Our Interactive Artifact.
The idea that we have come up with was surrounding the fictional story of “Veldt” and the artifact itself was focused on recreating scents based on different words that a user inputs. There are machines that can make scents, however, in my opinion, the most relevant or similar artifact that reminds me of ours is the “The EyeWriter” shown during our lectures which reads eye movements and can help patients who can’t go outside draw or without leaving their house and our project is kind of like that but with a smell instead of vision or arms. People who are unable to go outside or just move to a different position can use this device to have the experience of being in the place they want to be by associating it with a smell. It aligns with the artifact discussed in the “research” phase of the project because the device we propose takes inputs, thinks, and then gives a certain output.
Sketches.
1. Sketch 1
2. Sketch 2: updated version
We first thought of making the tubes that the liquid scent comes out of to come off of the top, however, then we thought that it wouldn’t work and that it’s better to hide the tubes inside of the device. Therefore, we placed another box called it “mixing box” where all the scents go and get mixed up into the final scent.
Success & Failure.
The successful side of the artifact is that it is tangible and realistic and can be practical if someone created the appropriate code with functions. Failure might be the design, we haven’t thought of ways of adding more scents to the machine even though we have mentioned during the performance that the scent liquids can be swapped and just like the printer’s colors can be bought and changed.
Contribution.
I was more focused on the performance part where I wrote the script and came up with some scenarios as well as fans and tubes were my personal contributions inspired by Mark Rober’s “shark bait “. The pumps would be peristaltic pumping the liquid scent at the same time so the final scent will be created with multiple scents simultaneously.
3. Our project group
Teamwork.
Communication within the team was difficult at first however by the deadline week we met twice and finished the artifact as well as come up with some scenarios for the performance.
4. Process of creating the artifact.
Script.
Intro:
Nuri: the name of our interactive artifact is Perfumaker and as the name suggests it creates scents based on input words. It was inspired by Veldt’s fiction story where the room can recreate scenes centered around human senses one of them being smell, e.g smell of the grass when George steps into the room.
Main:
Scenario:
Narrator: “tired worker comes back from work”
Actor 1. Tired worker: “I wish I could smell the breeze of the sea”
Narrator: “ liquid scent is going to follow the arrows, then the smell comes out from the side.”
Narrator: “Girls coming back from school wanting to relax in nature. So they decide to have a picnic inside the house.”
*acting* “smell of fresh air and flowers”
Narrator: “Girls enjoyed the picnic in nature without leaving the house”
Actor 1: I’m so tired of homework I wish we could relax somehow
Actor 2: let’s do a picnic at home
Actor 1: but I wanna be outside it’s not the same without the smell of the nature
Actor 3: we can’t it’s raining outside
Actor 2: we can use the Perfumaker
Actor 3: that’s a great idea we can recreate the smell of plants!
Actor 1: yes!! And the fresh air!
Actor 2: let me turn on the Bluetooth
Brings the Perfumaker and turns it on.
5. Our performance recording
Another Group’s Performance.
A performance that caught my eye was the last group’s box which embodied the main idea of the fictional story “the ones who walked away from Omelas”. Although not practical it still holds great moral and philosophical ideas. The artifact that they made was incredibly interactive not in the sense of its use, but the construction and its function with a flower blooming and hiding when someone puts it on and takes it off. The only improvement that I would suggest is thinking about better delivery of the purpose and the idea of the artifact.