Category: Inmi

My definition of interaction is a cyclic process requiring at least two objects that have effects on each other, which can be regarded as the communication between two objects through a loop of inputs and outputs.  According to Crawford’s article, The Art of Interaction Design, interaction must have three parts: input, process, and output (5). In this case, one of the objects’ effect should be regarded as the input and the others’ effect should be regarded as the output of the interaction. 

One interactive project which aligns my definition better is RAMPS, which is a wheelchair based DJ interface created when designers John Schimmel, Wlodek Koss, and Tristan Perich met disabled rapper E$. This project is like a wheelchair-shaped DJ turntable. The person who sits in the wheelchair can interact with the music by moving the wheel. And it’s like what DJ does in clubs. This project quite fits my definition of interaction because the movement of the wheel can be regarded as the input and the change of the music is the output. Furthermore, the user will do more changes depending on the music. In this circumstance, the music becomes the input and the further actions of the user become the output of interaction. Thus, the actions of interaction continuously occur between the user and the music.  In this sense, the cyclic process is developed in this project. 

One interactive project that doesn’t align my definition is Short ++, which is a pair of robotic platform shoes worn by artist Adi Marom. This project is basically a pair of shoes that can change the height of the shoes to make the person look taller. The only interactive part of this project is that you may click a button to change the height of the shoes. However, except for this part, there is no more interaction between you and the shoes. The so-called cyclic process also doesn’t exist in this project. Maybe the possible further interaction could be the communication between you and those who see you wearing this but not between you and the shoes itself. Thus, this project aligns less with my definition. 

Our group is the third group that made the Heal-O-Matic Machine, which is an assistant machine telling you what’s wrong with your body and giving you the medication. Our idea is that if people are sick or get injured not too severely, they don’t need to go to the hospital. They can find a Heal-O-Matic and the machine will dispense the proper medication for you by sensing your body condition. The general idea of our project is to improve people’s lives and make our lives more convenient and easier in the future. As for the interactive part, it also fits my definition of interaction. When the machine is sensing your body condition, all the information about your body, such as your blood type, and your body temperature, is the input of interaction. After processing all the information, the machine will dispense the proper medication, which is the output of interaction. After taking the medication, your body condition has changed. When you use the machine again, the input will change so that the machine will also dispense different medications as the output. In this sense, the process of interaction between you and the machine would continue until you get completely cured. In this sense, this process aligns with the cyclic precess in my definition. In addition, the machine also contains an artificial intelligence voice assistant. It would tell you the medication plan depending on your body condition at that time. And what it says actually motivates the user to give their feedback as well, which also promotes the continuity of interaction between the user and the machine. In conclusion, our project embodies our understanding of interaction and shows the prototype of the life in the future. Even though this project only requires us to make a prototype, the whole process indeed lets us explore the meaning of interaction. As I learn more in this course, I can discover more information and knowledge behind the word “interaction”. And I’m looking forward to exploring more about interaction in this class. 

From my point of view, interaction is an iterative process which involves actions and feedback. The whole process are composed by input, process, and output, or more straightaway, “listening, thinking, and speaking”. Interaction needs constant response. It exists not only between humans but also between humans and machines/devices. 

Before I read the article called The Art of Interactive Design, I haven’t had a concrete definition for interaction. For me, interaction just means actions or talking between different people. However, after I read Crawford’s article, I started to have a more detailed definition for interaction. In Crawford’s article, he gives the definition that “interaction is a cyclic process in which two actors alternately listen, think, and speak”, which exerts a strong influence on me when I built my own definition for interaction. Besides the definition, Crawford also mentions the degrees of interactivity. He mentioned that objects such as refrigerators interact with human beings at a low level (Crawford 6). This reminded me that interaction exists not only between different humans but also between humans and devices. The only difference is that interactions between humans and devices could be at a lower level than the ones between different humans. That’s basically how I shaped my definition for interaction.

During my research, I found a project that aligned with my definition for interaction called Glassified – Ruler with transparent display to supplement physical drawing. In this project, users can draw any geometric figure. After placing the glassified-ruler onto the figure, the screen can give dynamic feedback to the users. The reason why I think this project aligned with my definition is that this device responds to people’s drawing. The geometric figure that people draw is the input. The process is “to solve math problems, combine drawing with computer algorithms, and learn physics using a physics simulator to understand movement and forces in physics drawings”. The output is the image that displays on the screen. 

In terms of the project that doesn’t align with my definition, I chose the one named Studio Drift – Free floating concrete monolith & HoloLens Artwork. Even though it seems like this floating concrete object is interacting with the surrounding air, there is no “input, process, output” cycle. Besides, there is no interaction between this object and visitors. It stays by its own floatage and gives no feedback or response to human actions. That’s why I think this project doesn’t align with my definition.

For my group, we came up with a definition for interaction – interaction is a continuous conversation between two or more corresponding elements. Our idea is to use the thermometer as a sensor to sense the user’s body temperature and adjust the ambient temperature accordingly. In the process, the user is interacting with sensors and the air conditioning system. The input is the user’s body temperature. The process is that sensors transfer the temperature information to the house’s air conditioner and the AC start to compute the appropriate house temperature according to the information that sensors provide. Then the output is the suitable house temperature. Our project has a complete process for interaction and gives response/feedback to the user’s body temperature (input), just like the project that aligned with the definition. We tended to make our project interact with human beings and also with different devices so that it wouldn’t happen to be like the project that doesn’t align with the definition. 

Reference:

http://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ima-wp/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/08/05164121/The-Art-of-Interactive-Design-brief.pdf

Glassified – Ruler with transparent display to supplement physical drawing

Studio Drift – Free floating concrete monolith & HoloLens Artwork

  The definition of interaction for me is a cyclic process that requires at least two objects (both animate and inanimate are accepted) individually has its input-analyze-output. Simply, each part included in the process need to be able to react when receiving different types of signal, no matter the relationship is easy or complex. As mentioned by Crawford, the refrigerator example shows the value of the interaction exits in the moment someone feels connections-engagement, entertainment and so on(Crawford, 4).

  One project I found doesn’t align with my definition is the Ethical Things – The mundane, the insignificant and the ‘smart’ (things) https://www.creativeapplications.net/objects/ethical-things-the-mundane-the-insignificant-and-the-smart-things/

I’m not saying the whole process of the project does not align with the definition. The fan can serve a certain group of people by setting ethics and it can detect and decide who is the target.  When it faces a doubt, it requires a “worker” to help it to do the decision.  First, the cyclic process doesn’t appear much for the only thing people do is to sit there and enjoy the fan. The input is set by people instead of directly detecting by the fun which shows little spontaneous connection between them. Secondly, when it faces a dilemma, it can’t decide by itself and involves other helpers. Interaction should include meaningful back and forth connections and each express itself clearly.

  One project I found aligns with my definition is Eyewriter which is a tool created by F.A.T. Lab and Graffiti Research labs. It shows the constant connections between one’s eyeball and the device can draw pictures along the movement of the eyeball. It requires the active participation of both the creator and the performer and it fulfills the cyclic process.

  As for the group project, I’m in the “let’s dance” group 5. We met 3 times in total and we discussed and cooperated together. We first came up with some plans which were super cool but didn’t include interaction.  For example, someone said we can create a device that can help us squeeze the liquid left in the paper can. Finally, inspired by the difficulties everyone meet in dance class, we decided to create a device called”jiggy jiggy” which can help to learn how to dance. By wearing the device, it can copy the teachers’ movements exactly and send it to the students’  device which reduces time and energy to learn. The helmet also helps to show the full images of the movement and assist learning. After the performance, I was strongly inspired by the Q&A part. The device can not only be used in dance teaching but also can be used in other fields which requires a copy of movements and position such as the learning of instruments. We should always break the bubbles around us and think actively and to find connections between many areas which seems irrelevant.

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Let’s dance poster

To me, interaction is a continuous conversation between two or more corresponding elements that takes energy to and communication.

Within the two projects that my group and I researched, what triggered my understanding of interaction the most was the project by Aaron Sherwood called “Firewall.” Within this project, Sherwood created an “interactive” design where an individual must touch the backdrop in order for it to interact with them. The project would then start playing its own music according to the motions and movements it felt. This project was the perfect definition of interaction because it showed a continuous corresponding action of input and output when an individual communicates with technology. At the same time, the project itself would still run on its own, not in need of another individual to interact with it.

The other project we researched was just an Arduino based program called “Click Canvas.” This was basically just a variety of lights that would turn on once someone clicked or tapped it. This did not suit my definition of interaction because this project would just be sitting there doing nothing unless someone decided to play with it. Whereas “Firewall” would still run by itself, not in need of a person, if it wanted to.

My group and I created the Body Sensor which would sense a person’s body temperature and adjust the AC/Heat in the house. This fit with our definition because it would just be an ongoing circle of events whenever a person’s body temperature is changing, so would the house AC/Heat. The body sensor would be able to fully operate on its own as well, not needing the person to control what it is doing. This fits with our definition of interaction because whether or not the person is giving an input, the sensor will provide an output.

The first sensor that had caught our eyes was the moisture sensor. It was kind of hilarious of how after we finished building everything the sensor could not test out the humidity when I put it on my hands. We doubted ourselves for a second. Then later we found out that because my hand was too dry, so the sensor did not work. After I poured water on my hand, then the number went up tremendously. Since the moisture sensor can test out the humidity, so I think it is a useful tool for people who constantly need to figure out the level of humidity and collect the data for their work. In this case, people who work for weather casts might find moisture sensor to be very useful. They would use the moisture sensor because it could make their jobs easier by collecting the nearly most accurate data for them.

Coding, unlike writing, it does not have the freedom to let you spit out whatever is in your mind as long as you are logically making sense. When you code, of course there are several coding options for one task. But you do have to follow the guideline. For example, you have to start a statement then close it properly. Otherwise, an error message would appear on the system. This is no different from cooking. Whenever you cook, you also have to follow the guidelines even though you also do have several options lying ahead of you. But heating up the pan, then pour oil, etc, are the processes that can never be skipped.

Computer exists everywhere in these days. A lot of us rely on computer in many ways, such as collecting data for work, recording documentations for a class, finding out the outside world, etc. Computer makes our daily lives much more convenient and opens up so much more opportunities for us.