Recitation 4 Documentation–Blog 7
For this week’s recitation, we built a drawing machine in a group of two. The most difficult thing I think in building this drawing machine is that there are too many wires used in this circuit. So when I was connecting the breadboard to the Arduino board, I have to make sure that I don’t make any mistakes so that I will not burn my computer. So after both my group partner and I finish connecting the circuit we both check the circuit several times. Another difficult point is that at first, we are not able to control how much angle does the machine moves accurately. Then we figure out the solution by using the map function in Arduino, by adding one line, we successfully control the direction and how much does the machine moves accurately by using the potentiometer. Overall, we complete making the machine quickly and successfully.
Code:
/*
* MotorKnob
*
* A stepper motor follows the turns of a potentiometer
* (or other sensors) on analog input 0.
*
* http://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/Stepper
* This example code is in the public domain.
*/
#include <Stepper.h>
// change this to the number of steps on your motor
#define STEPS 100
// create an instance of the stepper class, specifying
// the number of steps of the motor and the pins it’s
// attached to
Stepper stepper(STEPS, 8, 9, 10, 11);
// the previous reading from the analog input
int previous = 0;
void setup() {
// set the speed of the motor to 30 RPMs
stepper.setSpeed(30);
}
void loop() {
// get the sensor value
int val = analogRead(0);
val = map(analogRead(0),0,1023,0,360);
// move a number of steps equal to the change in the
// sensor reading
stepper.step(val – previous);
// remember the previous value of the sensor
previous = val;
}
Question 1:
I’m interested in building a drawing mask. The mask can automatically recognize what the user is saying and then the words or the phrases will be transferred to a drawing machine that is connected to the mask and the pens for the drawing will create a beautiful painting of the words and phrases. The painting part of the machine is small and is connected to the mask by Bluetooth so it’s easy for users to carry them around. For the actuators, I think the part that can receive the words that users said and turn them into a language that the computers can understand will be the major actuator that controls the whole machine. I think the use of this mask machine will be a helpful tool for those who want to paint but cannot draw well. It’s also good assistance for designers to build blueprints. For the digital manipulation of art, I think the machine is able to make people’s imaginative ideas and pictures that appeared in their brains come true in reality. From words to digital numbers or capitals and to the picture, it’s a way of creating art.
Question 2:
I’m interested in Paul DeMarinis’s design Firebird. This design is very meaningful. It uses light to create sound and the gas flames are modulated by electrical signals. So by changing the temperature of the air around the flame the flame is able to make different sounds. I think it is a brand new way and also an imaginative way to play the music so it is very intriguing. Also the use of birdcage makes the machine more thought-provoking. It gives the audience feelings of imprisonment and helplessness since the bird in the cage is always loneliness and it loses its freedom forever. So the sound made by this machine also seems to be depressed. I think compared to our work that was did in the recitation, this artifact is based on physics more since it requires the control of temperature and how the sound is made by making changes to the temperature. Moreover, I think the actuators that the artist used in this project is mainly temperature sensors. By sensoring different temperature, the machine is able to make different sounds.
