Final Essay Project– Santiago Salem

Tap the World

         The purpose of this project is for people to help in the recycling process as we currently suffer from a global warming problem. When separating the caps of the bottles, the recycling companies classify the lids more easily, quickly and efficiently (since the lids do not occupy as much space as the bottles and also have a large concentration of plastic). With this project we are going to give a more fun and interactive alternative when we throw away lids (and bottles) in the trash. Furthermore, there are several organizations such as “Tapas para Sanar” (lids to heal, also “tapas” means lids) were they accumulate lids and  make them into products or sell them to large recycling companies, and with the money help fund children with cancer.

         First, it is important to describe the project in a detailed manner to understand the purpose. We are going to create a world with the laser cutter, then we are going to make three holes in the world. Each hole has a different size. The smallest hole gives you 5 points, the middle hole gives you two points, and finally the big hole gives you a point. In processing we are going to have a world that rotates, and every time a person throws the lid he has to try to put it in those holes. If it enters the small gap there will be a world in processing that will turn five degrees, and so on respectively. When the world turns complete (360 degrees) the player has won the goal of recycling the lids.

       The technology behind the project is that we are going to put a sensor inside each hole that registers the movement generated by the lid. Then the sensor will send these signals to Arduino that then Arduino converts it into values for processing (making the world rotate). The idea of the project is to encourage the recycling of these lids in a way that the audience finds it more entertaining, visual, and interactive. Therefore, if the people find it more entertaining, the audience will be more involved and helpful in the process of recycling.

Plan

  • First)Laser cut the world and work on the design. (April 27, 2019)
  • Second) Start to work on the sensors and values for Arduino and processing
    • April 28, 2019)
  • Third)User interaction session.(May 10, 2019)
  • Fourth)Make changes regarding the audience’s responses (After user
    • testing session) (May 11, 2019)
  • Fifth)Present Tap the World (Final IMA Show) (May 14, 2019)
  • Sixth) IMA Show ( May 17, 2019)

        At first, we did not have a very concrete idea of what we wanted to do. After investigating the recycling process, we discovered how to separate bottle caps can not only have a great impact on the recycling process, but also finance the battle against cancer. So, we’re looking for a way we can motivate people to separate bottle caps in an interactive and practical way. I believe that “Tap the world” has a great correlation with my definition of interaction, since there is an interactive relationship between our project and the audience. When throwing the lids into the whole, the project  will give an immediate feedback when making the world turn. In this way there is a reciprocal relationship between the audience and my project. Also, the project has a reason to entertain the audience while they help recycle.If the project manages to be a success, we could incorporate this type of recycling in the school (as this would help to facilitate recycling), and also if it is carried out on a larger scale, we could donate the covers to certain organizations to help fight cancer.

Leave a Reply