Author: Malika Wang

My definition of Interactive

My definition of Interactive is greatly impacted by Crawford’s definition in The Art of Interactive Design. Interaction has to happen between two ‘actors’ who alternately ‘listen, think, and speak’ to each other. The projects that are built to give certain feedback or are programmed to act in a certain way when exposed to certain movement are not interactive according to my definition.

Projects researched

The two projects that I researched were Click Canvas, an Interactive Wall, and reaDIYmates.

The Interactive Wall is the exact kind of project that I don’t consider to be interactive. The blocks light up and change color every time someone touches them. Fancy but not interactive under my definition.

The reaDIYmates however, is closer to be interactive. Basically, it works like the Siri on your phone, but with a physical character. It responds to your questions other than completes what you program it to do. You may also connect more motors or chips to it and make it capable of performing more complex tasks.

Our project

Our project MiniMi aligns perfectly with my definition of Interaction. It is an AI that picks up its master’s behaviors, personalities, and psychology, and creates a ‘mind’ that knows the optimal decisions for you. With our MiniMi, you can interact with another ‘actor’ who understands what you are thinking (it is your mind after all) and figures out an optimal decision for you in return. Just like our slogans on the poster, ‘We know you better than you know yourself.’ and ‘The best second opinion you can buy.’ 

Materials

Arduino Uno: the codes are processed here.

USB A to B cable: connects the Arduino Uno to the computer.

Breadboard: a station to hold the circuit.

A handful of jumper cables: breadboard friendly, easy to use.

Fan: gives wind when the motor starts. Serves as the output.

Motor: gives power when applied current. Motivates the fan.

Moisture sensor: detects the moisture in the substance and gives data back for processing.

Some water: just something to play with the moisture sensor.

Circuit

circuit

Processes

Roger and I decided to play with the moisture sensor and wanted to build circulation. The idea was, a piece of wet tissue covers the sensor and the Arduino sends the signal to let the motor motivates the fan, and the fan will dry out the tissue and stop itself from working.

We encountered some problems. First, we weren’t sure the output range of the moisture sensor. So, we tested it and learnt that when dipped into water, the highest data could reach over 500. Then, we had trouble writing the code. Mainly, we didn’t know if we should use the ‘Servo’ combo or just treat it as a regular output and use the ‘analogWrite’ code. One of the assistants directed us into using the regular ‘analogWrite’ code. Finally, we wanted to map the data collected from the sensor into the range that at some point motivates the motor. But the motor never worked. Again, one of the assistants told us that the mapped data may not be enough to power the motor. And we changed the code into an if condition.

Reflection on the questions

Question 1

Roger and I played with the moisture sensor. It could be used to detect the moisture of the soil, and the fan can be replaced by heating machines and watering machines. If the data collected falls below a certain number, the watering machines work and make the soil wetter. If the date rises above a certain number, the heating machines work and make the soil dryer. Farmers can use it to monitor their field.

Question 2

I think of this as standing on the shoulder of a giant. With all the recipe and tutorials created beforehand, we may build more complicated stuff upon those. That’s why we post our work online for everybody to see. Maybe one day, one of my old projects will become someone else’s inspiration. And somehow, I feel like I contributed as well.

Question 3

I noticed one major difference between a generation that was not exposed to computers until mid-life and my generation who was exposed to computers pretty much the entire life. When my parents want to contact me, they call me. But I will wechat them. Somehow, our way of communicating is much more distant. However, in terms of connecting the whole world, computers bring people so much closer. We can wechat our friend in another city, another country. I believe it won’t be long until we can wechat someone on another planet.

Materials

Arduino Uno: the codes are processed here.

USB A to B cable: connects the Arduino Uno to the computer.

Breadboard: a station to hold the circuit.

Buzzer: gives noise when applied current. serves as the output.

LEDs: give light when applied current. serve as the output.

220-ohm resistors: add resistance to the circuit, lower the current so that buzzer or the LEDs won’t be burned.  

10K-ohm resistors: same as above, but the resistance is lower.

pushbuttons: when pushed, allow current to pass through.

arcade buttons: same as above.

A handful of jumper cables: breadboard friendly, easy to use.

Circuits

Circuit 1: Fade

diagram found here

Circuit 2: Tone Melody

diagram found here

Circuit 3: Speed Game

diagram found here

Circuit 4: 4 Players Speed Game

Processes

My partner and I finished the first three circuits smoothly. We spent most of the time studying circuit 3 and its code, trying to build circuit 4. Our code for circuit 4 is as follow:

We cooperated with another group and connect our two breadboards together onto our Arduino Uno. 

It was a lot of fun studying the code and the circuit, trying to figure out which part does what. When it worked, we were all so thrilled and proud of ourselves.

Reflection on the questions

Question 1

To be honest, I rarely ‘use’ technology in my daily life rather than ‘benefit from’ it. Before taking the Interaction Lab, I almost never had the chance to truly ‘use’ the technology to accomplish something. As for the circuits, the only interactive one for me was the fourth one. My partner and I really studied it, tried to ‘communicate’ with it. And it ‘reacted’ to our input by giving us its output. The fourth circuit was our original work. We ‘used’ technology to create that game for four.

Question 2

If I have 100,000 LEDs of any brightness and color, I would distribute a questionnaire, asking random people if they are willing to participate in an experiment. I would give every participant an LED of their choice of color, along with a device that will make the LED light up when walking pass another LED with the same color. I want to see what kind of interesting story would happen when two strangers walk towards each other and find out their LED lights up.

Materials

Breadboard 

A device that helps organize one’s mind when one is new to building circuits. Electronic components can be easily interconnected by inserting their ‘legs’ into the holes of a breadboard. The holes are connected with each other by certain rules like there are wires embedded under.

https://www.amazon.com/BB400-Solderless-Plug-BreadBoard-tie-points/dp/B0040Z1ERO

 LM7805 Voltage Regulator 

This is used to obtain an output voltage that is friendly to the buzzer and LED we use.

https://electronicsforu.com/resources/learn-electronics/7805-ic-voltage-regulator 

Buzzer 

This serves as the output of the first circuit we build. When applied with a sufficient amount of current, it gives a noise indicating that the circuit is working.

https://wp.nyu.edu/shanghai-ima-interaction-lab/category/recitations/

Push-Button (Switch)

When pushed, allows current to run through and makes the entire circuit function. But my partner and I used our own button to do the trick. We soldered this button.

Arcade Button 

Another kind of switch. We didn’t use it though.

220-ohm Resistor 

This is used to add resistance into the entire circuit so that the voltage will not all be applied onto the speaker or the LED, preventing them from being burned.  

LED 

This serves as the output in our circuit. It is very cheap but easy to burn. Therefore, we must very carefully choose the right resistor to take the heat off its back. It has a longer leg and a shorter leg. The current should run into the LED from the longer leg and leave the LED through the shorter leg.

100 nF (0.1uF) Capacitor 

I am not entirely sure what it does in our circuit, but I know that it has something to do with storing electrical energy.

https://wp.nyu.edu/shanghai-ima-interaction-lab/category/recitations/

10K ohm Variable Resistor (Potentiometer) 

This is a resistor whose resistance we can control. In the third circuit, it serves as a way to control the brightness of the LED.

https://wp.nyu.edu/shanghai-ima-interaction-lab/category/recitations/

12-volt power supply 

It serves as an adaptor that turns 220V AC to 12V DC, which is a friendly voltage for our circuits.

Barrel Jack 

It serves as the bridge that connects the power supply to the breadboard.

Multimeter 

We used it to measure the resistance of all the resistors we got from the box and find the right resistor of 220-ohm.

Several Jumper Cables (Hook-up Wires) 

These are breadboard-friendly. Very easy to use.

Circuits

Circuit 1: Door Bell

https://wp.nyu.edu/shanghai-ima-interaction-lab/category/recitations/

Above is the video of it working.

Circuit 2: Lamp

https://wp.nyu.edu/shanghai-ima-interaction-lab/category/recitations/

Above is the video of it working.

Circuit 3: Dimmable Lamp

https://wp.nyu.edu/shanghai-ima-interaction-lab/category/recitations/

Above is the video of it working.

Processes

When building the first circuit, my partner and I encountered two major problems. The first one was that we didn’t pay attention to the different function of the three legs of the LM7805 voltage regulator. We found the pinout diagram and solved this problem. The second was how we didn’t make good use of the special design of the breadboard, and our circuit was a mess. One of the LAs passed by and explained to us how we could insert the red line and ground line of the power source into the left side of the breadboard and make the entire left side into the power line. After we successfully finished the first circuit, the remaining two circuits turned into a piece of cake and we were able to finish them without making any mistake.

Reflection on the questions

Question 1

I think the circuits we built in the recitation were not interactive. They were too basic and not smart enough to be interactive. The only interactivity between the circuits and us were the feedbacks we got from the output parts of them. Whether the buzzer made noise or whether the LED lit was hardly communicating. Therefore, they were not interactive in the way described in The Art of Interactive Design. But the process of building them was interactive for my partner and me. We ‘alternately listen, think, and speak’ to each other and together, we finished the work.

Question 2

I think it all starts with an interactive idea. You see a possibility to make something interactive, you have this idea. And with the help of some design and delicate application of technology, you create a piece of interactive art.