#Blog 2 Reci 1 Documentation

Recitation Documentation

(Diagram of the circuit)

What do components in the circuit do?

• Breadboard: provide a base for making electronic connections and aid in the prototyping of circuits.
• Buzzer: make sounds.
• Switch: a control that can be used to interrupt the flow of current through a circuit to either connect or disconnect. In this circuit, it is used to input Morse code.
• 220 ohm Resistor: resists the flow of electricity, and can be used to control the flow of current. In this circuit, it protects the LED light from being burnt.
• 10K ohm Variable Resistor (Potentiometer): outputs an adjustable voltage. In this circuit, it adjusts voltage to adjust the brightness of the LED light.
• LED: be a light sourse, in this circuit, it is used to output Morse code messages in the form of light.
• Power supply: provide energy and create voltage between the positive and the negative poles.
• Barrel Jack: is an electrical power connector used for attaching extra-low voltage devices to external 

Process of building the circuit

1 We plug the buzzer in the wrong place where the battery should be. 

2 After consulting with the LA, quite quickly we finished the first step.

 

3 We encountered a problem when we did the second step: the switch didn’t work, so once we closed the circuit, the LED and buzzer would be on and couldn’t stop. It turned out that we put the button in the wrong position so the current bypassed the button and created current directly between the battery and the LED and the buzzer. 

 

4 Then we figured out that we should put the two poles of the switch on to separate blocks so it won’t cause a bypass. And we succeeded this time. 

5 We go on to do the third step, the problem we encounter is that the 2^nd LED isn’t controlled by the variable resistor. And we checked our circuit through and still couldn’t find any problem. So, we think something may went wrong with the variable resistor and we checked the reference on the recitation website. It turns out that we linked the wrong tip to led and the resistor. We should used the two tip that are close to each other.

 

6 We fixed it and we’re done with the third one.
 

7 The cardboard switch is easy to build. After that, we tried to replace the button switch with it. The first attempt was a failure because we didn’t move the wires around where the button was, so the circuit is open.

8 After we move the green wire, it worked! 

 

Questions

Question 1: What is the function of the resistor R1? 

R1 can help limit the current that passes through LED1 so it do not get damaged. Every LED has a current rating that should not be exceeded and resistors have the ability to limit the current to below the maximum allowable current allowed for the LED.  (Reference)

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 include interactivity? Which degree of interactivity does it possess? Please explain your answer. 

If we accept the definition of interaction by Crawford, I don’t think it counts as one.

In the article, the author said that interaction is a conversation: a cyclic process in which two actors—purposeful creatures—alternately listen (input), think (process), and speak(output) (Crawford, p.3, 6). “This process of conversation cycles back and forth, as an iterative process (Crawford, p.5).”

Firstly, the circuit itself is not a purposeful creature. Secondly, the circuit we built today is only a one-round conversation. We input by pressing the switch, the circuit processes, and outputs with sound and light. And the conversation ends. We don’t react to the output of the circuit. Finally, it doesn’t have any intellectual utility. It’s only a tool with no actual meaning or amusement for me. Well, may be amusing for little kids, however, since it doesn’t count as interaction, I cannot rate its degree of interaction.

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.

Physical Computing helps to realize unreachable interaction design and create interactive art that people can get their hands dirty with.

The third project mentioned in Zack’s video, the EyeWritter, is a good example. It is using low-cost, creative technology with computing to enable writers and artists with paralysis to draw using only their eyes. The motive of helping artists to draw again came first. The technology came next.

So, physical computing acts as a bridge between dream and reality. It is not the purpose. The purpose should be using interactive art to stimulate and help people to get a chance of interaction, not only with the art project, but most importantly, to the world.

Feb 13, 2022, Jingqiao, Younian Liu