Materials
1 * Breadboard–Base on which circuits are made
1 * LM7805 Voltage Regulator–Maintains a constant level of voltage
1 * Buzzer–Produces sound
1 * Push-Button Switch–Simple switch to control a process in the circuit
1 * Arcade Button–Same function as the push-button switch
1 * 220 ohm Resistor–Reduces electric current and prevents components from being overwhelmed
1 * 10K ohm Resistor–Reduces electric current and prevents components from being overwhelmed
1 * 10K ohm Variable Resistor (Potentiometer)–Voltage divider that can adjust the levels of output from a light, buzzer, etc.
1 * LED–Produces light
1 * 100 nF (0.1uF) Capacitor–Stores electrical energy
1 * 12-volt power supply–Provides power to the circuit
1 * Barrel Jack–Connects to external electricity
1 * Multimeter–Measures voltage, current, and resistance
Several Jumper Cables (Hook-up Wires)–Connect components of the circuit
Circuit 1: Doorbell
- As this was my first time working with this equipment, the experience was a bit overwhelming. There were a few moments when I was unsure whether to connect something back to power or to ground. I also made the mistake of placing materials horizontally rather than vertically on the breadboard. While the circuit looked generally circular and orderly in the diagrams, it was difficult to keep everything sorted out in practice, but materials can be placed across the breadboard as needed, as long as all of the connections are correct.
Circuit 2: Lamp
- Now operating with a basic understanding of the materials and the logic of the circuitry, the second task was much easier to complete. I did have one issue with the newly introduced LED in forgetting to pay attention to the positive and negative prongs when placing it, so the first time testing the circuit, it didn’t work. After flipping the LED around, the circuit worked.
Circuit 3: Dimmable Lamp
- After forgetting to include a resistor and again making the mistake with the positive and negative prongs of the LED, this circuit came together relatively quickly. The process of building the circuits felt much more intuitive after the first couple of tries.
Q1: 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.
A1: Circuits 1 and 2 offer a very low-level form of interactivity. The user presses a button, which communicates with either a buzzer or an LED bulb that in turn produce sound and light, respectively. Circuit 3 allows for a higher form of interactivity in that the user can press a button to turn on the LED bulb, but also turn a knob to control the brightness or dimness of the bulb. This circuit calls for two rounds of interaction–one to turn the light on, and one to control its luminosity.
Q2: 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.
A2: Programming is used to facilitate interaction between computer and audience, bringing the processes of the computer into a space where people can sense and respond to them. Zack Lieberman’s project in which he designed a pair of eye-tracking glasses that allowed a paralyzed graffiti artist to draw is a perfect example of this. The mechanism he made and the code he wrote used physical computing to convert eye movements into drawings. The user was able to interact with the glasses in order to create art. The art was made even more interactive when Lieberman brought in another element–the projector–to show the drawings live on the side of a building.