Author: Salome Edwige Demangeot

Using Processing 

http://www.artnet.com/artists/victor-vasarely/voeroech-ii-a-xiP_kzBAA2JhVxQEyW14xw2

I chose this image named Voeroech II by Victor Vasarely because the complexity of the square rotation intrigued me and it would challenge me to get the colour nuances. 

In order to draw this on Processing, I knew I would have to use the quad function and find the right edges of the square to plot. I found it much more difficult to do than  I originally thought as the squares have to be proportional and the difference of length between the squares interchanged between the y and x axis so I had to calculate the pixels difference between the squares. 

Additionally, the colours are not strong and their brightness are quite soft so getting the right tone was not easy. I found using processing very interesting as I had no idea prior to the recitation that there was such a thing as coded art. 

I managed to get through six squares during the recitation. It was very difficult to keep the proportionality of the squares, my code for it is as follows: 

Recitation 4 – Drawing Machines: Stepper motor 

During recitation, we first started to make individual circuits using a stepper motor following a more intricate circuit in such ways: 

We had to be careful when plugging in the circuit as we had to keep the 5V and the 12V separate. 

And then we had to add a potentiometer to the circuit. The first time around, although my circuit was right, it did not work well because the potentiometer was connect to the 12V and it’s better to connect it to 5V so I had to turn it around in order to make it work.

When plugging in the potentiometer we had to use the map function, so in the void loop section of the code, we had to add map(val,  0, 255, 0, 200) which the TA explained to me. After that, the stepper worked. 

I proceeded to pair up in order to make the drawing machine using laser cut arms and my partner’s stepper and mine. We combined them together and made the machine: 

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 would be interested in making a halloween decoration which scares people as they walk by using a motion sensors. In terms of actuators, the motors would be located in the laser-cut arms that would move when someone walks by. This is a digital manipulation of art as the statue would seem not interactive until the motion sensor sensed you coming and the creative process would be in designing the silhouette of the decoration that would then be laser cut or 3D made.

Question 2:

An Art installation mentioned in the reading ART + Science NOW, Stephen Wilson (Kinetics chapter) I found interesting it “the table” Raffaello D’Andrea, Max Dean and Matt Donavan. In this installation a robotic tables interacts with the people in a room. This could be very useful in our daily lives, for instance in medicine during surgery the table with all the surgery utensils and follow the surgeons to make their actions more time efficient and practical. I think that the mention sensors senses the people in the room, and that the motors make the wheels on the feet of the table function and follow the person. 

Exploring Interaction Project

In my opinion, interaction is a repetitive process between two agents where a thought turns into an action with a response. It is a prolongation of our senses through means of advancing technology. As the text Introduction to Physical Computing explains: for interaction to exist, there needs to be an output, input and processing (Physical Computing, introduction XX).

The project called “Algorithmic drive” fits my definition of interactivity as the device is located in a room in front of a seat, there is a controller which interacts with the display to choose what will appear on the screen. This fits my definition of interaction as there are two agents: the controller thinks, sends a message and the display shows the response. 

While “Algorithmic drive” fits my definition, the project of “Artificial Arcadia measure and adjustable landscapes” does not necessarily extend our senses like I had defined interaction. Instead it uses advancing technology to show us a probability of the change in the environment. It does not necessarily interact with us in a personal level where one agent thinks of doing something and it does it, but instead shows us something that we cannot see in the world but is happening. In such ways it gives us a larger picture of something existent. 

For our own project, we first tried to collectively brainstorm on what object of our daily lives we would still need in a hundred years and how could we improve this object in an interactive form. We came up with many ideas, one of which being sources of entertainment such as movies. We talked about how many movies explores interactivity by making them in 3D, and what would happen if people could physically be projected into a movie or a video game. However since those ideas already have movies about them, we came up with making interactive video calls. Indeed as we are students who live abroad, we often try to reach out to our families, but what about actually being able to put on a headband and find ourselves in a chat room where we can see, feel, touch and smell others? In such ways this device fits my previous definition of interaction as it would solve a current issue (long distance relations) through means of progressive technology and extends all of our senses. Furthermore, this device could be more than just interactive video calls, but could also ameliorate medicine and education. 

Citations 

Quévillon, François. Algorithmic Drive (2019)

Algorithmic Drive – Spectacular car(au)tonomy

Fragmentin, KOSMOS architects, Artificial Arcadia (2019)

Artificial Arcadia – Measured and adjustable landscapes

Igoe Tom, O’sullivan Dan. Introduction to Physical Computing, (2004)

Physical Computing 

Recitation 3 

The first circuit that we built was using the variable resistors which is light sensor, . s a type of variable resistor that has a resistive value which changes based on the amount of light shone onto it.  As we covered the light sensor to create darkness, the LED on our Arduino blinked much faster, and when it was in the light,  the LED blinking was much slower. 

In order to make the circuit work we used: 

• Arduino
• 10K ohm photoresistor and 10K ohm resistor
• built-in LED on pin 13 

The circuit was built using these models found on: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/AnalogInput 

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?

We intended to build both the variable resistor sensor, and the joystick module. The joystick module was much harder to understand as our joystick did not match the one in the explanation so we were not sure on how to make it work. The TA that we asked also did not understand much but the professor explained well which sensors we had to connect with which and we managed to make it work as such: 

Question 2:

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

Because a cooking recipe is meant to be fairly simple and straightforward. We simply need to follow step by step just like coding, every sentence is straightforward and is read in a linear method. 

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?

“The internet which can be thought of as one huge distributed media database… overabundance of information of all kind” (Manovich 16) explains how I believe that computer influences our human behaviours as we become dependent on their information and lose the ability to learn all of this knowledge. Such as spelling becomes so easily corrected on the computer, we forget the basic spelling rules, or mathematical rules with the calculator. 

Recitation 2 Arduino basics 

In this recitation we made three circuits: the first one was to make a circuit which lets the LED light fade

The second circuit we made was a tone melody circuit. I had difficult with the code as it said that the notes were not defined as we needed to define each notes on another page which was more difficult. 

The third circuit was the most interesting in my opinion, we made was a speed game which was the most elaborate circuit we’ve had to make so far. It was confusing with how many wires we needed to plug, and it definitely helped to colour code them when following the example. 

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.

In my daily life, I use technology mindlessly all of the time without thinking of how it was made just how to use them. The circuits that we made today made me realise how much work is put behind making something that seems as easy as a ten seconds game but actually is not. so this made me realize all the work behind something more technological like a computer.

I would define interaction using the text Physical Computing as a repetitive process between two agents where a thought turns into an action with a response, it is a prolongation of our senses through means of advancing technology.

1. Why did we use the 10K resistor with the push button?

Since the push button has an undetermined voltage, it is safer to use a resistor that can anticipate a higher voltage than having a smaller one which would lead to a short circuit. 

1. If you have 100,000 LEDs of any brightness and color at your disposal, what would you make and where would you put it?

If I had 100,000 LEDs I would light up the inside of my future car to make it look futuristic.