Context and Significance

Tian Tian and I have been close friends since freshman year, so we naturally share a lot with each other: family drama, favorite books, you name it. I recently got a copper IUD and went to Tian Tian for support since she also got one a year ago. We ended up talking about the ridiculous things women do to keep from getting impregnated by men and how men don’t have to worry about these things the way women do. This sparked our interest in creating a project about our experiences as women. Originally we wanted to focus on inequality in the workplace but soon realized that as students who have never had a “real” job, we were better equipped to address a topic we had actual experience with–dating. Whether it’s with someone we met on a night out or a classmate we’re really interested in, we’ve faced similar questions time and time again. These questions, we personally feel, are especially difficult for us as women. We wanted to create an experience that women would resinate with but would also allow anyone else to gain a better understanding of relationship dynamics from our perspective. 

Conception and Design

Deciding whether or not to let a guy pay for your meal or whether or not you should “define the relationship” is not an easy task. In the beginning of a relationship, nothing is certain and we often go back and forth between options and outcomes, but never forwards. We designed our project in a way that would force users to move from side to side, a physical movement, which symbolizes how we find ourselves trapped moving between a gray, unknown area. Our project’s interactive component is simply pressing a yes or no button with your foot because we wanted to make it easy for the user. We understand that while our classmates are all very intelligent, listening to instructions and making decisions can be quite challenging–which is exactly the point. We also made it this way because we wanted to juxtapose the simplicity of the design and interactivity with the reality that these questions are actually very complicated. We felt that buttons were the best input options for our project. While we could have maybe used different sensors to get a yes/no answer from the user, we felt that we didn’t need to use fancy sensors just for the sake of using fancy sensors, and again, we didn’t want to overcomplicate it for the user. Maybe in a different variation of this project, we could use a sensor to detect distance if we wanted to create a human barometer activity. We “hid” the buttons in acrylic, laser cut arrows–neutral symbols that did not suggest a right or wrong answer. 

Fabrication and Production

Tian Tian and I spent a lot of time working on this project, most of which was spent at the cafe or the podcasting room just talking about the concepts behind the project and ways we could make it better.

In hindsight, we should have probably spent more time actually building the project or working on the code, but it all worked out in the end. Our project was conceived in a conversation, grew in our code, and was born in a bed of wires and laser cut acrylic. The labor and delivery was not so painful thanks to the terrific help from Tristan, Rudy, and Marcela.

Our project even went through puberty and matured a lot because of the user testing session. A lot of our classmates expressed the need for some kind of user feedback, an “ending” to the story, and headphones. We took all of this into consideration. After the user chooses either yes or no, we added a response like, “okay” or “alright,” so the user knows that their choice was actually received. We used neutral language so the user does not think they chose the right or wrong answer. One classmate said they felt like we were morally judging users with the questions we pose, which deeply disturbed Tian Tian and me. We think that these questions are difficult because there is no right or wrong answer and in many ways, you’re “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” Unfortunately we can’t provide a happy, or sad, ending to the story because we want users to understand that we face these problems all the time and will continue facing them until we either die or get married–even then maybe once more. We did, however, take this feedback into consideration. We added a final question that creates a loop in the simulation which starts with, “here you go again” to point to how this dilemma is ongoing. We chose to not include headphones because we wanted the user to be hands-free during the experience. Ideally, the user would be given some privacy in a room alone so they wouldn’t let onlookers influence their decision to sensitive questions like, “should I send nudes?”

 Conclusion

I was originally worried about how interactive our project was. Buttons? Seemed too simple. But I think I was wrong. After watching my classmates and friends experience “SKIRT,” I feel that Tian Tian and I succeeded. Users were genuinely interacting and engaging with not only the space and physical components of our project, but also their own notions of gender norms, dating culture, and societal pressure. I do not think that a complete understanding of our project or our intentions is necessary for a meaningful experience, but rather having users think about women’s role and worries in these early stages of a relationship is a success in itself. 

Watch our friend experience “SKIRT” here.

Stepper Circuit

This circuit was relatively simple for us. We were definitely worried that the outside power source would fry our computer, but it only gave us more motivation to work carefully. The code can be found here.

Stepper Circuit with Potentiometer 

We added a potentiometer to our circuit and used the MotorKnob code. 

Drawing Machine

We used the following code:

/*
 * MotorKnob
 *
 * A stepper motor follows the turns of a potentiometer
 * (or other sensor) 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 200

// 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);
  map(val, 0, 1023, 0, 200);

  // 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: What kind of machines would you be interested in building? Add a reflection about the use of actuators, the digital manipulation of art, and the creative process to your blog post.

I’m really interested in fitness technology, particularly the kind that can also have an environmental impact. For example, there are cycling classes all around the world. I think it would be a great opportunity to harness the kind of movement that is already taking place and use it as kinetic energy. In this sense, the cyclists could be the actuators. This kind of project would feel less like an art project, but I feel like there is art in the design of the machine itself. To be able to digitally manipulate a commonplace object and give it a greater purpose would be a great achievement. 

Question 2: Choose an art installation mentioned in the reading ART + Science NOW, Stephen Wilson (Kinetics chapter). Post your thoughts about it and make a comparison with the work you did during this recitation. How do you think that the artist selected those specific actuators for his project?

I particularly like Landon Fieldwork’s “Gastarbyter.” As someone who talks a lot, maybe too much, I have always reminded myself of Ram Dass’ quote, “the quieter you become, the more you can hear.” I like the statement Fieldwork is making regarding out society and the kinds of interactions we are constantly engaging in and those that we are lacking. This experience is interesting because it appears to be very simple and potentially not very interactive, but the kind of interaction that’s taking place is just not as mainstream. I like that users are compelled to simple sit and feel and listen and this definitely influenced his decision to use less “flashy” actuators. Our drawing machine was very fun to make, but was less purposeful. For us, a loud, stepper motor with crunchy plastic pieces was of no consequence.  

Our group defines interaction as a continuous conversation between two or more corresponding elements. One of the operative words that we identified early on is “continuous.” To us, truly interactive projects should not have a “one-trick pony” so to speak, but rather sophisticated elements that continuously call and respond to each other. In this way, we also emphasized the term “conversation” because like a conversation, truly interactive elements should respond to each other naturally as opposed to having simple, set inputs and outputs that just loop. Crawford’s thoughts on this were very influential in the shaping of this definition. We agree that interaction involves listening, thinking, and speaking, and we are also interested in interactivity that, “has some blood in its veins” (Crawford 6). 

A project we think is a good example of interaction is Firewall. The artist, Aaron Sherwood, is an IMA professor at NYU Abu Dhabi and definitely understands true interactivity. Firewall satisfies both the continuous and conversational aspects of our definition of interaction in that neither the input or output is set in stone. A user could move her hand quickly or slowly, with a lot or very little force etc. And while the Firewall’s reaction is somewhat predictable, it is not a simple open or close of a door or a light turning on or off–the elements themselves are already in play and are influenced by user input.

A project we feel is not as strong of an example of interaction is Click Canvas. While this seems like a nice project, it is very basic and it is not continuous nor is there a conversation. After a user clicks a button, the light turns on and that’s basically it. Unlike the Firewall, the buttons themselves are not active and once they are turned on, nothing else happens. There is no “conversation.”

Our project, The Katy Perry, fulfills our requirement’s needed for true interactivity. Constantly sensing body temperature, The Katy Perry is not simply an on/off, open/close device. It “listens” to the need and the input of its user, “thinks” about what that means, and “speaks” by changing the thermostat to the appropriate temperature. There is a constant conversation between the user and the device and fchanges naturally as needed. It is like the Firewall in that both actors are already functioning independent of one another, but when they do make contact, there is a call and response without set inputs or outputs. It is unlike the Click Canvas because there’s not simply one level of interaction, but rather a consistent flow of interaction. 

Moisture Sensor Circuit

moisture sensor example

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?

Izzy and I assembled the moisture sensor. If it was used in real life, I think the ideal group of people would be gardeners/gardeners who need to know how moist the soil is for their plants/crops. It could be planted in the ground and send updates to users on their phones. 

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

Code is just like a recipe because it is step by step instructions for the computer to follow. 

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?

In today’s world the computer influences almost every aspect of our interactions. I can FaceTime my parents across the world, order food right to my door, and unlock a bike anywhere in the city. I don’t go out without a portable charger out of fear of not being able to pay for drinks, ride the subway, or call a Didi home. Computers certainly have an effect on how we communicate and interact with others, but I think it’s especially evident in Shanghai where we live in a cashless society. 

Circuit 1: Fade

fade example

Circuit 2: Tone Melody

melody example

Circuit 3: Speed Game 

we used the following code:

int buzzerPin = 8;
int button1 = 11;
int button2 = 10;
int led1 = 3;
int led2 = 2;

int goal = 10;
int buttonState1 = LOW;
int previousState1 = LOW;
int buttonState2 = LOW;
int previousState2 = LOW;

int counter1 = 0;
int counter2 = 0;
boolean winner1 = false;
boolean winner2 = false;

// the follow variables are long's because the time, measured in miliseconds,
// will quickly become a bigger number than can be stored in an int.
long time = 0; // the last time the output pin was toggled
long debounce = 200; // the debounce time, increase if the output flickers

void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(buzzerPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(button1, INPUT);
  pinMode(button2, INPUT);
  pinMode(led1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(led2, OUTPUT);
  Serial.println("******************* RACE THE LED *******************");
  delay(1000);
  Serial.println("READY");
  delay(1000);
  Serial.println("SET");
  delay(1500);
  Serial.println("GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!");
}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
  buttonState1 = digitalRead(button1);
  buttonState2 = digitalRead(button2);
  //Serial.println(buttonState1);

  //this checks the times player 01 has pressed the button
  if (counter1 < goal && winner2 == false) {
  if (buttonState1 != previousState1 && millis() - time > debounce) {
  if (buttonState1 == HIGH) {
  counter1++;
  Serial.print("player 01: ");
  Serial.println(counter1);
  time = millis();
  }
  }
  previousState1 = buttonState1;
  if (counter1 == goal && winner2 == false) {
  winner1 = true;
  digitalWrite(led1, HIGH);
  Serial.println("PLAYER 01 WINS");
  playMelody();
  }
  }
  
  //this checks the times player 02 has pressed the button
  
  if (counter2 < goal && winner1 == false) {
    if (buttonState2 != previousState2 && millis() - time > debounce) {
    if (buttonState2 == HIGH) {
      counter2++;
      Serial.print("player 02: ");
      Serial.println(counter2);
      time = millis();
    }
  }
  previousState2 = buttonState2;
    if (counter2 == goal && winner2 == false) {
      winner2 = true;
      digitalWrite(led2, HIGH);
      Serial.println("PLAYER 02 WINS");
      playMelody();
     }
   }
}

void playFreq(double freqHz, int durationMs) {
  //Calculate the period in microseconds
  int periodMicro = int((1 / freqHz) * 1000000);
  int halfPeriod = periodMicro / 2;
  
  //store start time
  int startTime = millis();
  
  //(millis() - startTime) is elapsed play time
  while ((millis() - startTime) < durationMs) {
  digitalWrite(buzzerPin, HIGH);
  delayMicroseconds(halfPeriod);
  digitalWrite(buzzerPin, LOW);
  delayMicroseconds(halfPeriod);
  }
}

void playMelody() {
  playFreq(262, 100);
  playFreq(294, 100);
  playFreq(349, 100);
  playFreq(294, 100);
  playFreq(440, 200);
  delay(100);
  playFreq(440, 400);
  playFreq(392, 400);
  delay(300);
  playFreq(262, 100);
  playFreq(294, 100);
  playFreq(349, 100);
  playFreq(294, 100);
  playFreq(392, 200);
  delay(100);
  playFreq(392, 400);
  playFreq(349, 400);
}

Question 1: Reflect how you use technology in your daily life and on the circuits you just built. Use the text Physical Computing and your own observations to define interaction.

I define interaction as a continual conversation between two or more elements. Crawfords definition of interaction, “an iterative process of listening, thinking, and speaking between two or more actors” is helpful in thinking of interaction and I definitely agree with it. I think the terms “process” and “thinking” are key because interaction is not simply a call and response, but rather an action that involves understanding and intention. For example, swiping a metro card that triggers a door to open at the subway station is a very low level of interaction whereas a VR boxing simulation has a deeper level of “listening,’ “thinking,” and “speaking.”

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

We needed 10K to regulate the flow of the current through the circuit. 

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 would create a flashing “open” sign for the front door of my apartment.