Category: Eric

Partner: Julia (Qianyue Fan)

Circuit 1:

Breadboard: the platform for connecting the circuit

12-volt power supply: providing electricity for the circuit

Voltage Regulator: adjusting the voltage to make it close to the value needed by the circuit

Buzzer: a signal to show the circuit has electricity and is complete by making sounds

Push-Button Switch: controlling whether the current can go through, deciding whether the circuit is cut or not

Capacitor: storing electricity when the current goes in, and releasing energy when the circuit is without the current

Building this circuit was really difficult for me since it was the first time that I had ever seen a breadboard. Therefore, we spent some time figuring out the function of each part of the breadboard. At first, we were confused about the voltage regulator, because we were not sure about the function of the three feet of it. With the help of the instruction, we set the voltage regulator correctly. Later, we did not know how to set the button, since it has 4 corners to be connected with 2 wires. With the help of an IMA fellow, we learned that we have to test which two corners to use by using a multimeter. Only if the number remains 0 can we use the tested 2 corners on the button, otherwise the LED would be on before pressing the button. Then we set the capacitor and finished this circuit.

Circuit 2:

Breadboard: the platform for connecting the circuit

12-volt power supply: providing electricity for the circuit

Voltage Regulator: adjusting the voltage to make it close to the value needed by the circuit

LED: making sure that the electricity goes in a single direction, and showing whether the circuit is complete and correct or not

Push-Button Switch: controlling whether the current can go through, deciding whether the circuit is cut or not

220-ohm Resistor: limiting current to protect the circuit

Capacitor: storing electricity when the current goes in, and releasing energy when the circuit is without the current.

It was easier to build this circuit since we were kind of familiar with the breadboard. However, with too many components in the same circuit, it is hard to judge where to put the wires. At first, we thought our circuit was correct, but actually, we did not notice that there was a spare line connecting the capacitor and the power supply. Therefore, it is important to check whether all of the wires are necessary after building it.

Circuit 3

Breadboard: the platform for connecting the circuit

12-volt power supply: providing electricity for the circuit

Voltage Regulator: adjusting the voltage to make it close to the value needed by the circuit

LED: making sure that the electricity goes in a single direction, and showing whether the circuit is complete and correct or not

220-ohm Resistor: limiting current to protect the circuit

Variable Resistor: having adjustable resistance for the current

Push-Button Switch: controlling whether the current can go through, deciding whether the circuit is cut or not

Capacitor: storing electricity when the current goes in, and releasing energy when the circuit is without the current.

We finished this circuit quickly, because it was based on the previous circuit, and we only need to add a variable resistor. With the reminder of a fellow, we plug off the circuit to avoid getting shocked when making adjustments to the circuit. However, the circuit did not work even if it seemed correct. Later, we found out that we put the pins of the voltage regulator into the wrong holes, and we turned the variable resistor to its biggest value. After fixing these problems, the LED light was on.

Question 1:

After reading The Art of Interactive Design, in what way do you think that the circuits you built today include interactivity? Please explain your answer.

According to the reading, interactivity contains two actors, and they respond to each other’s action back and forth. For the circuits I built with my partner, the two actors are people and the circuit. When the circuit is completed, people get the signal that it can work, responding to it by pressing the button. The circuit responded to people’s action by letting electricity go throw, lightening the LED.

Question 2:

How can Interaction Design and Physical Computing be used to create Interactive Art? You can reference Zack Lieberman’s video or any other artist that you know.

Interaction Design and Physical Computing can be used to create Interactive Art, by building interaction between human body and computer. They exaggerate and concretize people’s inner incentive and emotion. A computer can react to the energy given off by bodies, and bodies can give different choices reacting to different signals given by the computer. According to Zack Lieberman’s project, Eye-writer, Interaction Design, and Physical Computing were used to help people who are not able to move to create arts. Therefore, Interaction Design and Physical Computing can be used to enable people who are unable to move to express themselves through a more convenient way, and concretize people’s inner feeling, artistic thoughts, and abstract emotion, by setting computers to react to and transform the energy given off by bodies.

Circuit 1: Door Bell

Components:
1 * LM7805 Voltage Regulator: to maintain a constant voltage level                        1 * 12-volt power supply: to provide the electrical power
1 * Breadboard: to provide a base for making electronic connections and aid in the prototyping of circuits.
1 * 100 nF (0.1uF) Capacitor: to store electricity while current is flowing into them, then release the energy when the incoming current is removed.   
1 * Push-Button Switch: a control mechanism which can be used to interrupt the flow of current through a circuit.
1 * Buzzer: create sounds when there is flowing electricity in the circuit
Several Jumper Cables (Hook-up Wires): to connect different components in the circuit

Diagram:

Photos:

Reflection:
As it is the first circuit we connect, we met a little bit more difficult to figure out how things work. But eventually, we figured out how the holes on the breadboard are connected. Another tricky thing is the approach to connect the switch into the circuit. With the help from one of the fellows, we found out that switch can be plugged into two sets of holes that are not connected so that the switch can actually realize its function as controlling whether there is electricity flowing in the circuit. During the process, we occasionally found that there was not enough space to put several connected appliances in the same set of holes. But we succeed in plugging them somewhere else and then use wires to connect them into the circuit. Another tip we got from the fellow is that, before finishing the circuit and checking there are no mistakes such as short circuit, the power should never be connected into the circuit.

Circuit 2: Lamp

Components:

1 * 12-volt power supply: to provide the electrical power
1 * Breadboard: to provide a base for making electronic connections and aid in the prototyping of circuits.
1 * 100 nF (0.1uF) Capacitor: to store electricity while current is flowing into them, then release the energy when the incoming current is removed.
1 * LM7805 Voltage Regulator: to maintain a constant voltage level
1 * Push-Button Switch: a control mechanism which can be used to interrupt the flow of current through a circuit.
1 * LED: light up when there is electricity flowing in the circuit
1 * 220-ohm Resistor: resists the flow of electricity, and can be used to control the flow of current.
Several Jumper Cables (Hook-up Wires): to connect different components in the circuit

Diagram:

Photos:

Reflections:
With the experience of the first circuit, the second one seems to be much easier. The only problem we met is that we mistakenly connected the wires to the holes that are disconnected to the LED, meaning that the LED is not connected into the circuit at all. But by inspecting by ourselves we spotted the problem and fixed it. Therefore, we finished connecting this circuit rather smoothly with much difficulty, as we have had general experience of how to do so in the first circuit.

Circuit 3: Dimmable Lamp

Components:

1 * 12-volt power supply: to provide the electrical power
1 * Breadboard: to provide a base for making electronic connections and aid in the prototyping of circuits.
1 * 100 nF (0.1uF) Capacitor: to store electricity while current is flowing into them, then release the energy when the incoming current is removed.
1 * LM7805 Voltage Regulator: to maintain a constant voltage level
1 * Push-Button Switch: a control mechanism which can be used to interrupt the flow of current through a circuit.
1 * LED: light up when there is electricity flowing in the circuit
1 * 220-ohm Resistor: resists the flow of electricity, and can be used to control the flow of current.
1 * 10K ohm Variable Resistor (Potentiometer): a resistor with a sliding contact attached to a knob that outputs an adjustable voltage
Several Jumper Cables (Hook-up Wires): to connect different components in the circuit

Diagram:

Photos:

Reflection:
The third circuit is based on the second one. The only change we need to make is to insert a variable resistor into the circuit. The biggest problem we met here is that there was not enough space to do so. But according to our experience in the first circuit, we put the variable resistor in the right side of the breadboard and used wires to connect it into the circuit that mainly locates on the left side of the breadboard.

Question 1:
As far as I can think of, the switch, and the variable resistor both include interactivity. As is mentioned in the article “The Art of Interactive Design”, the interactive process includes input, process, and output. Our action to push the button on the switch or to adjust the resistance to change how light the LED is are the inputs. The circuits then process such inputs, meaning that electricity flow through the circuits built by us. Eventually, we are able to see the output of the process. For example, the buzzer makes sounds and the light of the LED changes. These all show us that the circuit we built is working as we expect them to, which is indeed a sort of interactivity.

Question 2:
From my perspective, interaction design and physical computing should be combined to create something that is controlled by people. The interaction design makes sure that human behaviors and actions are indispensable parts of interactive art. On the other hand, physical computing makes sure that the product is controllable in terms of human instructions or behaviors. That is, the process of physical computing provides interactive art the ability to change or adjust itself according to people’s instructions or behaviors. Only if a product or design contains both the elements, can it be called interactive art.

Recitation Week 1

Materials

Breadboard:a layout of conduc

tive terminals that provides a consistent cable design for t

he construction of circuits

LM7805 Voltage Regulator:maintains a constant voltage level so the buzzer and LED can operate efficiently

Buzzer:an electrical device that makes a buzzing noise

Push-Button Switch:gives the interactor the power to choose when to let the current flow

Arcade Button:allows one to control whether or not electricity passes through the circuit by pressing the button

220 ohm Resistor:adds resistance to the circuit in order to decrease the voltage and keep the LED stable

LED:a semiconductor diode which glows when a voltage is applied

100 nF (0.1uF) Capacitor:stores energy in the form of an electrostatic field between its plates

10K ohm Variable Resistor (Potentiometer):a resistor with an adjustable voltage divider

12 Volt Power Supply:used to reduce the mains electricity at 240 volts AC down to 12 volts do make it more useable

Barrel Jack:a power connector used for connecting low-voltage devices to external electricity

Multimeter:measures electric current, voltage, and usually resistance

Jumper Cables (Hook-up Wires):a single insulated conductor used for low-voltage applications

Circuit 1:

Building Process

Building the first circuit was somewhat difficult, as we had to learn how to work with the layout of the breadboard and all our materials. We encountered the problem that we couldn’t identify which piece was which but were able to refer to the recitation notes to see a picture and function of each piece. Once we identified all the pieces and placed them in the correct circuit, we tried hitting the button, but failed to make the buzzer buzz. After receiving help from one of the teaching fellows, we realized one of our pieces was faulty, and replaced it with a new one. Upon this adjustment, the buzzer worked, and we were able to take apart the circuit and start the next one.

Circuit 2:

Building Process

The process of building the second circuit went a lot smoother than the first, as we were more familiar with the materials and working with the breadboard. The only difference between circuit 1 and 2 is that we replaced with an LED light and added a resistor to tone down the voltage of the bulb. Because of this, we were able to reuse a lot of the previous circuit and did not run into issues while completing it.

Circuit 3:

Building Process

Building the last circuit went faster than building the other 2, although we did run into issues along the way. We did not understand the circuit diagram at first and were unable to place the pieces correctly into the circuit. Though circuit 3 was harder for us to complete than circuit 2, it was easier than circuit 1. All we had to do to complete this circuit was add the 10K ohm Variable Resistor to circuit 2 to be able to adjust the brightness of the bulb. At first, the LED would not turn on, so we once again asked a teaching fellow to assist with our issue. He then checked all parts of our circuit and it seemed to be correct, so we deduced that the problem lied in the reliability of the materials we used.

Question 1:

The circuits we built include interactivity because all parts of the circuit have to work together in order for it to perform the desired result. For example, in the third circuit, the resistor works with the capacitator and current flowing through the breadbox to make the LED work and stay stable. While the resistor dissipates energy, the capacitator stores it, which allows the circuit to function as desired and turn on either the buzzer or the LED when the button is pressed. By using wires and other materials that facilitate or alter the flow of energy, electrically charged particles can be passed on from unit to the next, thus having the components of a circuit working together towards a common purpose.

Question 2:                                                                                                                      

Physical computing can be used to “bring art to life”, as in the project shown by Zack Lieberman. It can be used to trick the eye into making otherwise lifeless or still images move and respond to cues triggered by the art’s audience, like in exhibitions in art museums that allow visitors to interact with and create their own art. Digitalizing art allows for a wide range of interactive possibilities, as coding allows for limitless possibilities for the creation of such artworks. Computing can allow artists to create things that would otherwise be physically impossible, such as drawing and projecting graffiti live onto a road using eye-tracking technology (shown in Liebermann’s video).  

  

Recitation 1
Circuit 1: Doorbell

This circuit consisted of multiple elements, starting with a 12 volt power source at the beginning. Without this component, the circuit would have no power. The next component is a voltage regulator and its job is to maintain a consistent voltage level. There is also a capacitor that decreases the power level. The charges coming out of the capacitor and the second output of the regulator both get grounded, while the charge coming out of the third outlet goes directly to a speaker that makes noise and a switch that allows you to control whether noise comes out of the speaker or not. The purpose of this circuit is to emit noise out of a speaker. During the process of building the speaker we ran into a number of challenges that centered around our voltage capacitors being inefficient. We had to exchange three capacitors until our circuit was working properly.

Circuit 2: Lamp

Our second circuit and its purpose was to light a small LED light. It began with a 12 volt power source that entered into a voltage regulator that maintained a distinct voltage level, as well as a capacitor that lessened the power in the circuit.The charges coming from the capacitor and the second outlet of the regulator both get grounded, while the outward charge from the regulator travels through a resistor. This resistor does exactly what it is entitled and resists the current coming through it. Then the charge travels through the LED light that is supposed to light up and then goes through a switch that allows you to control the light manually.

Circuit 3: Dimmable Lamp

The third circuit we were required to built had to light up another LED light, but had to have the ability to turn a knob and dim the light. It began with a 12 volt power source that entered into a voltage regulator that maintained a distinct voltage level, as well as a capacitor that lessened the power in the circuit.The charges coming from the capacitor and the second outlet of the regulator both get grounded, while the outward charge from the regulator travels through a resistor. This resistor does exactly what it is entitled and resists the current coming through it. The charge then goes through a variable resistor that allows you to manually change the amount of resistance to the current before it enters the LED light and a switch.

Question 1: In a way, our circuits include interactivity because the different components in them communicate with one another. I believe they do this through the energy/ charge itself traveling through the circuit. It seems as though each component decides to either alter the charge or is altered by the charge before it is grounded. I also think the circuits are interactive in that they all have switches that we can interact with.

Question 2: I think that both Interactive Design and Physical Computing can be used to create Interactive Art in that the technology used can involve an audience. One of the examples that Zack Lieberman mentions is the “open mouth phenomenon”, where he feels that it is the pathway to someone’s heart. This can be influenced by Interactive Art that is created from Interactive Design and Physical Computing, an example being the car/ driver project that Lieberman works on. These projects involve a lot of research behind them in order to be constructed and many people do not realize that.