Month: September 2022

For the second recitation, we build a circuit and implement Arduino on it. The whole lesson includes three tasks or circuits. The first two tasks are individual ones and the third is group task.

circuit1:

Or as the real materials shows.

The circuit is rather simple, therefore I only need to implement the program on Arduino to let the light blink.

The codes are as follows.

The result was that the LED faded as expected. By changing the delay in the end I can alter the speed of fading, though I didn’t try.

circuit2:

The second circuit was as simple as the first one since the connection was easy. I connected the buzzer to pin8 and ground. The purpose was to let the buzzer play a programmed melody.

circuit3:

Considering the circuit was much complex than the former ones, I 

carefully built it from left to the right. However, the problem was that the circuit couldn’t function. After finding out the wrong wire, the program could finally be implemented.

The purpose is to press the button as quickly as possible, the one who first reaches 10 times win the game as the light in front of him signals the winner, since it’s a two-player game. 

In reflection, the experience of recitation was much more comfortable than recitation1. The proficiency and difficulties of the circuit might be the reason. But the last circuit was no doubt the most complex one and thus it took me a long time to debug. Just being careful is not enough, thoughtful consideration should be given both before and during building.

Question1:

The button I create is very much like a locker. Spining one turn equals to pressing the button once. Computer sees us through its input and output device (pp.xix), therefore, by changing the button to a more complex one, we can tell the computer that we are not merely species that only press the button. What’s more, pressing is a dull process, so I want to make it more flexible and interacive with the button spining. 

Question2:

The resistor provides a connection to Ground, relevant when the button is not pressed. If we left out this connection, the input pin would sometimes not be connected to anything, whic is “floating”, and essentially act like an antenna. To ensure we always read LOW when the button is not pressed, we thus add a 10 kOhm resistor in a configuration known as a PULL-DOWN RESISTOR.

Question3:

The automatic bean sprouter on www.arduiro.cc is a compelling example for patching, since it only includes two interconnected parts, a sensor for humidity and temperature and a real-time clock that also activates water pump. The core of patching is to reduce the number of interruptions to the flow (pp.7).

This simple yet pragmatic device caught my eyes the first time I saw it. As the creator describes, it can be done simply through 3D printers. I think the amazement was the reason why I chose it.

1.THE VELDT: The story is brilliant while rather scary in the end. It mainly described the conflicts between parents and children due to a nursery room that can displlay your thoughts. I think such room can be utilized to form an interactive artifact that can displays realistic virtual scenery and let people experience worldwide historic interests. The idea of immersive experience has been developed in the recent years. In Shanghai, there’s a mesuem called “teamLab Borderless Shanghai” that focused it. Built with various screens that shows 3D animations and artworks, it guide visitors into a imaginative world. I believe modern technology can achieve this work, but not as vivid as the room in  the story. However, the risks of the immersive rooms are that, though we intended to help people experience sceneries, they could be addicted to it while neglecting where they truly live —— the reality, just like the children in the story who ended up killing there parents because they turned off the whole house.

2.“The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”：The story reflects on a city called Omelas where the citizens lock a child alone in a room to keep themselves happy. I here have an idea of building a robot to sensor one’s level of happiness and call for medical help when people are unhappy. The only pity is that current technology may not be able to detect correctly how human feels. How can robot know how we feel when we ourselves can even tell our feelings sometimes? Besides, I also concerns that the robot goes wrong and sending normal people to hospitals. All in all, that is just one imagination.

3.THE PLAGUE: The Plague is a moving and thoughtful story focusing on life and death. The status of the two protagonists eventually cross through thousands of years to the bright future, though people at that time will never figure out the true story. My idea is a special wearable skin that can pertrified when activated. This interactive art is meant to let people feel another way of living, so that they can thought for other species or even stones, because we don’t know a stone is alive or not. The problem is that we need to find a material that can transform into both soft and hard states. Otherwise, we can only put human into a mould, which would be cruel. In the worst case, this may evolve into an Instruments of torture.

  Chris Crawford’s definition of interaction is a cyclic process where two persons listen, think and speak alternately. I would totally agree with him except that there is one term called interactive art. If interaction only takes part between people, then this term should not exist.  So here comes my definition, interaction is way of communicating among people, whether using objects for intermediating or not. Here I emphasize the usage of objects, because it could be considered interaction if one person wants to send Mores code using the refrigerator light to another person, however, certainly few people would really do that.

  I invested two interactive art projects. RE:PLACES namely ‘Recycling PLA Closed-Circuit Extrusion Shaper’, Created by Carolin Liebl and Nikolas Schmid-Pfähler, is a complex robot that excretes plastic substances around the floor. The heated materials twist and finally cool down to its shape. As the author emphasizes in the post the creative experience raise a question of “the thematic complex of plastic and the problems arising from its use”. Considering my definition, this interactive art project apparently doesn’t fell into the category. RE:PLACES is simply desposits the twisting art around the floor, laeaving the audience to guess a big question. One might also point out that the creative machine is communicating with humans through making those excretions. However, it is my definition that excludes the interaction beteen machine and humans.

  Though it disagrees with my definition, it also offers me an opportunity to reflect on my problems. Does the such interaction count as interaction? Crawford states that the interaction among human and an emotionless object is a interaction with high value. Nevertheless, he admits the process is a way of interaction. In the case of RE:PLACE, it definitely interact with people. Under this circumstances, I think whether it’s interaction or not should also includes the value contains in it not merely excluding it when the interaction happens between man and objects. But value judgement is rather a subjective thing, because the interaction one considered meaningless, may be fruitful to another. Therefore, let’s change the definition to the mutual conversation between two individuals (man or objects) that conveys messages with each other. Surely, we don’t want a subjective value-judgement to be in the definition.

  The second interactive art is ‘Returning the Gaze’ created by Behnaz Farahi. It explores the discrimination and harasssment women recieves in the fashion industry, by capturing the movement of the model’s eyes and displaying it on robotic arms.

  In this case, the model is interacting with the audience through the roboic system. But this rather concrete and strong way of interacting also triggers my thoughts. I start to think whether the way of conveying message need to be considered. Does it need to be as apparent as the ‘Returning the Gaze’ is? Or it can be implicative? As far as I’m concerned, the way of interaction can be all kinds of things, whether in the refrigerator case, it interacts through the light, or dump materials just like RE:PLACE, therefore, the way of doing it in the definiton is not limited.

  Finally, our definiton of interaction becomes a conversation between two individuals (man or objects) that conveys messages with each other without limimtation. It is quite interesting that Tom Igoe thought interactive art should be a process of you building things and the audience do whatever they want to discover your hidden messages. Therefore it is appropriate to assume that interaction must convey certain messages, just as I define it. There are definetly people who believe that interacting with a dead thing is obscure, but when dead thing one day come to alive, when they have their own thoughts, like the artificial intelligence, will the definiton of interaction change?

References:

1. Crawford, C. Art of interactive design : A euphonious and illuminating guide to building successful software. January 1, 2002, pp.1-5http://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ima-wp/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/08/05164121/The-Art-of-Interactive-Design-brief.pdf
2. Tom Igoe, Making Interactive Art: Set the Stage, Then Shut Up and Listen,21 AUGUST 2012, https://www.tigoe.com/blog/category/physicalcomputing/405/

Taks1:

 

Above is the completion of the first task. I also add the schematics of it. As you can see the circuit contains two LED and one buzzer. The main purpose of button is to make the buzzer beep and LED2 goes off when pushed. On the route of LED1, the variable resistor can change the brightness of the light by altering the ohms. To build the circuit, my partner and I have to complete three steps, next I’ll explain what we have done, the problems encountered and how we solve it.

step1:

In step one, we need to make the buzzer beep when we push the button. But before we started, we took time to look at all the materials given to make sure the number is correct and to find the needed ones.

We soon build up the first edition of the circuit.

However, it was far from correct, because the buzzer wasn’t functioning. So we test whether the buzzer is damaged or not.

There is no problem with the buzzer, therefore it should be the button’s problem. We then consulted Proffessor Gottfield of how the button works. He demonstrated the working theory with the help of multimeter. As a result, two of the legs are permanently connected, while the other two are only connected when pressed. Connecting it properly, the buzzer could eventually make sound.

step2:

Step2 requires us to add a LED into the circuit. At first, we thought it was a piece of cake, but the LED still wouldn’t work. My partener suggested we check the connection of the LEd. By using the multimeter, the connection problem could be excluded. We didn’t know what to do but to ask Professor Gottfield. Soon we found out that instead of giving us the 5 volt power supply, the power supply at hand was 12 volt. Obviously, the LEd couldn’t hold such high current. No wonder the buzzer make such a peculiar noise before.

We change the power and rebuild the circuit.

Seeing that the LED went off when pressing the button, we know step2 succeeded.

step3:

Step3 was identical to step2, but differed in the variable resistor. We still encountered problem since we had no idea how the variable resistor works. Fortunately, with the experience from step2, we test the working theory of the resistor with the multimeter, discovering that it works very like the button. The problem was immediately solved.

As you can see, the brightness of the LED changed when we alter the ohms of the resistor.

task2:

Task2 required us to build a switch by using cardboard, copper tape, and wires. My partner and I had to build our own switch and then combine it together. In order to ensure good electric conduction, we peeled off the plastic outside the wire with pliers.

Taping it with copper tape, we entered the most important phase——soldering. We melted the a special metal that can conduct electricity (I forgot the name) with the electric iron. The electric iron is a special tool that can melt metals, but it has to heat up first so we should be especially careful with it. The soldering procedure not only stick the wire on the right place, but also ensure that it won’t easily drop.

 

Having build our own parts, we could finally replace the button with the switch after we tap the two parts. There’s one thing worth mentioning that is the length of the copper tape on the other side of the cardboard, which is the inside of the switch. In order to make the switch connected only when the two parts was touched, the length of the copper tape should be limited. I really admire such detailed thoughts, because it reminds me to think thoroughly before taking actions. While for the soldering, since I have had similar lessons in my high school, I didn’t feel much difficulties, but I was once burnt by the electric iron, so I always take it seriously. Though the experience was not completely different from my previous one at high school, the switch we built together was the proof for the interaction between my partner and I.

task3:

Compared to the former tasks, task3 appeared to be much easier, since you only need to replace the button with our hand-made switch. 

In the recitation slide, there is a Mores code tablet, so my partner and I spent some time playing the circuit. I quickly learned how to type the “SOS” signal, while he tried to spell his name with it.

To sum up, the first recitation turned out to be an unforgettable experience. Unlike other recitations where you have to sit still and listen exhaustedly, the recitation of IMA surprised me with its interesting content and the process of thinking and building. This was one of the best recitation I’ve ever had.

Additional question:

1.What is the function of the resistor R1?

The purpose of the resistor is to protect the LED, limiting the current to below the maximum allowable current. We have experienced the use of resistor in step two, when the LED was burnt due to high current.

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

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.

The circuit I built includes two kinds of interactivity. On one hand, the circuit respond with its LED on and buzzer beeps when I push the button, but such interactivity is of low quality. Such interaction with a emotionless circuit is no doubt less entertaining. On the other hand, there is interaction between my partner and I, which is apparently more fruitful. During the process of building the circuit, we frequently encountered problems that couldn’t be solved by one person, therefore, conversations happend very often during which one person gave a possible answer, the other one listened, thought carefully and respond whether its applicable or not, then we implement it. Nevertheless, both kind of interactivity is necessary.

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.

I think Interaction Design and Physical Computing can be used to creat Interactive Art in the way of capturing people’s body movement. Just as Zack Lieberman shown in his video, their team built a machine that captures your eye movement, which eventually proved helpful and enabled an old artist who was sick in bed draw again. I was deeply moved by what he said in the last minute, the old artist described the feeling as “take a breath after being held under water for 5 minutes”. Interaction is about allowing people to listen, think and speak (Crawford, C.  2002), which is exactly what the disabled can’t do. By capturing even the slightest movement of them and guess their real thoughts, we can create pragmatic Interactive Art.

reference: Crawford, C. Art of interactive design : A euphonious and illuminating guide to building successful software. January 1, 2002, pp.1-5http://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ima-wp/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/08/05164121/The-Art-of-Interactive-Design-brief.pdf