Circuit 1: Fade
The circuit was simple and relatively easy to get going. We did make the mistake of placing the LED backwards, but after flipping it, it worked.
Circuit 2: toneMelody
This circuit was also quite simple, and we got it working faster than the first one.
Circuit 3: Speed Game
This circuit took some troubleshooting to get right because there were so many wires and it was easy to get things mixed up. At first, we were missing a few connections. Once we added those wires, we still had an issue with the gameplay. Every time we ran it, it would only record one button push from player one and then slowly count all the way to 10 for player two. Once we swapped out the small push-buttons for the larger ones and made a few other adjustments to make sure everything was in the right spot, the circuit and game worked as intended.
Q1: Reflect on how you use technology in your daily life and on the circuits you just built. Use the text Physical Computing and your own observations to define interaction.
A1: Similar to these circuits we built, we use things like light switches, doorbells, and video games fairly frequently. In my daily life, I rely heavily on technology. I spend most of the day working on my laptop, and use my phone to stay in touch with people, as well as to listen to music and navigate when I’m out. Based on the text, I would define interaction as the exchange between user and computer in which both sides receive information from the other, process it, and then create a response.
Q2: Why did we use the 10K resistor with the push button?
A2: Without the resistor, the circuit would short out. It protects the circuit from overloading.
Q3: If you have 100,000 LEDs of any brightness and color at your disposal, what would you make and where would you put it?
A3: I would make an interactive light whiteboard. It would use motion-tracking sensors that cause the lights to change colors as a user moves a hand or finger along the board, and then revert to the base color when the user makes a swiping motion to indicate erasure. I would display several of these boards throughout a room and encourage users to create their own art or add to others’.