For our circuit we used a moisture sensor not only because of how cool it was, but also due to its practicality when measuring moisture levels in soil. The components of our circuit were an Arduino, an LED, a 100 ohm resistor, and a moisture sensor. We later attempted to add more actuators into our circuit with a buzzer and a motor. Our circuit had a 5v power input running to our resistor and LED and through to our moisture sensor. We also had an A0 input running towards our moisture sensor. Both the current coming from the resistor and LED, as well as the current from the moisture sensor traveled to ground as well.
While building the circuit with the LED, we didn’t encounter any problems with coding or constructing the circuit. It was only when we tried adding the buzzer that we ran into issues. The buzzer was not making any noise, so we looked at our code’s “if” statements for the buzzer and they were not written correctly. Once we fixed these airs we tried the circuit once more, but the buzzer still wouldn’t sound. We tried removing or replacing the resistor and buzzer but to no avail. We even tried increasing and reducing the range of the buzzer in our code. Despite this, we realized then that it wasn’t the construction our circuit that was wrong but that it was just infeasible to have that little power to light the LED and power the speaker at the same time, but to increase our power could mean frying the circuit. To solve this problem in the future we could probably use a transistor.
That being said, we decided to continue tinkering with our circuit and replaced the LED with a motor that had a fan attached to it. This ended up working and the fan’s rotation speed would increase as the moisture level on the sensor increased.
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?
In the recitation exercise we assembled a circuit that was connected to a moisture sensor and an LED light and speaker, but we realized that due to the amount of voltage we had, the circuit worked better with only the LED light connected to a 100 ohm resistor. I believe that our sensor/ actuator combination could be used for a multitude of practical purposes because there are many reasons why we may want to measure moisture. The first that comes to mind is measuring the moisture level in soil, so we can determine whether its worthy for plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The more visible the light, the more moisture that is in the soil, which makes it more able to develop plant life. The sensor could also be used with soil to determine the amount of water being used to water plants and crops and whether it is enough or too much. Therefore, the sensor could be used to eliminate water waste as well. I can see farmers and agro-scientists using putting moisture sensors in dirt and soil to measure this very thing.
Question 2
Code is often compared to following a recipe or tutorial. Why do you think that is?
I think of code as a recipe or tutorial because if you follow the steps to coding exactly then the results should pay off and you should be able to achieve what you want from whatever directions you follow. The same goes for a recipe or a tutorial because the only way to not mess things up and cause problems is to follow all the steps. A computer is not smart enough to sense whenever you make a mistake, which is why it is important to make sure you take your time and review your work. Code almost always delivers exactly what it asks from you, as do tutorials and recipes.
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?
Through interfaces and databases on the worldwide web, computers have been providing us with a virtual universe and access to a multitude of free information. This can be shaped by our opinions, cultures, and other influences. Computers provide us access to the web which leads more people to publish free information and open source things. Computers have also influenced us to communicate in different ways with email and instant messaging. We no longer tend to send letters anymore and we are much more willing to use messaging services on the internet or apps to trade conversation with one another.