First, it would be nothing special. However, without you even knowing, you can be the next target.
I am not sure if I can finish this project on time, to be honest. However, this is the project that I would be most eager to work with (which is why I put this project as the first project). First, the users will be able to freely interact with the messenger. However, after a certain time, the messenger will shut off for a few seconds and turn back on. Though in this state, the messenger looks the same as before, the messenger will show the experience of the bullied (especially cyber-bullied) in the first-person point of view.
One of the games that recently got famous became my motivation. This game, as well, shows the first-hand-experience in the point of view of the bullied. However, the user knows about what they will go through. However, for this project, it would stay unexpected because the shock usually hits a max point when something comes up unexpected.
Project 2: Waking-up Alarm
If you are having a hard time waking up each morning, this definitely would be of your choice.
Though this is an existing device and would rely more on the Arduino than the processing, it would flip the bed over when the pre-set time comes. The motivation came from my daily life, having difficulty every morning to wake up. Because it would be hard to put it on the actual bed, it would be helpful for me if I can mini-print the bed. When the user sets the time, when that time comes, the mini-bed will be flipped over. The already existing version is called “High Voltage Ejector Bed”.
Project 3: Foot-taptap
A chance to dance around. Play taptap, but with your feet.
There already exists a similar game in Korea, called “Pump” (See the image below).
However, that game is pretty hard. By inputting this logic with the taptap, which is a phone game, it would be fun. In addition, if there is a way to process the user’s input music because they can also select their favorite music, it would be more interesting for user to interact with the device.
Part 1: You visited the Chronus exhibition where you saw technology-based art pieces. Some of them use the same components you have been using in this course. Discuss the experience you had in this exhibition compared to other exhibitions of non-technology based artwork you have visited before.
During my visit to the Chronus exhibition, I realized that the user experience with the air pieces is essential. There was a lot of different artwork using the similar components we were using in our class. The experience in the Chronus exhibition was very different from the experience that I had in other non-technology based art exhibitions. First of all, it was very interesting for us to look at the devices that were moving. Second of all, because one of them was interacting with our movement, we kept on going back and forth trying to interact with the artwork.
Above was the artwork that would bend the claw based on the movement of the people who is entering the exhibition room. Lastly, I realized that it would be most interesting to the user IF the user can see what the artwork is doing just by looking at it. Though each of us had different taste of the artwork, one artwork that most people chose as their favorite was the wheel that was rolling based on time.
Just by looking at the wheel turning at a very different speed, the user can see that the artwork is about the time and that the speed of the wheel is based on the time. Therefore, it reminded me of the fact that it would be most essential for the user to know how to interact with the artwork without the artist explaining it.
Part 2: Research at least two other interactive projects to serve as inspiration for your Final Project. Find projects that align with what you think a successful interactive experience is and at least one that you think is less successful.
While I was searching for some interactive project, I got to find this project which shows the butterfly instead of a footstep where the user’s foot touched. I chose this as one of my inspirations for my Final Project because at a young age, everybody usually thinks of wanting to fly through the sky without the airplane. In addition, in Korea, there is a folk tale about two beloved lovers (Altair and Vega) and magpie becoming the footstool. The butterfly reminded me of the magpie in this story. One aspect that may be considered less successful is the fact that the butterfly is already there and the user has to step on the butterfly in order to make the butterfly glow. It would have been even cooler if the butterfly formed when the user steps on the rug.
The second project that I found very interesting was this alive painting. This project, whenever the user tilts the drawing, the objects inside the drawing would roll around as if they really do exists. I consider this project interactive with the same reason many people liked the time-wheel from the Chronus exhibition. Just by looking at it and tilting the artwork, the user would be mall enthralled by the artwork. However, I wish this artwork could also be taken out of the wall so that the user can shake it. Maybe it would have been more efficient if the monitor was in the shape of a phone or so (so it is easier for the user to shake the screen).
In addition, when I was searching for what I might be able to do with the processing, I found this amazing video. Despite the fact that I might not be able to create something like that, I would also love to do something similar to that using the processing as a form of a mirror.
Part 3: Go back to your definition of interaction as you defined it during the group project. Based on the initial definition and your experience developing and executing your midterm project, in your own words, explain what an interactive experience should consist of to be successful. Support your explanation by your analysis of the projects you researched in point A and B, and by citing references from the readings, and other artists or online articles you have read.
Drawing back to several previous posts that I made about the interactive researches, I still believe an interactive project has to be a project that the user can easily figure out the usage (how to use the device) without the artist standing next by to explain about it. In addition, the device must show a clear sign of processing based on the input that the user has put in.
Projects that I referred to back from part 1 and part 2 have one thing in common: it is easy for the user to see how the artwork/devices work. The wheel that was turning based on the time, the user could see that the wheel was turning based on the time going by just by looking at different speeds each wheel is turning. The rug that I mentioned in part 2 because it is a rug, it is obvious that the user would step on the rug to interact with it. Lastly, for the alive art piece, though it may be the least interactive out of all three mentioned above (because people usually do not turn the artwork), the user would know that they would have to do something with the artwork (like touching the screen and so on). Therefore, I believe a successful interactive project would be the project that is the self-explanatory project.
The motif that I chose for this project was the below image, Penetrating (B) by Josef Albers.
Penetrating (B) by Josef Albers
I chose this image because I wanted to draw something that resembles the musician’s album that has city-like mood. In order to do so, instead of parallelogram which gives more of classic look, using the for-loop, I decided to draw a building-like structure below the line above. In addition, I drew one big rectangle as the outline of the album.
In order to maximize the efficiency of time, I used the mouseClicked() function in the processing to select two points to draw lines, and print out the function in the console, therefore the only thing that I would have to do after is copying the code from the console. After drawing all the lines, I copied the code from the console. (The following code bit is found below).
*Caution: while drawing the lines (drawing), the basicBackground() function must be in the draw-loop with the gradient commented out*
Our previous research became an inspiration for our proposal. When people see something, they tend to guess what the device is going to do when they perform certain actions. Similarly, the audience looking at our project would have guessed what will happen to them when they perform certain action. Looking at the slot machine looking object, they would immediately guess that the slot machine just would be a slot machine. For our case, because it says “Roll 3 white rabbits to win a candy”, the audience will just think that it is just a candy giving slot machine. However, the uniqueness of our project is that, because the slot machine would rather spit out the candy looking message (usually they did not even know that it is not a candy until they pilled the wrap off). Looking at the message expecting a candy, the audience will feel the emptiness that would be similar to the one that gambling will give to people. Because our intent is to make people avoid gambling and the audience that we performed in front was students, the coin inside the slot machine was replaced with the candy.
CONCEPTION AND DESIGN
There is not much design, because we were attempting to resemble the slot machine.
Our Device
As you can see, our device is built out of the wood in the fabrication room, paint, papers, and other Arduino related devices.
Design of our project from the back (without circuit)The candy spitting part
Because the wheel has to rotate, our intent was to make the structure steady enough so that the device can be firm for the wheel to rotate. However, because it was made out of wood which was fabricated, if our measurement was off, we could not really replace it. Therefore it was difficult for us to put the things together. Especially, because we were running out of time for the third motor in the middle and because we had to have a hole in the middle for putting the candy inside, we decided to make the stand (for the step motor) out of leftover wood and rubber band. Maybe next time, it would be better for us to think of the better way to spit out candy.
In addition, maybe we should have used the steel for holding the hole (for rotation of the bar) because the machine definitely was having difficulty rotating properly since the plastic that was used to put inside the hole would wabble once in a while prohibiting the rotation to work properly.
For the 3 rabbit part, we changed the material from the 8-segmented LED to the 3 stepper motor because of the size difficulty (when the device would be huge, the 8-segmented LEDs were too small) and to resemble more closely to the real slot machine.
Our original circuit with 8-segmented LED
Instead of the 3 rabbits on the roll, our initial intent was to do go for 3 7’s. Therefore, the code would generate random numbers for each of 3 LEDs showing the number on the screen every time the button is pressed. However, we decided to change the 8-segmented LED to the 3 stepper motor because of the size (when the device would be huge, the 8-segmented LEDs were too small) and to resemble more closely to the real slot machine.
FABRICATION AND PRODUCTION:
The number one step that I did was to do the basic coding without connecting any device to the Arduino. (Such as randomSeed the number for all 3 step motors)
Because this allows my creativity to happen, it was more easy for me to write the code. It was, then easier for me to figure out the rest because I only had to do the coding related to 8-segmented LED (initially. It was after the user test that we changed the LED to the step motors).
The writing for calculating which segment to be light up in the code
After that, we did the user testing because we had to test the users’ reaction to the statements or whether the statement would actually work. Because our device was deviating slightly from the real slot machine in a way that our project would spit out candy not coins, we asked the users questions like “Do you think the idea of candy is better? Should we just stick with the coin?” and looked at the user’s reaction when they were unwrapping the candy. During the User Testing Session, we got some meaningful advice listed below.
Rather than using 3 Arduino Unos, just use 1 Arduino Mega, because it is difficult for us to do the connection between 3 Arduino Unos.
If we were to use the coin, laser cut the coins (with the message on). When the user is winning the coin, make A LOT OF COINS to fall down, just like a slot machine.
Would the actuator be powerful enough?
Use the lever rather than a button.
Win now or go for more buttons (2 choices)? (The gambling idea)
Suspense (time in between number rolls)
Candy or coin? -> depends on the audience
After receiving above feedback, we were reinforced by our white rabbit candy idea (because it was even difficult for us to differentiate the fake candies from the real candies) since the main audience of ours was our classmates or other college students (who started to have access to the gambling place). In addition, we changed the 3 Arduino Unos to 1 Arduino Mega, and added the suspense by putting some time and MORE ROLLS (the stepper is made to make 4 rolls before it actually stops on the right value) in between each roll.
Also, because we realized that our initial idea of the servo pushing out the candy would not be enough, we decided to add the 4th step motor to become the actuator. Above is the sketch that I made in order to build the actuator for the candy machine. By making this actuator to work, it was easier for us to move the bar to move out one candy from the group.
In addition, because we had to change from the 8 segment LED to the step motor, we also had to work out the code with the stepper motor. (Using the map function, the amount of degree that the stepper has to do was calculated).
However, because one of the motor would fail to stop at the right value until the end, we had to remove the randomSeed and made the project to show the white rabbit every single time the user pressed the button.
The goal of our project was to give an emptiness that is similar to the feeling that the gambler would feel after gambling and make the users avoid gambling especially because the college students are at the age when they start to have access to gambling places. Our project align with my definition of interaction in a way that it is obvious that a project is a slot machine. However, our project definitely failed to interact with the user because we did not have time to switch the small button to the big arcade button (we were panicking at the end because one of our wheels would not function well).
However, in a way that the audience was surprised by the fact that the object inside the candy wrap was not a real candy but was a paper with the message on. It was almost a failure if the audience who decided to perform decided not to eat the candy in that place. Maybe next time, we would have to think about a more direct way because some people may hate sweets and decide not to eat on that spot. This project experience would be essential in order to create a better, final project that is more interactive enough (something that the user can tell right away of the usage) and that functions better.
The second project that I found very interesting was 
In addition, when I was searching for what I might be able to do with the processing, I found 
The number one step that I did was to do the basic coding without connecting any device to the Arduino. (Such as randomSeed the number for all 3 step motors)
