Inter Lab

During Recitation

Our recitations always surprise me with more and more fancy techniques to be learnt, so does my experience with sensors.

Firstly, we built a Joy Stick circuit.

We connect the Joy Stick to our servo, then we can use the stick to control the movement of the it. I thought the programming of it can be much similar to the code when we use the variable resister to control the servo, so I use the code from servo: knob for reference.

Following is the code:

#include <Servo.h>

Servo myservo;  // create servo object to control a servo

int potpin = 0;  // analog pin used to connect the potentiometer
int val;    // variable to read the value from the analog pin

void setup() {
  myservo.attach(9);  // attaches the servo on pin 9 to the servo object
}

void loop() {
  val = analogRead(potpin);            // reads the value of the potentiometer (value between 0 and 1023)
  val = map(val, 0, 1023, 0, 180);     // scale it to use it with the servo (value between 0 and 180)
  myservo.write(val);                  // sets the servo position according to the scaled value
  delay(15);                           // waits for the servo to get there
}

And the Graph:

Then in the extra time we tried the second sensor: Infrared Distance Sensor. I tried to make it be able to control the brightness of the LED. Still, the core of the coding part is similar to using the variable resister to control the servo in 7^th lecture.

The code is as followed:

int val = 1; // a variable
void setup() {
  pinMode(9, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
  val = analogRead(1);
  analogWrite(9, val / 4);
}

 

Answers for Document Questions

Question 1: What did you intend to assemble in the recitation exercise? If your sensor/actuator combination were to be used for pragmatic purposes, who would use it, why would they use it, and how could it be used?

I’ve assembled sensors with LED and servo. When I connected infrared distance sensor with LED, I think it can be made into a secure system. As people step closer to the sensor, the lights grow brighter to call the owner’s attention. It can be used by people living along or the secure system of museums. Also, when the joystick and servo is combined, it can be used as a part of model helicopter or submarine, then the models can be controlled by child or other owners.

Question 2: Code is often compared to following a recipe or tutorial.  Why do you think that is?

There are fixed grammar and format for code, so coding is just like following recipe. And also, there’ve been many excellent coding examples released in open source platform like Arduino, which are well-designed and easy to access, saving a bunch of time struggling with code and bugs, so that it’s easy to literarily following a tutorial. However, code is just like the language of computer, and its charm largely lies in the process in which you try to communicate with your device, and that’s what totally beyond following a recipe.

Question 3: In Language of New Media, Manovich describes the influence of computers on new media. In what ways do you believe the computer influences our human behaviors?

Computer, as an extremely convenient devices, has made human spend more and more time on dealing with staff on computer, and that finally reduce the time we spent in real life experience and face to face conversation. So I think computer influences our behaviors by cutting into people’s connection, being the medium of people’s work and communicate by force. So that we’re more and more relying on life with computer, because once we stop using it, all the connection between ourselves with friends and works will be cut off.

Getting more familiar with the electronics, the first task is easy to complete.

Tonemelody circuit is easy to accomplish too, though I firstly plug the wires into the “9” socket of the power, which resulted in no response after the program is uploaded. But by comparing it to the program, I soon fixed the problem and heard the lovely melody.

The Speed Game is much more challenging-that brunch of wires in the graph has suggested that. I’ve spent much time connecting the elements, but it turns out no response. After consulting our learning assistant, I soon realized that I didn’t fully understand the graph, so as the function of the circuit. Taking LA’s advice to divide the elements and wires into different groups, I successfully completed the circuit.

Question 1: Reflect how you use technology in your daily life and on the circuits you just built. Use the Introduction Chapter (page xvii-xxix) of Physical Computing and your own observations to define interaction.

Interaction is a communicating process between two or more actors. Just like what has been mentioned in Physical Computing, communicating requires the process of listening, thinking and speaking of interactive actors, as well as the input, processing, and output of the computer. When I’m using technology in my daily life, there’s interaction between me and technology as my command transforms into input processed by technology, then it come out with output that gives me feedback. Also, when I was building my circuit, I was building a medium for me and the technology being able to understand and response to each other.

 

Question 2: Why did we use the 10K resistor with the push button?

To protect the circuit. When we press the button, the circuits connects and the 10K resistor is able to restrict the current under a appropriate value.

 

Question 3: If you have 100,000 LEDs of any brightness and color at your disposal, what would you make and where would you put it?

I want to put all of it in a room, covering every inch of the floor and walls. I want to connect it to sensors, so that when I step in to the room, there’s a lighting path suggesting my trail. When I raise my hand or move my body, the brightness and color of LED on the wall change smoothly creating different shapes and path as I want. Just like a god, a creator in this room, I am able to get all the emotion out of me, to let my thoughts wander. I think it can also be applied as a light therapy for mental disease.