Recitation 5: Processing Basics – James Bai

In this recitation, we used processing to create simple symbols. I picked the Mercedes Benz symbol.

Link: http://www.car-brand-names.com/mercedes-benz-logo/

The image was on an 800×800 px canvas. It took around 30 minutes to create it since I had to find the perfect spot to connect the triangles to the edges of the circles. I also had difficulties getting the inside space white, but the symbol still grey since I only used lines in the beginning. I solved this by using triangles instead of lines.

Here is the end result:

I added text afterwards with the text(“Mercedes Benz”,360,100);

Recitation 4: Drawing Machines – James Bai

Step 1: Build the Circuit

In this step, I plugged in the wires connecting the Arduino, the 12V power adapter, the H-Bridge, and the stepper motor. It took a while to check everything and make all wires are in the right place. I placed the H-Bridge upside down, which was my problem in this step, but just turning it around solved the problem (good thing I didn’t upload the code before checking). The motor was supposed to turn around back and forth to show that this step was successful.

Heres a video showing so:

IMG_3793

Step 2: Control rotation with a potentiometer

In this step, I just added a potentiometer to the breadboard and connected wires from the ground, 5V power source, and Analog 0 to the corresponding sides of the potentiometer. Next, I added the code map code containing the values 0, 1023 and 0, 200 for the number of steps. I also changed the #define steps to 200.

I had a problem with this because I did not add the map command, which resulted in the motor just spinning randomly. Adding the map command fixed it immediately.

Heres a video of this step:

IMG_3795

Step 3: Build a Drawing Machine

I paired with Ryan to build this drawing machine. A plastic circle was added to the top of the motor so it would spin with it. Two laser-cut arms were added to each side, which paper fasteners to put them in place. This was to combine each machine’s spinning, and a pen was put at the end to draw. There was also a laser-cut motor holder to put the motors in place so they would not spin around on the table. We then drew by spinning the potentiometer. There were no setbacks to this step as we had success on the first trial.

Heres a video:

IMG_3797

Question 1:

I suddenly thought about this but it would be cool to create a machine similar to the one we created today but using the potentiometers we controlled the laser printing. This 100% is out there already, but I thought that creating it would be interesting, especially if we could have the potentiometers move in straight lines and perfect circles. The actuator would be the stepper motor since it controls the direction everything moves. And creating art using a digital device is all done from the Arduino and potentiometer.

Question 2:

I chose The Drumming and Drawing SubHuman, which looks quite creepy from just the picture. And its hands are computer-controlled to perform beats by hitting the drums. I think this model is similar and different to the one we created today. It is similar in terms of two arms, like our two stepper motors, collaborating and creating something. It is different in its outside appearance, and the type of emotion it portrays. It shows a scary and skeleton-y appearance.

Group Research Project Reflection – James Bai

My thought of interaction is the independent response from one object, being a program or any living organism with independence of thought. Both objects, programs, etc. must respond to each other without significant control or interruption from outside forces for interaction to happen. I researched two applications that help with daily life to make this comparison more clear. The first, Circlo, is an iPhone app that changes general ambient music depending on the time of the day and weather. The second, Daytum, collects data on your daily physical activites like breathing patterns or running steps. Circlo is the more interactive application because it changes depending on what time of day it is. It responds to what time of day it is by playing a different ambient music, while Daytum just collects data on what you do.

There is little interaction on Daytum’s part because it collects data but does nothing using the data, while Circlo collects data on the time of day and reacts by playing different music. Circlo therefore fits the definition more because the app interacts with the weather and time of day. The time of day is systematic, but the weather may be unpredicatable in the program of the Circlo. Therefore two independent things (the weather and the type of music exhibited through the application) interact with one another. For Daytum, the data is dependent on what acitivites you pursue during the day. 

Daytum looks like:

Circlo looks like: (it produces music)

For our next generation model that fits in 2119, we created the Knowledge Transmittor v. 2. The Knowledge Transmittor is supposed to connect your brain and a large database with an earpiece and the machine itself. It then transmits any knowledge you can pick from to your brain. This includes books, recipes, or any sort of text. The downside is that you forget all this information within a month (to have an extremely high returning customer ratio).

It fits the idea of interaction as it puts into your brain whichever book or recipe you want it to. I feel like this is more on the dependent side, but there is still a possible independent reaction as it could fry your brain or input the text. (It was described that version 1 fried the brain of a poor individual). Your decision to choose which book or recipe is the independent part though, as you have millions of choices to choose from. 

We got this idea from just thinking of how hard classes are and how much reading we have to do. If all of this could be put in your brain in seconds, than it would be much more convenient for students. This idea was a great one to introduce and perform, and we found it interesting in every aspect.

Citation:

Crawford, โ€œWhat Exactly is Interactivity,โ€ The Art of Interactive Design,  pp. 1-5.

Circlo [iPhone, iPad, Sound]

Daytum [iPhone, WebApp]

Recitation 3 – James Bai

So I was absent for this recitation and did it myself.

I connected the infrared distance sensor and turned an LED light on and off with it. I only used the Arduino, an LED light connected to Digital 13 and the ground next to it, and my hand.

It worked on the first try as I create an IF ELSE command to turn the LED light when distance was above 13.

James Bai Sensor

^that’s the link for a video on my sensor working.

Here are my 200 IQ pictures of the infrared sensor and LED light.

Here is a picture of the code:

Question 1:

I intended to assemble a interaction, where when my hand got close to the sensor the light would turn on. This is applied in everyday usage such as in rooms where the light would turn on when you enter. People use this for simplicity and laziness to turn on and off lights. This is also used for technological purposes to detect people and things, which can be used for security purposes. 

Question 2:

Like implementing food in a recipe, the code must have certain lines in certain places to work properly. You must follow a specific order for the best food or the code that works. Also, a recipe prepares everything in the beginning to be cooked or baked. In code, you introduce all the variables you plan to use later in the beginning.

Question 3:

Computers definitely simplify our lifestyles and behaviors, but it also pushes the limits. We behave correspondingly to computers, or technological advances such as phones. We change our actions because of them, like now we type our essays on computers rather than write them. Computers change our behaviors, not vice versa. 

IMA Recitation 2 Documentation – James Bai

For this recitation we created 3 circuits with the arduino, breadboard, and many other components.

Circuit 1: Fade

The goal of this circuit was to make an LED light fade off, then turn back on slowly. The new components needed for this circuit included an LED, a 220 Ohm resistor, and wires.

I believe when the resistor connected to the LED light with the wires, it let the light slowly turn on and off.

First Trial: Success

Circuit 2: toneMelody

For this one we just needed a speaker, wires, and the arduino & breadboard. Using the code, the speaker created a melody.

First Trial: Success

Circuit 3: Speed Game

This circuit involved tons of wires and the main point was to play a game on the serial monitor with the buttons. Whoever hit the button 10 times first would win (where the LED would light up displaying so, and the speaker would create a sound).

The new components were 10K & 220 Ohm resistors, buttons, 2 LED lights, a speaker, and a ton of wires.

First Trial: Fail (LED lights didn’t light up on win)

Everything was working, just not the LED lights. Since we had a bit of time left, we redid the whole circuit and the LED lights were still not working. We had tried previously to switch the LED light wires and it still did not work. We found out shortly afterwards that one LED light was broken (or the issue came from that one). Because when we swapped LED lights everything was working.

Second Trial: Success

We did not end up creating a 4-person game because we were low on time when we finished.

Question 1:

From the reading and the circuits, I believe “input, output, and processing” are essential to how technology works in my daily life. With the circuits the wires and buttons must be in the right place to produce an output, and all that much be processed by the Arduino program in the computer to work properly. In life, it could be as simple as air conditioning. The input is pressing the on button and the output is getting cold air, while all this processes through a signal receiver in the air conditioning.

Question 2:

The 10k resistor was to slow down the push button a little so it wouldn’t be spamming the serial monitor when we would continuously press it. I noticed this when I pressed the button it would not show up the millisecond it got pressed. This makes it fair for both sides to win the game.

Question 3:

I would create an island, that is of course connected to a piece of land so it doesn’t float away, out of the LEDs. With 100,000 LEDs I think I could make a decent sized island and I would place it (if I could) on the Shanghai coast.