STEP 4: REPORT

First, write about the idea your group focused on that fulfills the assigned criteria. Explain precisely how what your group invented derives from, responds to or relates, in some significant manner, to the established form of interaction you identified in your research of the two projects in the RESEARCH phase of the project. Provide idea sketches for your design and explain your decisions. Give your opinion on the successes and the failures of the artifact. Please clarify exactly what contributions and roles you personally made to the process and project along the way, and describe the process your group used to work together.

After the first meeting with the group, we concluded that Tawan’s headband was the best idea. You could use it to control logic/emotion as the object that fit the group’s idea of interaction. This headband allowed its user to switch between a percentage of being logical/ emotional during different situations. One example of such is doing homework, you can switch the logical knob all the way, and this would give you an advantage to concentrate, and finish the homework quickly. The interactive part stems from the wearer’s capability to identify the situation, and turn the knobs, and the helmet’s ability to hone precisely into both characteristics. 

Sketch Idea: 

At first, we wanted to build a helmet. But we soon realized that we would use more cardboard, and sizing would be kind of hard as everyone has a different head size. At the end we decided to go for a design that would allow us to adjust the sizing in an easier way, so we came up with an adjustable headband. As for group roles, I personally organized the WeChat group, and made sure to make meetings in order to work on the project. I was also responsible for planning the different stages of the project. 

 

Next, provide a critical analysis and assessment of a performance from another group. Start with the description of the project. How relevant/not relevant is the interactive artifact to the fictional story? How well/not well does it meet the criteria of the assignment? What is your opinion of the design of the device? How creatively does the performance help you understand the artifact? Do you have any suggestions for improvements?

The Perfumer Group:

 

This team’s prototype consisted of a machine that could generate any smell the user wanted through typing keywords in an app. For this project, I did identify it with “The Veldt” story, because it has something to do with AR, because the story is based on a device that could transport you anywhere you could imagine. I think it kind of meets the criteria for the assignment, because we had to invent a device that didn’t exist, but similar technologies already exist, one example is the Disneyland ride “Soarin” in which smell is incorporated into the experience as the user is transported to different places around the world. But the device is interactive, because it allows the user to generate the smell on site. Another example is the AI algorithm that is used to generate the smells. Similar technology already exists in the form of AI art, which allows the user to generate an image based on the words typed. I think the design was pretty standard as it was just a box with electronics inside. The performance allowed the users to understand the purpose of the artifact very clearly. So I don’t have any suggestions. 

 

 

In your blog entry, you should include your script. You can include pictures of your props and costumes etc. If you have a video of the rehearsal or a recording of the actual performance, you may include it as well. Describe clearly how your teamwork was, the different roles, the task allocations, and how was the communication within the team.

Our team was very communicative. Me and Flora, worked mostly on the script part, whereas Tawan, Datian, and Junyi were focused more on the building part. We decided to work with cardboard, because it was an easy material to work with. As with showing up with the meetings, everyone was responsible. We often contributed different ideas regarding the prototype, and the script. So I believe the team was working really well together.

 

Script:

 Scene 1

Stephen:  (pretends to be crying)

 

Kenneth: 

 

* Walks pasts Stephen and sees him crying*

 

*stops and switches the button to the “logical” side

 

*changes attitude* 

 

Kenneth: Hey, I see you’re upset, do you want to talk about what happened?

 

Stephen: Yes, I can’t finish my recitation blogs. They are too long. It was like at least 800 words for each blog. I can’t take it any more. 

 

Kenneth: I finished mine a really long time ago. You should catch up, you’re so slow.

 

Stephen: you’re so mean, “switches knob for emotional side”

 

Kenneth: oh, I can relate. It’s all going to be fine, I can help you do it!

 

Stephen: thanks bro *hugs me*

 

Scene 2

 

Flora: *trips Freddie*

 

Freddie: *falls and cries*

 

Tawan: *puts the helmet on*

*switches the button to the logical side*

*changes attitude* 

“Next time you should calculate the possibility of that happening so this wouldn’t happen to you again.”

 

Freddie: How am I supposed to know what she’s going to do?

 

Tawan: “There’s a high probability that your friend would prank you, 70% to be precise. Your mental capability is just not high enough to see that coming”. 

 

Freddie: “You know that most people would be helping me instead of lecturing me about what to do right?”

 

Tawan: “Emotions are temporary. Logics are permanent. People can change emotions, but they can’t change facts. I am telling you what to do so you can think more rationally instead of crying like a baby”.

 

Freddie: “I don’t like you”.

 

Tawan: *switches the button to the emotional side*

“I’m so sorry bro I don’t know what came over me, you good?”

 

Freddie: “Yea I’m okay bro, thanks for asking”

 

Tawan: *holds out his hand to Freddie and helps him get up*

 

    

 Scene 3

Stephen : *puts the helmet on with the emotional mode*

 

Freddie: Why don’t we go out tonight?

 

Stephen: Yay, lez goooo! Where are we going? Clubbing?

 

Freddie: Yeah, but I really don’t feel like clubbing, maybe dinner?

 

Stephen: *switches his helmet to the logical side*

 

Stephen: Yes, that sounds better. We have a lot of interaction lab homework to do. It’s a Wednesday night, Freddie.

 

Freddie: You’re right, we should finish all of our work today. You are so logical!!

 

Pictures: 

 

 

Finished Prototype:

Wheel Turning mechanism:
 

Performance Video: 

 

Step 1: Prepare your tilt sensor

 

Task #1: Solder 

 

The first task in this recitation was to solder 2 long cables into a tilt sensor. In this case, the tilt sensor did not have polarity.

 

Task #2: Connect 

We were then asked to wire the following schematic. The schematic was fairly simple, and did not produce major problems.

 

Task #3: Program 

 

For the Initial code, we used the sketch provided in the instructions. This code allowed us to confirm if the sensor was working properly when tilting it.

 

int SENSOR_PIN = 2;    

int tiltVal;

void setup() {

  pinMode(SENSOR_PIN, INPUT);    // Set sensor pin as an INP

  Serial.begin(9600);

}

void loop() {

  // read the state of the sensor

  tiltVal = digitalRead(SENSOR_PIN);

  Serial.println(tiltVal);

  delay(10);

}

Video for Initial code: 

 

 

Step 2: Refine the code

Task #1: Upload

For this task, we uploaded the following code provided to us. This code allowed for the sensor to display 0 or 1 intermittently depending on its position. 

int SENSOR_PIN = 2;int tiltVal;

int prevTiltVal;

void setup() {

  pinMode(SENSOR_PIN, INPUT); // Set sensor pin as an INPUT pin

  Serial.begin(9600);}

void loop() {

  // read the state of the sensor

  tiltVal = digitalRead(SENSOR_PIN);

  // if the tilt sensor value changed, print the new value

  if (tiltVal != prevTiltVal) {

    Serial.println(tiltVal);

  prevTiltVal = tiltVal; 

  } delay(10);

}

 

Video code: 

 

 

 

Step 3 & 4: Wear your sensor and Bicep Curl

This step was very straightforward, I just taped the sensor to my forearm in a way that would allow it to be activated when moving my arm up and down.

 

Video: 

 

 

 

Task 1: add a conditional 

The coding part proved a bit challenging for me. I needed some help from the professors. The code in red is the one for prompts 1 and 2.

1. int SENSOR_PIN = 2;
2. int tiltVal;
3. int prevTiltVal;
4. int curlnumber = 0;
5.  
6. void setup() {
7. pinMode(SENSOR_PIN, INPUT); // Set sensor pin as an INPUT pin
8. Serial.begin(9600);
9. }
10.  
11. void loop() {
12. // read the state of the sensor
13. tiltVal = digitalRead(SENSOR_PIN);
14. // if the tilt sensor value changed, print the new value
15. if (tiltVal != prevTiltVal) {
16.   curlnumber++;
17.   Serial.println(curlnumber);
18.   prevTiltVal = tiltVal;
19.  
20.  
21. }
22. delay(10);
23. }

Video: 

 

Task #2: Count the curls

This task was a bit easier, and the steps were more clear. The red part of the code answers prompts 1, 2 , and 3.

1. int SENSOR_PIN = 2;
2. int tiltVal;
3. int prevTiltVal;
4. int curlnumber = 0;
5.  
6. void setup() {
7. pinMode(SENSOR_PIN, INPUT); // Set sensor pin as an INPUT pin
8. Serial.begin(9600);
9. }
10.  
11. void loop() {
12. // read the state of the sensor
13. tiltVal = digitalRead(SENSOR_PIN);
14. // if the tilt sensor value changed, print the new value
15. if (tiltVal != prevTiltVal) {
16.   curlnumber++;
17.   Serial.println(curlnumber);
18.   prevTiltVal = tiltVal;
19.  
20.  
21. }
22. delay(10);
23. }

Video: 

 

Task #3: Set a limit 

For task 3 I went back to the code and added the part highlighted in red by creating a “if” conditional.

1. int SENSOR_PIN = 2;
2. int tiltVal;
3. int prevTiltVal;
4. int curlnumber = 0;
5.  
6. void setup() {
7. pinMode(SENSOR_PIN, INPUT);  // Set sensor pin as an INPUT pin
8. Serial.begin(9600);
9. }
10.  
11. void loop() {
12. // read the state of the sensor
13. tiltVal = digitalRead(SENSOR_PIN);
14. // if the tilt sensor value changed, print the new value
15. if (tiltVal != prevTiltVal) {
16.   curlnumber++;
17.   Serial.println(curlnumber);
18.   prevTiltVal = tiltVal;
19.   if (curlnumber == 8) {
20.     Serial.println(“Good job”);
21.     curlnumber = 0;
22.   }
23. }
24. delay(10);
25. }

Video: 
 

 

Step 5: Exercise Challenge

For the exercise challenge I figured out that an easy one would be doing jumping jacks, since the arm motion was similar to bicep curls. 

 

Video: 

Documentation:

3. Draw your own illustration sketches that showcase how a person would use this interactive training device.

The sensor would actually keep count of how many repetitions of jumping jacks a person has done.

Reflect on your experiments
 

Reflecting back on this recitation, it appears that the sensor transitions from “HIGH” to “LOW’ at exactly 180 degrees. I also noticed that if you do a short curl its would trigger it faster. If you rotated a limb, the sensor would not trigger because it only reads motion on 2 axis. On the other hand, I noticed that if you shake the sensor, it would cause it to have inaccurate readings, and would make it trigger in quick succession. Also when I grabbed the wires from a few centimeters apart, I noticed it would make the sensor more sensitive. One of the constraints of this sensor is that if a user does not have limbs, it will actually be quite hard for them to use it. Since sticking it to their bodies would prove inconvenient, and would cause inaccurate readings.

 

Documentation

 

Circuit 1: Fade

 

For week 2 recitation, we were tasked with building 3 different circuits based on the week’s lecture about Arduino. The first circuit was “fade” ; the schematics of it can be found below.

For the first step, I followed the schematic and used digital output 9 into the A12 slot in the breadbox. This serves as + power for the led. Then I plugged a 220r resistor into E12 , that went into 6D feeding into the positive leg of the led. Then I plugged ground into B5 therefore closing the circuit. After the circuit was completed, I went into Arduino IDE, and followed the prompt in the recitation instructions. After uploading the code, the led started blinking in a fade motion. One problem that I encountered at the beginning of this circuit was that the Software did not recognize the microcontroller, so I had to manually set it up within IDE.

 

Video circuit 1: 

 

 

 

Circuit 2: Tone/Melody

Circuit 2 was simpler than circuit 1, it did not require a resistor and it was just a direct connection between the buzzer/microcontroller. I followed the schematic, but encountered problems on the software side. I learned that every time you open a new file in Arduino, you have to manually select the board again. 

Circuit 2 video:

 

 

Circuit 3: Speed game 

This circuit was the most time consuming to build. The first step I took was to wire the cables in the microcontroller. Then I built the circuit from top left to bottom left, and then move right wise. This technique ensures order, and also that cables are plugged in where they are supposed. After finishing the circuit, I got the code from Tinkercad, and pasted it into the Arduino interface, at first nothing happened, and I checked if the upload port was selected correctly, and I had to manually select it. After uploading the code successfully I tried clicking one of the buttons for 10 times, and the led lit up, along with a victory tune. After I tried competing with my neighbor,  we also tried switching to the switch we soldered last week.

Speed game with soldered  switches:

Video C3 test:

 

 

C3 competition:

 

 

 

C3 soldered switch competition: 

 

your own drawing of the schematic for circuit 3!

 

Question 1: Propose another kind of creative button you could use in Circuit 3 to make the game more interactive. Read and use some material from the Physical Computing, Introduction Chapter (p. xvii – p. xxix) to explain why this button would make this game more interactive.

I would propose a pressure activated that would be placed on the floor, as the book states “you will want the user to throw a switch without knowing it” (Sullivan/Igoe 89) placing the button on the floor and getting someone to stomp on it as fast as possible will result more natural, and interactive, as they will have to move their whole bodies.

Question 2: Why did we use a 10 kOhm resistor with each push button? (Psssst… Go back to your slides for this answer)

Because it will connect to ground when the switch is open, and there is no voltage coming through. It is basically a way for the microcontroller to determine if the switch is being pressed or not.

Question 3: In the book Getting Started with Arduino there is a clear description about the “Arduino Way” in chapter 2. Find a project that you find interesting that can be used as an example for these kinds of projects. Cite it in an adequate manner, include a picture, and explain the reasons that you chose it.

I found this project interesting, because it provides real time feedback on distance relative to the sensor. This would allow for a very intuitive way to measure the distance between objects, and accurately, because of the ultrasonic sensor. I chose it, because it could help with providing measurements for future projects, and could also be used for future projects, as a proximity sensor.

references:

Arduino distance sensor and OLED. (2021, 2). Retrieved from https://www.hackster.io/rayan-kiwan/arduino-distance-sensor-and-oled-0ff5f7 

Group Research Project: Read

• The Veldt – Ray Bradbury

 

For the story mentioned above, I would create a suit based on nanotechnology. This would complement the “Happylife Home” ability to immerse the user into the story. The suit would produce sensory feedback, such force, temperature, rainfall, etc. It compares to existing technology, because there are some gadgets such as feedback steering wheels, used for sim racing, but this suit would envelop the users full body. The only problem I see is that the user has to be careful with the story that they want to be immersed in, as getting hit by a car would not be pleasant at all.

 

 

• The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas – Ursula K. Le Guin

 

For the story mentioned above, I would create a helmet which would immerse the isolated child into a more positive reality. This would be achieved via a neural implant, which will allow the child to “live” in a new reality, only needing to take the helmet off when there is a need to eat, or do other necessities. This will allow the child to pass their time in a faster way, instead of being in the dark. As it will be kept locked for an unknown amount of time. One problem that may arise in the long term, the brain might be affected because of the waves that the implant emits. 

 

• The Plague by Yan Leisheng:

 

For the story mentioned above, my artifact would be a detector for silica It. Which is the base component of the virus that infected everyone. It would operate outdoors, kind of like heating lamps but with negative air pressure going into it, it would be super sensitive to the smallest amount of the material, kind of like how PCR tests work, but it would be sequencing the molecules in real time to produce an alarm when viral material is detected. As of the writing of this paragraph, I do not see any scenario where this design would have a problem.

Rain Room by rAndom international

This exhibition consists of a dimly lit room, which is equipped with nozzles on top in order to simulate rainfall. The room is equipped with sensors, so when it detects the motion of an object in a certain area, it will shut off the flow of water of certain nozzles in order for water not to reach the subject. This means that the person in the exhibition can choose their own path within it. This project seems to be very blissful, because it goes against the law of nature, and you could be immersed in the rain without getting wet, therefore making it interactive.

 

Humans since 1982, The Clock Clock White, 2010

 

This exhibition consists of a 3×8 configuration of 2 handed analog clocks, which are programmed to show the time in macro, like a digital clock. I believe this project is not interactive, because it only shows time, and does not require any input from the people observing it. Moreover, this project is only a combination of 2 techniques of time display.

 

 

 

sources:

Rain room offers art lovers – and Instagrammers – the perfect storm. (2019, August 12). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/aug/13/rain-room-offers-art-lovers-and-instagrammers-the-perfect-storm

Humans since 1982 – The clock clock white, 2010. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.humanssince1982.com/the-clock-clock-white

 

Documentation:

For your documentation, create a blog post that includes the following items based on your experience in this recitation. Include all of these elements in your documentation:

For each of the three steps in Task 1:

Write what the circuit does, and some observations on how the components accomplish this.

This circuit connected a buzzer to a button. It used a 5v power source for power. Once you pressed the button, it closed the circuit and made the buzzer go off. Include pictures and or videos of the completed circuit working.

For the first circuit, my partner Tawan, and I sorted all the components. It is important to stay organized throughout the whole process. As it was my first time working with a breadbox, my partner explained to me some basic stuff, and we started wiring everything together. The circuit only activates after the button is pressed as this closes the circuit.

 

First Circuit Video:

 

For the second circuit, we added an led and a resistor into the circuit. This was done in order to add a visual cue. Once we tried pressing the button to close the circuit, the buzzer went off, but the led did not light up. Upon closer checking we realized that we plugged the power cable that fed the led one hole below, so we plugged it back correctly, and it worked! 

 

On circuit  3, a potentiometer, and a new LED were added, the potentiometer is used for regulating the amount of power delivered, thus serving as a dimmer, and with the new LED added, it serves as confirmation of power within the circuit. We also decided to replace the physical button, for the one we soldered.

 

For Task 2: Switch building

• Describe your process in task 2, highlighting things you learned, any difficulties you had, any comments about what you made and how you made it. Include a photo.
  • For the soldered button we started with 2 pieces of cardboard, and copper tape. We folded half the length of the copper tape towards the other to make a contact area, then we tape the cable in, soldered it, and repeated the same step for the other piece of cardboard.                                                               

 

 

For Task 3:

• Describe what you did in task 3, and how you worked with your partner. Include relevant photos or videos.
  • We paired up with a neighboring group, and Tawan and I decided on the word “hello.” It took the other group quite some time to decode, but in the end they did it. We couldn’t decode their words, because the recitation was over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Required Questions: Take time to reflect on this week’s readings and the recitation exercise to answer these questions:

• Question 1: What is the function of the resistor R1? (You can read about the reason why LEDs need resistors here)
  • The function of the resistor is to keep the power provided to a component below its threshold, thus keeping it from damaging itself.

• Question 2:  Looking at the following circuit, draw its diagram by yourself.

• Question 3: After reading The Art of Interactive Design, in what way do you think that the circuit you built today includes interactivity? Which degree of interactivity does it possess? Please explain your answer.

• • I think that the circuit built includes interactivity because it beeps every time you press the button. It possesses a low level of interactivity, because it requires human input in order to function, and it is only wired to do a certain action. 

 

• Question 4: How can Interaction Design and Physical Computing be used to create Interactive Art? You can reference Zack Lieberman’s video or any other artists that you know.
  • There are lots of possibilities when we talk about merging interactive design, and computing. One of such examples is how Zach Lieberman used his knowledge of both fields in order to give a canvas to a paralyzed person a chance to do graffiti after a long time of not being able to because of mobility issues. This goes on to prove the huge potential that combining both disciplines could have in the real world.