careless whispers….

Trash Talk is in Conflux this year….

MRS. DESI LIVES!!!!

I’ll be posting info about the rebuild as it happens. Should be pretty damn good.

So we everything came together. Unfortunately, we’re getting weird values from our photocells…Or they just may not be sensitive enough to record values inside the camera. This means we won’t be creating images any time soon. What we do have is:

1) A well designed, light proof housing.
2) A working XY plotter, with perfectly functioning IRs
3) A 16 cell pcell CCD with ethernet wiring.
4) Working Software.
5) The Best Team in the World
6) A strong desire to get this thing running and working
7) A project that we all love
A new found sense of confidence….

We have learned so much. Our goals were lofty, and I think we’re close to meeting them We have worked incredibly hard. I know we have alot to improve, but I am so proud of what we’ve already done.

I know we’ll get this. And I’ll keep you posted about it.

here are some pics of the “finished” housing and rig:

The software for the pinhole painter involves both arduino and processing. 18 sensor values (the 16 photocells from the MUX, along with values from the two IRs) are sent to processing via serial, parsed into pieces, and then plugged into arrays which transfer the photocell values into corresponding greyscales. The greyscales are then “painted” along the screen.

In order to ensure accuracy, the IR values are averaged in arduino before being sent to processing.

//ARDUINO CODE — ASCII SENDER
int val[16];
int analog1[5];
int h, j;
long average1;
int analog2[5];
int p, q;
long average2;

int a= 3; // SELECT PIN A0 GOING INTO PIN 2
int b= 4; // SELECT PIN A1 GOING INTO PIN 3
int c= 5; // SELECT PIN A2 GOING INTO PIN 4
int d= 6; // SELECT PIN A3 GOING INTO PIN 5
//we are using three analog pins
int analog0 = 0;
//int analog1 = 0;
//int analog2 = 0;

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(analog0, INPUT);
pinMode(a,OUTPUT);
pinMode(b,OUTPUT);
pinMode(c,OUTPUT);
pinMode(d,OUTPUT);
//pinMode(analog1, INPUT);
//pinMode(analog2, INPUT);
}

void loop() {

for (int i = 0; i > 1) ;
// shift value 2 bits to the right, and mask all but bit 0:
int pinThree = 1 & (i >> 2);
// shift value 3 bits to the right, and mask all but bit 0:
int pinFour = 1 & (i >> 3);

// set the address pins:
digitalWrite(a,pinOne);
digitalWrite(b,pinTwo);
digitalWrite(c,pinThree);
digitalWrite(d,pinFour);

// read the analog input and store it in the value array:
val[i] = analogRead(analog0);

//val[i] = i;
Serial.print(val[i], DEC);
if (i

Got the new, IMPROVED, 16 photocell ccd up and mounted. After massive wiring issues with the first cell (too many wires that weren’t flexible enough to allow movement), we gave the cells a common power source, and wired their outputs with ethernet cable. The result was much tidier, though I am a little freaked out by the fact that all the cells are now linked…much harder to deal with this way on the technical side, but this improvement should result in a more user friendly experience.

As i was somewhat concerned about building a completely lightproof box with our rather wonky shop tools, we decided to purchase a wooden record cube and outfit it to our needs. The cube itself was well constructed, but still ahd some light leaks along it’s seems. To combat this, every interior seem of the box was covered several times with black masking tape. In order to make changing the pinhol easy on this beast, I epoxied four bolts to the front of the camera, and made interchangable pinhole plates, and a light proof gasket of duvatene to ensure no leakage between the camera body and the plate itself.

in the end, a brass handle was added for portability.

After some testing, we decided to use SHARP GPD2D120 IR rangefinders to locate the CCD and moving handle in space, and then translate their values to processing. These sensors are ideal: They are capable of accurately sensing distances from 1.5 inches from the senders head, to about a foot from the sensor. We experiemnted early on with Maxbotix Ultrasonics, but found that they had a dead spot o about 1.5 FEET from the sensor to where it first began accurately ranging.

Check out Acroname Robotics for more info on sharp rangefinders, as well as other types of sensors.

Here are some shots of our sensor placement on the XY rig. It was imperative to position them in such a way that they would see nothing but the head movement, as well as to give them enough room to function properly.

Take a Look. Amanda is the best.

Here she is:

16 photocells (the good ones from the bookstore) mounted on perf-board, connected to wire leads, heat shrunk, and ready for action JACKSON!!!

It ain’t pretty, but they all work. Somethings to change in Wonky CCD 2.0: RIBBON CABLE!!! this thing is a rats nest. Ribbon cable would make everything neat and tidy. Eddie suggested this, but I thought soldering headers on would have been too much of a pain….but if we USE A COMMON POWER LINE (we didn’t think of it, no one suggested it, now that the thing is done, it’s all I can think of everytime I see it) that would only be 16 header pins…very doable.

Sorry for the massive back-log in y documentation here, but I finally got all the pictures Eddie has been taken and want to show this stuff off.

This was one of our first steps, rigging up five photocells and checking their response:

Our Book-Store bought photocells in the breadboard. These are the ones we’re currently using, just because their values are amazingly consistent from cell to cell.

waving your hand over the cells changes their resistence.

The value generated by their electrical resistence is sent directly to processing, via serial communication with the Arduino.

The values are then used to set the greyscale of each individual square on screen. The more light, the whiter the square, the less, the darker.

Amanda and Eddie ripped this thing apart, as we were hoping we could steal the mechanisms inside for our camera rig. Turned our the interior was far to flimsy, but pretty damn brilliant in it’s construction. We’re still going with the plotter thing, but this was pretty neat. Also sort of funny how silvery the two o them got…..