Computation09

::: Cecilia Elguero Projects:::

:::Luciana:::

This light fixture introduces an element of the fantastical and narrative to the traditional form of the hanging lamp.

Provides the user with a sense of an open narrative and a feeling of discovery when the light is turned on to reveal the different characters in the inside of the lamp. Hanging legs provide a clue that there may be more to the lamp than what meets the eye and they also serve as an invitation to interact with the object. This interaction results in the turning on of the light.

The LED’s inside the light fixture get activated by touching the dangling legs. Conductive thread and the capacitance pins in the Arduino allow for a playful interaction with the light fixture.

:::Luciana::: from cecilia elguero on Vimeo.

:::Robotsonic:::

  
 

It seeks to create a play space, where through the presence of light and the ability to manipulate sound, a child can react to his/her imagined play landscape.

The interface consist of:
1. A wrist band with four buttons that trigger different preprogramed sound sequences and
an IR sensor that allows the user to control  the tempo of two of the pre-programed sequences
in real time.
2. A head gear that houses  two speakers. 

Robotsonic is inspired by interfaces related to the experience of adventure and discovery
such as an astronaut helmet, a diving bell, or robot head.
This cultural reference are  meant to  enriched and enhanced the play experience by suggesting
a narrative.

Future iterations envision a second interface and the ability to communicate
from one interface to the other.

:::Robotsonic::: from cecilia elguero on Vimeo.

:::Colony:::

Colony is made out of plushes called Nicos. In their natural environment, Nicos glow softly and make little sound to communicate with each other. When a user removes a Nico from its natural environments, they get scare and make high pitch sounds and their red light flickers. If the user is friendly and gentle with Nico, a Nico will become his/her friend and return to its peaceful state. Nicos can also be fed their favorite snack, cupcakes, and if you tickled them in their belly they will laugh. Future iterations of Colony, include the ability of Nicos to communicate with one another wirelessly.

:::Colony::: from cecilia elguero on Vimeo.

:::Submissions:::

Tony Velonis Memorial Scholarship

Transmediale

Eyebeam

Professional Development Grants

:::Colony prototypes:::2

:::User Interaction:::

In my attempt to enhance users experience when they interact with Nicos, I feel as though there needs to be to the Nicos behavior than just getting grumpy when they get picked and happy when they are back with their pals.
I have come up with different way in which Nicos can interact with the user that could result in a more meaningful interaction:

:Feeding:

Through the use of reed switches positioned bellow the surface of the mouth area, as a cupcake (favorite Nico's food) containing a magnet gets closer to that area flips the switch. This will trigger a "happy" reaction of the Nico. I am still trying to fgure out what that may look and sound like.

:Tickle:

Nicos love to be tickled. Throught the use of conductive thread located some where in the Nico's body, if touched for a period of time, the Nico will start to purring.

:Purring:

If the Nico is tickled in the right spot, it will start to purr, through the turning on of a motor insde the Nico that will create a subtle vibration.

:::Implementation:::

The following are the aspects of the implementation that I stll need to figure out.

:IR emitter and receiver pair:

I am still trying to figure out in a simple and inexpensive way the Nicos can communicate to each other at a short distance. I have been looking at IR emitter and receiver pairs. For what I want to do the seam the most suitable, but I still need to figure out exactly they function.

:Testing Piezo vibration sensor:

Need to look at how I can make the reading of the Piezo make sense. I may just replace it all together by the capacitance sensor.

:Timing and exiting a loop in code:

a. Need to figure out how read for how long a button has been pressed.
b. Be able to exit a loop when a switch is set to high

:::First Prototype of Colony:::

:::Look and feel:::

I try different fabrics for softness and for translucency since there are going to be LED inside the Nicos.
I decided to utilized the ultra suede for their faces and the soft brushed cotton like material for their bodies. Their bodies are flat now but in the next interation they will be more cone like with a blat bottom that would I allow them to stand on the magnetic surface with the relay switch facing down.

:::User Interaction:::

Nicos have their natural environment where they make little sounds to chat to each other and glow in different colors.

Nicos also can become your friend if you are gentle with them. If you are, then they will feel comfortable and glow and make little sounds , similar to those they make when among their kind.

:::Blue print for Colony:::

Colony is made out  of 3 nicos. In their natural environment, Nicos glow softly in different colors and make little sound to communicate with each other. When a user picks up a Nico from its environments at they get annoyed and make high pitch sounds and their light flickers. If the user is friendly and gently with Nico, Nico will become his/her friend and return to its peaceful state.

Materials

encasing:

1.brushed cotton white for the face and other color for body

2.thread for detail for face

Electronics

1.Piezo sensor

2. Reed Switch

3. 3-color LED

4. Speakers

5. ATMega 168

6. 16Mhz crystal

7. capacitor

8. resistors

9. 7805 voltage regulator

:::Push Toy concepts:::

 

Concept 1:::learning anatomy

The second plush idea is to create a human like blob that has words sewn on the fabric that covers its body. The words are the name of different body parts. As a word is pressed, the area of the body that the word corresponds to lights up.

Concept 2:::colony:::

The first concept is to create a colony of little creature. Their behavior can be really simple for now, but I am particularly interest how they can change each others behavior by been close to each other or sending a signal in some way.  I am not quite sure what shape these guys are going to take they can be little blobs with sweet eyes. They will grow hungry when you take them away from their environment making loud noise and vibrating violently while vibrate smoothly, more like a purr when they are back with their friend and make melodic sounds.

Concept 3:::Sometime you need a little slap

The last concept is a plush that slaps you more or less according to how drunk you are. It uses the mechanism of two motors similar to  Easter bunny ears  that saw during the autopsy to slap you based on the reading that it gets from the  alcohol sensor mounted on his head.

:::Rock star Elmo:::

I found Rock Star Elmo at the Salvation Army on 4th Ave. He has definitely seen better days, and his guitar playing mechanism was broken . Still I was interested to see what he looked like in the inside. Here are the picture from the operation.There is no video available of him rocking out because I realized he was broken once I put new batteries :(

Front with guitar in hand                   Back with battery pack hanging

::Inside of the guitar::
1. giant 8 om speaker compare to those found in new toys
2. ON/OFF button at the top right of the guitar
3. Motor that moves as the music plays

::Close up of motor mechanism::

The plastic disc connects to a plastic rod that Elmo holds in his hand.

As the music plays, this mechanism moves up and down to make it look as though Elmo is playing the chores of the guitar.

Back of the motor with gears and battery pack

PC board                                        Dismembered Elmo

::: Wonder Blogs and others:::

:::blogs:::

we make money not art

toysrevil

core 77

:::others::: places to submit  work

Rhizome

Take away festival DIY media

Interactivos

:::RobotSonic:::

 

Robotsonic is a musical interface.
It seeks to create a play space, where through the presence of light and the ability to
manipulate sound, a child can react to his/her imagined play landscape.

The interface consist of:

1. A wrist band with four buttons that trigger different preprogramed sound sequences and
an IR sensor that allows the user to control  the tempo of two of the pre-programed sequences
in real time.

2. A head gear that houses  two speakers.
Robotsonic is inpired by interfaces related to the experience of adventure and discovery
such as an astronout helmet, a diving bell, or robot head.

This cultural reference are  meant to  enriched and enhanced the play experience by suggesting
a narrative. Future interations envision a second interface and the hability toto communicate
from one interface to the other.

:::Materials:::

Cardboard
Acrylic dome
Switch
Fabric
Plexi
Speaker
IR sensor

:::Download One Sheet :::

:::IR sensor controls PWM of an LED:::

The closer an objects is to the IR sensor the higher the values coming from the IR. These values are mapped to 0-255 values of the PWM of the LED.

:::LED controled by IR sensor::: from cecilia elguero on Vimeo.

::two pots control PWM of one LED and the pulse rate of the other:::

One potentiometer controls the speed of blinking of the red LED which connected to a digital out in the Arduino. The other potentiometer controls the PWM of the white LED.

::: IR sensor:::

 

:::Click here to see lecture on IR Sensors:::

:::Code demonstrated during lecture:::

1. Mapping: dividing

2. Mapping: using the map function and Calibration

3. Smoothing: simple

4. Smoothing: RGB blending

:::Great link for information on IR Sensors:::

:::Introducing a narrative :::

:::Look and Feel:::

 I have continue to experiment with the ability of paper, specifically velum, to diffuse light and create a sense of depth through the manipulation of shadow. A parallel process has been experimenting with  the different shapes the piece could take. A while ago,  I came across an amazing book, for any body who builds with paper, titled "Paper Forms". This book has introduced me to a variety to techniques that allows you to create more structurally complex forms with paper. This prototype integrates one of this techniques and also an element of story telling. In this iteration we can see the appearance of one character. The character is also made out of paper and it is one of the 4 that will be present in the next iteration of this prototype. This characters ideally offer the user an open narrative and a sense of discovery as the light is turned on.

:::lights off:::

">:::lights on:::

:::The light piece as a light fixture hanging from the ceiling :::

::User Testing::

:::Users:::

Sara is 28 and wants to have a light fixture that in some way hand made and that has a Victorian or Rococo sensibility  but yet it looks simple and modern. She is drawn to the modular nature of the fixture since she could buy many to make for a large stalactite formation either in the ceiling or the wall. She is also drawn to the amber and white soft light that the fixture emits given it an organic feel to it. Sara usually has the light fixture on while dinner parties instead of candles and at night when she is reading a book as a secondary light to provide a warm glow.The light fixture is activated by sound.

Rebbecca is 34 and she is also drawn to the same characteristics of the look and feel of the light fixture and its modularity that provides the ability to create your own arrangements of the units to make it look unique. However, she wishes the lights inside the light fixture were brighter since she would like to use the light fixture as a main source of light in the living room. She would like the fixture to have two modes: a dim, warm glow and a brighter one to illuminate the whole room. Since both think the light fixture has a sensor and that it they do not have to worry about turn it on or off.

Show your prototypes (Look&Feel, and etc...) and user scenarios to others (preferably your ideal users) and get user feedback. Do 4-5 hours of this user-testing and user-feedback.  Record and blog the results.

User testing: Eric 27, Reba 28, Bret 30

Most of the users agree that it would be great for the fixture to have two modes to make it more versatile. 

Also most users agree in having two ways in which the light can be turn on. Having the light be turn on by

sound or motion only even though it reduces energy consumption it takes away the freedom from the user to have it on or off when they want to.

They all agree that make it modular with allow users to create their own armaments of the basic unit according to the space and kind of surface where they would place it

They also suggested that the units should be easy to attach to others to promote building with modularity.

 

:::Prototypes::: Role, look and feel and implementation

::Role1::

The prototype is a chandelier inspired by the shapes of crystal formation in nature. The chandelier has yellow (amber) and white lights to provide a warm light that is enough to be able to see in the room, but that is not to bright. The idea is to mimic the kind and brightness of  real candle chandelier.

::Role2::

This prototype creates a light fixtures that resembles a little colony of miniature creatures. According to the time of day the colony changes the color that it emits.

::Role 3::

A children lamp that it tells a story with a simple animation.

::Look and Feel1::

Chandelier made out of velum paper in a shape of crystals. Amber and white lights glow inside to reveal the intricate patterns of a doily fold up in the inside of the paper structure. As the lights goes through the different layer of the doily it casts a series of shadows of different shapes that blend with one another to create complex shapes

:: Look and Feel 2::

Little colony made out of velum paper also in shape of small geodesic domes. Pieces of papers inside with abstract shapes cut out into them

 

::look and feel 3::

Two layers of circular paper. The layer nearest to the light source has the images of the animations. The second layer contains small vertical slits that due to persistence of vision allow a viewer to see a short animation.

:::Implementation 1:::

The implementation part of the miniature colony project will consist of a series of yellow (amber) and white LEDs getting brighter and dimmer through the use of PWM.

:::links:::

After reading "What do prototype prototype", I remembered that I mentioned a project during class a while ago, that plays with light and the transformation of every day objects . I realized, I forgot to post it. Here it is.

:::Random Screen:::

Also here is the link to Stairway to Heaven, a short film by film  maker Erroll Morris. The film is based on the life and work of  Temple Grandin. Grandin  explains in the film the relationship between her autistic condition and her ability to design. Here is the link. Enjoy!

Stairway to Heaven by Erroll Morris

:::Switches:::

There are a few aspects of having fun with switches that we did not cover during our lecture. For those with out experience working with switches, may not be fun at all if your switches act unpredictably or do not work at all.

Concepts:

1.Pull up or pull down resistor: click here to get an explanation
2. De-bouncing

Arduino, like other Microcontrolers, need to sense a definite high or low in their digital inputs. Both pulling up or down (in the circuit)) and de-bouncing (in the code) are ways to eliminate a false or fluctuating reading from a sensor (buttons been the simplest ones) connected to a digital input.

1. Pull up or pull down: (in the circuit) you place a 10k resistor in between your button and 5v.
    With Pull down you  place a 10k resistor in between your button and Gnd instead. You choose, just         make sure that is either one or the other.

Here is what your code and circuit would look like in each case:

a)Pull up

Notice in the circuit:

1.One of the pins of the button is connected to the yellow wire and a resistor.

2.The yellow wire goes to a digital in on the Arduino board (not shown here)

3.The resistor is connected to red wire that plugs in the  5v (high) pin on the Arduino

4. The other pin of the button is connected to the black wire which plugs in the Gnd pin on the Arduino

:::circuit:::

 

:::Code:::

int ledPin = 13;                // choose the pin for the LED
int inputPin = 2;               // choose the input pin (for a pushbutton)
int val = 0;                    // variable for reading the pin status

void setup() {
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);      // declare LED as output
  pinMode(inputPin, INPUT);     // declare pushbutton as input
}

void loop(){
  val = digitalRead(inputPin);  // read input value
  if (val ==  HIGH) {            //
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);  // turn LED OFF
  } else {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // turn LED ON
  }
}

a)Pull down

Notice in the circuit:

1.One of the pins of the button is connected to the yellow wire and a resistor.

2.The yellow wire goes to a digital in on the Arduino board (not shown here)

3.The resistor is connected to black wire that plugs in the Gnd pin (low) on the Arduino

4. The red wire plugs in the 5v pin on the Arduino

 

:::Code:::

int ledPin = 13;                // choose the pin for the LED
int inputPin = 2;               // choose the input pin (for a pushbutton)
int val = 0;                    // variable for reading the pin status

void setup() {
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);      // declare LED as output
  pinMode(inputPin, INPUT);     // declare pushbutton as input
}

void loop(){
  val = digitalRead(inputPin);  // read input value
  if (val ==  LOW) {            //
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);  // turn LED OFF
  } else {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // turn LED ON
  }
}

2. De-bouncing: ( in your code) In order to make sure that your button has actually been pressed, you declare variables in your code that are going to store and old (previous) and a new (current) value of the button reading. These two variables are then compared. There is a given time that you write into the code so the Arduino waits in between readings. In this example of the de-bouncing code, if the Arduino senses a fluctuation in the digital in pin (connected to your  button) that time gets increased.

Here is the code form the Arduino site. This code also makes your push button behave like a switch by holding its state even when it is not been pressed.

:::Code:::

int inPin = 7; // the number of the input pin
int outPin = 13; // the number of the output pin

int state = HIGH; // the current state of the output pin
int reading; // the current reading from the input pin
int previous = LOW; // the previous reading from the input pin

// the follow variables are long's because the time, measured in miliseconds,
// will quickly become a bigger number than can be stored in an int.
long time = 0; // the last time the output pin was toggled
long debounce = 200; // the debounce time, increase if the output flickers

void setup()
{
 pinMode(inPin, INPUT);
 pinMode(outPin, OUTPUT);
}

void loop()
{
 reading = digitalRead(inPin);

 // if we just pressed the button (i.e. the input went from LOW to HIGH),
 // and we've waited long enough since the last press to ignore any noise... 
 if (reading == HIGH && previous == LOW && millis() - time > debounce) {
 // ... invert the output
 if (state == HIGH)
 state = LOW;
 else
 state = HIGH;

 // ... and remember when the last button press was
 time = millis(); 
 }

 digitalWrite(outPin, state);

 previous = reading;
}

:::Reading from Code:::

:::Reading from CODE:::

What were the specific technical issues (referring to wire and resistance) that prevented the early telegraph to be wired directly coast to coast? What solution finally worked? Illustrate how that works, allowing coast to coast telegraph communication.

We know that the thicker the wire the more conductivity it posses. However, as the length of a wire increases so does the resistance. If follows then, that a long enough wire to go from coast to coast would have had too much resistance to be able to send a current to make the mechanism work on the other side. The first solution was to divide this long wire into segments and have a person in between the segments receiving the message and sending it right away to the next segment in line. Eventually the process was simplify and automated by the use of electrical relays. Relays are switches that get turn on or off by a current. In order to understand how relays were integrated in the telegram process we must frst describe how the telegram worked up to that point. When the handle was tapped in one side, current was sent through a wire. On the other side, this same wire was rapped around a piece of iron metal. When current runned through the coil. The coiled was electromagnetized and it pulled down on one side of a bar. As one side when down the other moved up and produced a long or short sound. A relay was connected to the incoming wire and everytime there was a tap on the other side, current would be send to the relay making the bar act as switch. This switch was connected to a battery and an outgoing wire. The current was amplify by this process and sent to the next segement of the telegram chain.

:::Fun with switches:::

Fun with switches link

Where to buy your witches:

• Sparkfun is great for mini switches
• For a nice variety of switches go to All Electronics
• Heavy duty switches can be found in K&M Parts
• Newark also has a large selection of switches

::Spykee WIFI::

This little robot called Spykee The WIFI Robot is made out of 200 parts that you assemble together. Three different version can be built with the same kit: Robot, Lunar, and Scorpion. Spykee can move, hear, speak and take pictures, record video and be controlled by computer anywhere in the world  via WIFI on the internet. This means  that all this input data that is perceived by Spykee  is accecible to you.  You can can then control in response a digital video camera, microphone, loudspeaker and two motors. Spykee is marketed as a spy robot because it has video surveillance device with a motion detector that can react by activating an alarm or send you a picture via e-mail. Basically Spykee is not only a mobile interface to the internet but also has a neat little feature that  I wish my cell phone could have. Spyke returns automatically to its charging base when the battery needs recharging. Spykee WIFI is also a telephone. It can make free phone calls through the internet by using VoIP phone.

Ray Renteria, argues in Missing the Point with a Potentially Game-Changing Robot “Toy”,  that even tough Spykee WIFI down fall is that is not programmable, it does allow for  telepresence which is often overlook as a strength of this robot.

And there is already a crack so you can control Spykee WIFI with your IPhone.

Spykee WIFI

::Swinxs::

Collecting information at the Toy Fair, such as details of the different technologies embedded in the toys, prove to be  a bit tricky. It was not so much  because of secrecy but because in most cases the people at the booth were either manufacturers of sale representatives which some time did not have access to these details. One booth that was the exception was the booth for Danish toy, Swinxs. I had the opportunity to interview one of the developer of Swinxs, Govert de Vries, and here is  what I gathered:

Mr. Vries and a friend were brainstorming about creating game that would provide a frame work for children to play outdoors. The idea continued to get refined and was brought to Khadi Feiz who designed the interface  of Swinxs. The interface consist of a base with an accelerometer, a microphone, LED lights, a speaker, a RFID reader, and a USB connection that allows the user to upload new games to the console. The XS-TAG , are colorfull armbands that connect to the console by  RFID tags embeded in them. The next step in the development of Swinxs, to make the game open platform so users could not only upload new games to the console but also be able to create them, came from an unexpected source. The original programing language used to program Swinxs was Assembly. While Assembly proved to be difficult for the general public to use, a programer that had purchased Swinxs offered to create a simpler way to program new games for the Swinxs. Currently the Swinxs website provides tutorials and a forum for programing new games. Govert de Vries sees  Swinxs as a fluid game console that can continue to evolve thanks to the community of users and developers. Because of an earlier converasation with Toy Fair an attendie, he was interested in the possiblities of play that Swinxs can provide to children with dissabilities.

::Console::                                                 

 

::XS-TAG::

::RFID tags Playing cards::

  

:::Prototype 1:::

Continuing with the idea of the grid as a way to show the progression of time, I came up with this little ghost character. The idea is that the light in his belly is stuff that he has eaten and you can see it go down as the lights move from his mouth (  I still have to give him a mouth) to his belly. I am still working on the code. It is taking me a bit to figure out how to create the progression of lights moving down. Since I really like the translucency of velum paper, I have made him out of it. In the inside there is the grid with light blue paper in front of it in the shape of a simplify digestive system, but it does not show :(

::Sketch of character::

::ghost character::

::view from the top of the character::

 

::video:: 

Notice that the code does not do what it should yet. Eventually a path of LEDs will light up at the top (mouth) and go down to its stomach. The LEDs at the "bottom of the stomach will stay lit. Eventually all the red LEDs will be lit up to show that its tummy is full and the cycle will be again.

Another idea to show the passage of time would give him cheeks that light up in a circle like pattern to show the passage of time.

::Breadboard with very simple circuit::

:::Code::: It is just a variation of the Loop code but with more outputs

int timer = 500;                   // The higher the number, the slower the timing.

int pins[] = { 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 }; // an array of pin numbers

int num_pins = 12;                  // the number of pins (i.e. the length of the array)

void setup()

{

  int i;

  for (i = 0; i < num_pins; i++)   // the array elements are numbered from 0 to num_pins - 1

    pinMode(pins[i], OUTPUT);      // set each pin as an output

}

void loop()

{

  int i;

  for (i = 0; i < num_pins; i++) { // loop through each pin...

    digitalWrite(pins[i], HIGH);   // turning it on,

    delay(timer);                  // pausing,

    digitalWrite(pins[i], LOW);    // and turning it off.

  }

  for (i = num_pins - 1; i >= 0; i--) { 

    digitalWrite(pins[i], HIGH);

    delay(timer);

    digitalWrite(pins[i], LOW);

  }

}

:::prototype 1:::

The idea for the first prototype was to create a grid made out of 9 red LEDs and 3 white ones. The cycle of time would be of 30 seconds. Each white LED would lit up every 10 sec and the red ones would count up from 1-9 every time. The code it is not working the way I envisioned yet . This is the first iteration of the first prototype. The grid of LED's is mounted on hard velum paper and placed inside a box also made of velum. The velum provides for a nice diffuse light from the LEDs.

::Front view of box with LEDs inside on a grid::

::Back view of the grid::

I utilized clay to keep the LEDs in place. I will use hot glue once I figure out what is the best arrangement for the LEDs

:::hello, I am cecilia:::

Hello! My name is Cecilia and I am from the far away land of the llamas. 

I have always had a curiosity for things that are tiny and make sounds. This led me eventually want study to electronic music at Mills College. Yet after taking my first video class, an interest in creating multi sensory experience started to develop.  I eventually branched out and started playing with different materials to create installation work.  I am fascinated with the idea of creating tiny worlds that I can share with others. I often find my self trying to recreate the spaces that evoke feeling of wonder and intimacy that we experienced in childhood when we inhabited a tree house, a fortress made out bed sheets or a secret-garden. Often, these spaces are inhabited by creatures that I make out of fabric, ceramic, wood, yarn or other materials. Technology then gets integrated into my work, as a mean to bring life to these beings. For the last few years I have taught Graphic Design and Video editing and worked on ceramics in my free time.

My interest in been part of this program, and specifically in this class, is to be able to continue to experiment with the form and material of my interfaces and be able to generate simple behaviors for them that can allow them to bring about more playful and meaningful interactions with people.

My favorite toy was Simon game. Colors and sounds. Yeah!!! I liked it so much that last semester I try to recreate.  I never got it to work right :(
Hopefully Arduino will be kinder with me than the PIC 16F88 was.