Project Title: Reveal Your Voice
Group Members: Karen Zhang, Arthur Gu, Sharon Xu, Anna
Reflection; My Definition of Interaction:
The term interactivity is a term remarkably ambiguous in the realm of technology and its association with the human race. There is no clear definition of interaction for the term has witnessed decades of exploitation upon products and technology that seem to share minimal similarities with one another. Therefore, due to its ambiguous nature, the term ‘interaction’ does not have a concrete definition, indicating that any opinion is valid. My belief on interaction is majorly influenced by Chris Crawford’s “Art of Interactive Design.” I believe that interaction is the term coined for a direct involvement between two subjects, living or nonliving. Within this interaction, there must be a force present to stimulate an effect, often times, this input and output complex works through a constant cycle of interactivity. The cycle, as Crawford mentions, should be a process in which the actors “alternately listen, think and speak” (8). He eloquently clarifies to readers a certain discrepancy between reactions and interaction, deepening our beliefs on interactivity. With all interactions, there are at least two actors who react with one another to create this constant cycle (13). It can not be considered interaction when an actor produces output but fails to input any information and or data. With Crawford’s detailed explanations, I am able to create my own definition of interactivity and apply it to certain projects to identify its true interactive nature.
Chris Crawford – “Art of Interactive Design”
http://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ima-wp/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/08/05164121/The-Art-of-Interactive-Design-brief.pd
Researching Projects of Interactivity (Part I)
The two projects I researched in the initial stages of the group research project include Future Agency’s “Scout,” and solar energy chargers. Scout, as detailed on Creative Applications Network, is a “smart-home counterspy agent” that takes the responsibility of “intercepting data and visualizing it on its own display.” The data comes from the user’s usage of other interactive devices, including objects, websites, and devices such as thermostats, bulbs, TVs and Netflix and much more. In a world where the presence of technology continues to strengthen in all aspects of life, it may be difficult to keep track of all the information that is being shared across our devices. Scout will be able to keep an eye on this information on behalf of its consumers, for it acts as the router where all devices are to be connected to. As Scout receives information from our devices, it presents the data to our eyes, which ultimately, allows us to become more aware of our consumerism and the whereabouts our information is being shared to. The relationship between the user and the mechanism is ultimately labeled as a form of interaction. It indicates the presence of reciprocal action as both the consumer’s and device’s actions, are influenced by one another’s activity, creating a cycle of interaction. Ultimately, this, much-needed technology would be a perfect example that conforms to my standards of interactivity.
]
Creative Applications Net – Scout
http://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ima-wp/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/08/05164121/The-Art-of-Interactive-Design-brief.pdf
Researching Projects of Interactivity (Part II)
On the other hand, a project that I believe would not fit well with my definition of interactivity would be that of a solar energy powered charger (power bank). The invention would require the user to attach the charger to a surface and or wall that is exposed to natural sunlight, preferably a glass window. The charger would then process the energy gathered from the sun and transform that energy into electric power that is capable of charging one’s devices. Though this device would indeed include the constant interaction between the sun and itself, there is a minimal association between the technology and its beneficiary, the user. The user only needs to position the charger once for it to begin working, he or she is not required to provide the charger with constant input. This reality fails to conform to my original description of interaction, for the actors involved in the interaction fail to engage in a constant cycle of input and output.
Creating Our Own Project
Taking into consideration all of our personal opinions of interactivity and suggestions for the group project, our group of five got together to decide on a finalized idea. We brainstormed what life would be like a hundred years from now and discussed some issues that could possibly still be researched in the future. We narrowed our main topics down to disability, environment and obesity. I continued to brainstorm about disabilities and the complications they bring to its victims, which is when I thought about the mute community. I began to wonder about the cruel reality where most individuals, including myself, take their voices for granted. Most of us are able to communicate with one another with our voices, but not all humans are granted with this privilege. This is where I came up with an idea to provide the mute community with their rightfully deserved voice, a gift my group would provide through sign-language interpretation gloves. I took into consideration how, even though they possess a language of their own, (sign-language) it is not a language that all humans learn. Through these interpretation and translation gloves, the mute community will finally be able to communicate freely with their fellow citizens, concurrently increasing the amount of interactions they encounter on a daily basis.
We knew that there had to be a strong force of interaction between the actors, one that would allow for input and output to run in a cycle, constantly complimenting each other. The technology, would, in its final form, be capable of translating sign-language into audible voices. The futuristic invention would allow the mute community to reveal their hidden voices to the world and interact with the citizens around them, simultaneously boosting their confidence. While wearing the gloves, the user would perform a sentence or phrase through sign-language and find comfort knowing that their thoughts and opinions are finally being released into the world. The direct engagement of the user’s hand motions place an input into the gloves, allowing the advanced technology to process the information that has been provided. The gloves would then, through an attached speaker and or through a fully automated mobile app, emit an output that translates the user’s hand motions into spoken words. Ultimately, the user’s constant input is required for the gloves to process and produce verbal output.
We created these gloves, alongside an emotional presentation to truly describe just how technology is capable of changing the world as well as the lives of its habitants for the better. The gloves fit into my understanding and definition of interaction, for there are two actors present whom coincidently work cooperatively to achieve an ultimate goal. We hope that, in the future, our project will be able to help and possibly inspire all individuals on earth, even if it’s just by a small margin.