Category Archives: Introduction to Physical Computing

Danara Sarioglu, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Nikolaj Petersen, Projects

Eye See You

Danara Sarioglu, Nikolaj Petersen

A feeling of being watched by a persistent panel of 300 passively curious eyes, that has your image in their pupil and will follow you if you get close.

http://nikolajpetersen.com/?p=219

Description

By equating the human eye (organic) with the digital equivalent (the camera, the ever lasting recording entity) this piece is as a comment on how people relate to todays multiple surveillance systems.

A continuing increasing amount of watching and recording entities are being put into more and more extensive systems. Systematic use of cameras in public spaces, telephone intercepts motivated no merely by suspicion, not to mention governments and corporations strong interest in all the data we leave behind when we are on the WEB, are all examples surveillance systems that are far more evolved and efficient that one can comprehend.

When parts of our lives and behaviors are moved to digital platforms, so are all the trails and memories that once were limited to human capabilities of remembrance. Now, cameras and data have (almost) ever lasting memory as well as working persistency.

So, how do we understand and relate to the abstract phenomenon of multiple watching entities in our everyday life? How does it affect the way we behave? Does it interfere with the way we are social? What do these systems look like, looking 10-20 years ahead, and what will be the implications then?

These are the questions we are trying to provoke.

To see a prototype in work, click the video at: http://nikolajpetersen.com/?p=219

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Ava I-Wen Huang, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Projects, Supreet Mahanti

Comehitheroscope

Ava I-Wen Huang, Supreet Mahanti

Come closer to find your visual sweet spot.

Description

Moving images that come to life when some sort of movement is sensed. Another way of describing it would be the analog way to visual animation.

Based on the age-old cinematic principle of persistence of vision to create an illusion of movement, this device consists of a circular array of sequential images mounted on a rotational disk. As the viewer steps into range, a series of LEDs light up and start to blink. The intensity of blinking defines the clarity of the images from a blur to a clear animation. This intensity is controlled by the viewers distance from the device: the closer the viewer, the faster the blinking. When the blinking is too fast, the images appear as a blur, when they are too slow i.e., when the viewer is too far, the images lose visibility. This automatically spurs the viewer to find the exact “sweet spot” through a trial and error forwards and backwards motion at which point the animation is revealed at its highest point of clarity.

All this is controlled by a range sensor that senses the distance of a body from in front of the device and adjust the blinking according to a pre-defined range of values, in this case distance mapped to blink speed. Once the viewer is within range and the circular disk lights up to life, she will also notice the playing of music added up to be reminiscent of a form of entertainment of a bygone era.

This device is inspired by the early animation device, the phenakistoscope.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Introduction to Physical Computing, Jason Dunne, Jeffrey Feddersen, Projects

C0-Canvas

Jason Dunne

Collaborate with friends on one shared online canvas from anywhere in the world using a rad arcade-style video game controller.

http://jasondunne.com/winter

Description

Anachronism: A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned.

– –

Imagine a playful 90s-era Microsoft Paint drawing environment. Now imagine that you can collaborate with friends across the globe over the web. If that wasn't enough, envision a rad arcade-style video game controller with a playstation-style joystick and addictively clicky buttons. That's called a recipe for a fun time.

Find more info here: http://cargocollective.com/jbdunne/Physical-Computing

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Benedetta Piantella Simeonidis, Dan O'Sullivan, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jiashan Wu, Projects

Snoopi: the data sniffing dog

Jiashan Wu

Snoopi the dog sniffs out information and digital footprints from devices/people around him and visualizes them in real time. <br />

http://itp.fromjia.com/?p=342

Description

Culturally we are at a place where the ramifications of having data shouted out over wireless network has largely remained unseen. With Snoopi I want to start the conversation surrounding simple, benevolent acts and data collection and profiling. The question is: why does this matter? Should we care that we are leaking breadcrumbs of data from our intimate devices? Norms of our attitude towards data and data collection is still being formed. I hope to bring up questions and awareness about this topic to more people.

Dressed in a hoodie equipped with a Raspberry Pi running Surya's NSHeyy sniffer program, Snoopi the dog sniffs out information from surrounding devices. Information includes the origin of devices, their wifi router history (which allows tracking a user's location history), unique mac addresses, and their relative distance to Snoopi. When Snoopi's hoodie is on, an LCD screen lights up, displaying sniffed wifi history information.

On a computer nearby, sniffed data is visualized in real time. This visualization allows viewers to look at individual device information, see connections between devices (whether they have been connected to the same wifi network), and aggregate information about the devices/people in the area.

For the show, Snoopi can be substituted by a stuffed animal on a roomba or another autonomous vehicle. Depending on where Snoopi is, the visualization will update in real time to give viewers an idea of the type of people in the room as well as information about individuals in the room.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

Benedetta Piantella Simeonidis, Introduction to Physical Computing, Projects, Sisa B. Holguín, Sweta Mohapatra

Stitching Stories

Sisa B. Holguín, Sweta Mohapatra

STITCHING STORIES is an experimental, interactive video installation exploring the tale of two characters while giving users the power to make customized versions of a story.

https://github.com/teletechnophiliac/ITP/tree/master/PComp-Final/Final_Proc

Description

STITCHING STORIES is an experimental, interactive video installation exploring a moment in the lives of two characters while giving users the power to make customized versions of the story. Sisa B. Holguín has a strong interest in exploring innovations related to interactive videos and stories, and has collaborated with Sweta Mohapatra, who is interested storytelling via a physical controller. Using our custom controller, which is in essence a hacked “Bop It” toy, users will assemble a narrative by activating various parts of the controller in whatever order they would like to tell their own version of this story related to the garment industry. The result is an interesting experiment to see what users create with basic interactive storytelling elements. 

Sisa B. Holguín is a filmmaker who is intrigued by both the complex and stories that are untold. Sweta Mohapatra is a UX designer. Both are currently a Master's Candidates at the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at NYU.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Boram Kim, Introduction to Physical Computing, Lirong Liu, Projects, Tom Igoe

Just move it

Boram Kim, Lirong Liu

It is a Kinect game that asks players to complete tasks by making certain gestures (e.g. covering rings, avoiding obstacle and collecting coins) and exhibits funny animation of the current player as well as top players at the end of a game.

http://www.itplirongliu.com/?cat=2

Description

Just move it, as a level-based Kinect game, mirrors players' body figures and generates three kinds of objects in the game scene including rings, coins and thorn-balls. Players’ goal is to get as high score as possible via covering rings, avoiding thorn-balls and collecting coins by using their mirrored body figures before the time is up. Touching thorn-balls results in score and time deduction while both passing levels and collecting coins can increase them. To pass a level, all rings should be covered and no thorn-ball is touched. Coins are just bonuses which can be collected at any time in a game level and whether or not to collect more of them is the player’s option. At the end of a game, the screen shows a game report as well as a funny gif animation of the player who is taken pictures of whenever he/she passes a game level, which is usually the hardest moment. Also, the player can view the record animation of the previous best players to get better understanding of to what extend players should twist their body to get those scores.

The motivation of designing Just move it is to help people get physical exercise when they have been sitting and working for a long time. It is also hoped that they will know more about their body potential and limit after playing this game. Worth mentioning, there is a well-designed calibration step so that this game is accessible to people in any different body shapes.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Projects, Shu Zhang, Xiaolong Mou

Chasing Sun Flower

Shu Zhang, Xiaolong Mou

Chase The Sun! Non Stop!

http://xiaolongmou.com/pcompdescription4wintershow/

Description

We made a flower pot which can walk and chase the sun light. It use its 4 light sensors to determine the brightest direction in the room, and to servo motors drive it to move around.

We think the plants also can live like mammal or insect, it can run and have its own desire. We also have a preset for plants set in the pot, and the flower pot will give the plants appropriate sun light according to its species. the user who own this flower pot will also get benefit from this, he don’t have to worry about the the plants’s photosynthesis anymore, in the daytime the pot will move close to the window, and at night it will move into the shade to breath.

We are not satisfied with just making a prototype with wood board, we create our project as a complete product. The structure is carefully designed and it's compact. We intend to make this product as a Arduino toy kit. All the parts are laser cut acrylic and screws, it's easy to assemble.

Our project is almost finished. Before the winter show, we only need to adjust the acrylic case size, give the surface a sandblasting. On the show, we think we also need a small piece of ground or table to let the flower pot to move. We can let visitors to change the light around this area, to play with this pot. So we believe the flower pot will be an amazing project on the show.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Arlene Ducao, Diego Cruz Castillo, Introduction to Physical Computing, Materials and Making Things by Hand, Peter Menderson, Projects

Buddy Pod

Diego Cruz Castillo

Play with your friends with a Buddy Pod remote controlled with your hand!

http://diegoitp.tumblr.com/physcomp

Description

A Pod Brawler is an RC vehicle that you can drive wirelessly using a glove. This glove gives you the power to accelerate, steer and go backwards.

The objective of this project is to explore electronic vehicles as extensions of our bodies. Based on popular references like Real Steel movie, Pokemon animated series, Neon Genesis Evangelion anime and Power Rangers series, people always dreamed of extending and intensifying their wills beyond their own bodies.

Because of current technology, we can manifest ourselves in the physical world without the dangers involving this exposure: physical damage, exhaust, or even death. In fact, throughout the years we have already replaced people with machines in the most dangerously jobs: assembly lines, mine detecting, going to Mars, etc.

With Pod Brawler, I hope to get an emphatic bond between the user and his pod, resulted from the intimate interaction both of them.

The pod consists of an Arduino and a motor driver shield, 2 DC motors, an LED screen for showing the remaining stamina and an Xbee module for wireless serial communication.

The glove has an Adafruit FLORA, a 9-DOF breakout (accelerometer,gyroscope and magnetometer), 2 flex sensors for controlling acceleration and an Xbee module as well.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing, Materials and Making Things by Hand

Boram Kim, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Lirong Liu, Projects

Weather Now and Later

Boram Kim, Lirong Liu

A physical weather board that visually shows the current temperature with different LED colors and moving pixels. The user can interact with the board by turning the clock hand to make it show the weather condition at a later time.

http://www.aboutboram.com/?cat=5

Description

The idea of Weather Now and Later first came up, as I wanted to build something that the user can quickly see before heading outside, to check the current weather condition. The concept has become more artistic since the initial stage.

This 22″x 14″ board uses different colored LEDs – red, yellow and blue, behind a translucent acrylic to give off different mood color corresponding with the current temperature. On the acrylic board, there will be pixels that move forward and backward to represent digits and show the temperature readings. There are many servomotors used to move each pixel. A stepper motor is be used to show the needle representing the current time under temperature digits, which the user can turn to check the weather condition for a later time during the day. After showing the temperature for 30 seconds, the clock needle turns back to the current time and moving pixels and LED colors change back as well to the temperature at current state. The user will not be able to see the complicated wiring of all the LEDs, as they will be hidden inside a wooden box. However they will be able to see how the motor turns and moves the pixels at the back.

Yahoo Weather API from Processing will be used to send the current temperature and weather condition to Arduino, which will tell the board what to change. The current temperature is set to New York, but can be manually changed to different parts of the world if needed. The temperature is shown in Celsius, and during the Winter Show, I can imagine the board lit with blue colored LEDs to show that it is cold outside, and a negative digit temperature reading.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Changyeon Lee, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Mimi (Yue) Yin, Projects, Tom Igoe

For You, the Bell Tolls

Changyeon Lee

"Spiritual Ritual by Physical Computing, For You, the Bell Tolls." Whisper your sadness to this bell, and the bell will toll for you.

http://www.changyeonlee.com/physical-computing/2014/10/21/introduction-to-physical-computing-final-project-ideation

Description

I am currently working on an Interactive Asian temple bell to try to console people who are suffering from the sadness. Using Physical Computing, Processing and SuperCollider(Sound programming language), the interactive Asian temple bell will generate personalized bell sound with distorting voice and visuals based on each participant's voice. I hope this interactive spiritual behavior of 'bell-striking' and personalized bell sound can console people’s sadness from loss or anxiety, as a 'healing process'.

*Audience's participation process would be

1) whisper to the bell about her or his personal sadness

2) Strike the bell three times

3) Listen to the three different sounds from the bell(Considering interactive graphical projection responding to the sounds)

*Current Status

– Prototyping for the Physical Computing class final presentation is completed(December 3, 2014). Documentation for the project will be updated on my ITP Blog Website by this Friday(December 5, 2014. @ http://www.changyeonlee.com/physical-computing/2014/10/21/introduction-to-physical-computing-final-project-ideation)

– Bell's design and fabrication would be developed(size of the bell would be adjusted to the Winter Show's venue condition)

* Format

– Physical installation of Asian Temple Bell figure + Bell Striking Stick(reference images are on my ITP blog as above)

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing, Introduction to Computational Media