on the light levels (which are dependent on how loud people are being in a certain area). I want to also see if people would try to influence the way the piece works once they understand how it functions. When the people become aware they will be able to influence the way in which they map the space. As they make this transition, I feel that there is a general success to how I want my piece to operate; the more people try to influence the space, the more aware they become of their impact. I will not be allowing people to reset the map, but instead have it on a long timer. When people then enter this space, they will be monitored if they make any noises and they will not be able to delete their presence.

Functionality:


I am using the DMA room and installing my piece where the ceiling tiles once were. There are 220 open spaces and I plan on installing lightweight screens that act as a system to visually map audio trails. I plan to use small electret systems that operate the intensity of four 'pixels' per electret. The electrets are small, inexpensive microphones that can be amplified to control LEDs. I will most likely use one strong LED per pixel and diffuse the light. Every 5 seconds or so, the device will see if there is audio and how loud it is. Based on that value, the lights will increase anywhere from 0% to 1% depending on how loud the surrounding environment (the times and/or percentages may be changed based on testing the system). Essentially it will increase based off of the audio that it picks up and will eventually map out the sound levels over time. I want this to be a gradual change so that it makes people thing about what is causing the LEDs to respond. I am currently working on the system itself, but I have found diagrams online that I might use to help me construct the final system. (I have included the links below).


Construction:
Each panel will be created with extremely lightweight, yet sturdy, particle board or wood and attach some material for the screen. I am thinking of using some type of cellophane as the screen just because it is a cheap alternative to mylar. I am thinking that there will be 2 to 4 MEGA arduinos controlling the entire system, and it is not important that they function together because each space will be independent. If I can get the microphones extremely cheap, I would like to design a board that makes each pixel individual. I am also thinking about using printed out circuits once I come up with my final design to decrease the chance for mishaps when working on this scale.


As for Changes:

For this project I am going to be making some changes based on my ability and the constraints of the space. However I do plan on keeping this some sort of mapping of the space based off of sound.

Musicator Jr

I really was glad that I found this device because it seems to be something that would be useful in the construction of my piece. While this operates in a slightly different manner than what I want it to do, I will be able to use this as a template for the system that I plan on building.





Link

Cell Phone Disco

I am including a video of a piece called "Cell Phone Disco," because I feel that the mapping of the audio in my project will mimic this grid-form.