Category Archives: Introduction to Physical Computing

Catherine Rehwinkel, Introduction to Physical Computing, Marc Abbey, Projects, Samuel Sadtler, Tom Igoe

Haptec Bike Navigation

Catherine Rehwinkel, Samuel Sadtler, Marc Abbey

Haptec. Feel your way around. Touchsense navigation to free your mind on your bike.

haptec.io

Description

Haptec Bike: an integrated multi-modal system for bicycle navigation which allows a cyclist to intuitively feel their orientation to magnetic North, or a destination-beacon, as well as a more traditional step-by-step Google Maps API mode to optimize bike journey safety, efficiency and freedom.

Our project addresses an increase in city bike usage and cyclist casualties in conjunction with a lack of bike-centric navigation. Current audio-visual feedback navigation solutions require cyclists to constantly disrupt their biking experience— forcing them to pull over at a critical junctions, glance away from traffic, or confuse hearing with audio commands. The inherent danger in every extant bike navigation system puts a cyclist at risk of being struck by motorists.

After speaking to serious cyclists about their city biking experiences we noticed three main areas of priority: navigation as pertaining to ride enjoyment, safety, and fitness. To address safety and navigation, we designed a system to be installed in bicycle handlebars which telegraph turn-by-turn map directions or provide constant beacon-type guidance making a user constantly aware of orientation to True North or with a user-defined Destination. As users begin their bicycle journey, pulses of vibration through the handlebars guide them safely to their destination allowing them to choice navigation modes prioritizing either route efficiency, or flexibility and safety.

User-interface consists of two vibration motors in each handlebar which signal right, left, and slight turns, as well as a 'straight-ahead' confirmation, supported by a module containing three complimentary LEDs— to speed the learning curve and provide a secondary indication. Another user-mode maps a magnetic compass sensor's orientation to True North with a vibration frequency range output through the handlebars. The inspiration for all three team members (Sam Sadtler, Marc Abi-Samra, Catherine Rehwinkel) is a desire to make human navigation an innate experience.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Daniel Shiffman, Denny George, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Projects, Tom Igoe, Upasana Jain

Privé – Your own space, when you need it!

Denny George, Upasana Jain

Have you ever shared a space with someone and wished you could shut others out and have your own private space? Privé , an interactive Modular Partition Screen lets you do that with a single touch!

http://www.upasanajain.com/?p=86

Description

The Interactive Partition Screen is made out of modular units, allowing people who share the same space to have their own personal demarcated sub spaces within the larger setting. The wall gives the user control over his/her space based on touch and also acts as a screen to create ambient settings in that space.

The wall has two very specific functions.

1) Privacy/ Demarcation of a sub-space

2) Window to the outside world:

Projection mapping of natural environments that lets the user bring some nature inside his/her immediate physical space and breaks the monotony of being in the same space for hours.

When the user touches a module (comprising of 3 forms), the forms open up in a row. Thus visually, there is more control over the what level he/she is looking at.

Each form is attached to a capacitive sensor that detects the touch and one full rotation servo motor that controls the mechanical motion of opening and closing of 3 forms together. The modules are interconnected using the dovetail wood joinery.

The second aspect of projection of a natural setting is achieved using a diaphanous screen behind the partition wall. The transparent screen allows visibility as well as projection to create specific settings in the room.

Each module can be closed again just by a touch.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Projects, Tigran Paravyan

Thy-Band

Tigran Paravyan

Thy-Band is a set of wireless wearable devices for musicians that can be used to visualize their energy and emotions during live performances.

http://itp.openthy.com/pcomp/2014/12/3/thy-band-v10

Description

Muisicians usually have VJ people who do the visualisations for them. Obviously they collaborate, but we never see the “energy” of the musician represented visually. Imagine if you could see the energy of the best guitarist and drummers in the world, see the emotional state of a singer-songwriter or a whole orchestra.

Thy-Band is a system of wireless wearable devices for musicians that can be used to visualize their energy and emotions during live performances.

The first devices in the Thy-Band line are a wearable bracelet and an ear-piece for guitarists. The light-weight silicone bracelet is mounted on the back of the hand. It has a built-in accelerometer, that transfers motion data real-time via bluetooth.

The ear-piece is a tiny heart-rate monitor also sending data via bluetooth. The style of the guitarist, the way he plays and feels will affect the data received from both devices, based on which a variety of visualisations can be created.

Thy-Band can be used by all kinds of musicians from guitarists to violinists, from flautists to bassists.

Future Thy-Band devices will include bracelets for drummers and pianists, breath-sensors for flutes, and other devices that will make it possible to visualize the energy of single musicians, bands and whole orchestras, specific to the instruments they use.

The pictures and videos on my website don't do justice to the final version that I will finish in a few days.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Ben Light, Daniel Shiffman, Intro to Fabrication, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jingwen Zhu, Projects, Tom Igoe

Big Data Cloud

Jingwen Zhu

Big Data Cloud provides people with a visible and tangible experience of interacting with big data.

http://www.jingwenzhu.com/2014/12/big-data-cloud/

Description

In the Applications class, we had a lot of speakers talk about big data. They discussed how big data benefits our lives, how it inspires us, and how it make us transparent, etc. But big data remains obscure to me. What does big data looks like? Is there an invisible cloud somewhere? What would big data in the cloud look like if it were tangible? For my Physical Computing and Intro to Computational Media final project, I created the Big Data Cloud, that gets data from users, and give the data back to them.

In this installation, people are not only encouraged to interact with the cloud, but also interact with the data. When a user comes under the cloud, a mobile phone drops down from the cloud, with a question displayed on the screen. After the user types the answer to the question, the phone “uploads” back into the cloud. After thunder and lightening, the cloud rains. The big data rain is in the form of a printed roll of paper with the users' answers to the question. Additionally, the most frequently repeated words are projected as puddles on the ground. Users can play either with the projected raindrops, or read all the answers on the receipt.

In our daily life, we are interact with big data every day. We provide our data to the cloud, and get data back from it. Yet this repeated occurance falls to the background because we use big data so often that it goes unnoticed. By creating the Big Data Cloud I provide people with a visible and tangible experience of interacting with big data, and let them to rethink about how big data affects our lives.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Intro to Fabrication

Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Projects, Yang Zhao, Zhen Liu

SPACEBEATS

Yang Zhao, Zhen Liu

Drop the beat in the Infinite space!!

https://medium.com/@kathsome/spacebeats-33d7794ff154

Description

SPACEBEATS is a digital music instrument creates a feeling of playing drumbeats in the space through gesture and light. Drumbeats are played with just a simple wave of hand, which is much like the suspending feeling of space. The sound will also be responded by led strips in an reflecting box. It allows people to explore infinite space in a limited area.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Arlene Ducao, Introduction to Physical Computing, Projects, Shaun Axani

Beatwalker

Shaun Axani

Beatwalker provides the soundtrack of your life through dynamically changing music that responds, in real time, to your movements.

http://shaunaxani.com/2014/12/03/beatwalker-updates/

Description

We fantasize about what the soundtrack of our lives would sound like: often times a beautifully crafted orchestra that reflects our daily activities not unlike a film’s musical score. Beatwalker realizes this aspiration for the fraction of the cost of hiring a composer and professional musicians. Through the use of a midi generating synth shield accompanied with the Arduino, a song is created in code with a series of variables that change based on input from the user. If a user speeds up, the song responds and speeds up as well. If they slow down, the song will respond. If a user changes direction, musical instruments will be added or subtracted. The result is a dynamic song that is written by someone walking to work, going for a casual jog, or getting lost and turning every which way on the busy streets of Manhattan. The song becomes personal to that user; that version will only ever be played once.

The final physical computing project is not due until December 11th, so the documentation is rough and the product itself is in refinement and improvement. But a working version of Beatwalker exists, and with more time and iterating it will only become more powerful and offer a wider range of musical accompaniment based on the user’s supplied input.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Chanwook Min, Introduction to Physical Computing, Materials and Making Things by Hand, Peter Menderson, Projects, Tom Igoe

Droplet++

Chanwook Min

The work is interactive light installation. In order to make great movement of society, it need numerous people’s movement, not only a person’s movement.

http://chanwookmin.com/index.php/artworks/droplet/

Description

The work is interactive light installation. Social changes in the world are made by numerous people’s movement, not a person movement. For example, On December 12, 2014, protest police violence in NYC, 2008 candle protest in South Korea and ETC. Likewise people try to change their society. In order to make great movement of society, it need numerous people’s movement, not only a person’s movement. So this project’s subject is “Making great movement gathered small voice.” To be specific, as gathered small droplet can make big drop, this project create by people’s voice.
The work interact between sound and light. so there are two parts, sound and light. Firstly, people can hear real dropping sound and see changing brightness of light according to the volume of sound. Secondly, people can record a drop of water sound using their voice, such as “ddong” or “ddock” or something like that(There is time limitation to record). Brightness of light will change by the volume. Thirdly, people can hear all recorded voice at the same time and see also changing brightness of light.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing, Materials and Making Things by Hand

Edson Soares, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Projects

Discontrol

Edson Soares

A disco-ball controlled by the heartbeat and clapping hands.

http://www.hiedson.com/discontrol

Description

Imagined to inspire people to dance, the Discotech is a retro artifact with a touch of physical interaction. Its main parts include a suspended Disco Ball connected via bluetooth with a glove. The glove captures the pulse of the user making the brightness vary according to the heartbeat. Also, If the user claps the hands, the color of the lights change. It can be one solid color, a combination of different colors or a full rainbow. It’s kitsch! It’s fun! It's about staying alive.

The color change happens on a LED strip that floats around the Disco Ball (think of Saturn covered of mirror tiles). The glove also receives a few LEDs so the user has a closer feedback of the effect that is being produced without the need of looking up to the ball all the time. After all, the user needs to be free to dance!

For a successful outcome, the piece needs to be placed in a dark space, allowing the lights to be reflected on the walls. This is also important for acoustic isolation, as music would work as a background effect while people interact with the ball. It doesn’t need to be placed in a big space, but some black curtains could be useful for the isolation if placed in a shared room.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Benedetta Piantella Simeonidis, Dalit Shalom, Introduction to Physical Computing, Louis Minsky, Projects

Silophon

Dalit Shalom, Louis Minsky

Silophon is an assistive instrument/toy designed to create a positive experience of sound, specifically for children with autism. Silophon is designed to look like the classic xylophone, crafted with felt, allowing the user to play by hitting the keys with their hands or soft mallets, and also allowing the user to control the level of volume.

http://silophon.com

Description

It is well known that some people on the spectrum of Autism are hypersensitive to sound. The characteristic of wanting full control can be very frustrating when it comes to situations with sound where often there is usually no control. Traumatic experiences with sounds as a child could evidently lead to not wanting to engage with music and sound as an adult. We believe that by creating an instrument/toy that will allow the child to control sound, combined with an engaging level of user experience may help break the potential friction between hypersensitive children with Autism and sound.

During the building of our prototype we met with professionals in the field of Occupational Therapy who specialize in working with children who have Austism. One of the most important things we learned were the key elements to successful design for autism: predictability, control and choice

As for fabrication, we experimented with a bunch of materials. Felt seemed to be a good material to work with for two primary reasons:

1. Felt is a relatively soft material, hopefully encouraging children with autism to engage with it.

2. Felt has a sound-proofing attribute, since it absorbs sound.

The sound played on each key is a xylophone sound, only digital with the ability to control the volume.

The felt pieces are mounted on wooden notes/keys.

For further information, description and photos please see: http://www.onmydiskette.com/category/fall-2014/p-com/

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Projects, Teresa Lamb

Pet

Teresa Lamb

I constructed a fur sensor able to detect how it's being petted.

Description

Pet is a furry multi-directional pressure sensor. I constructed her from conductive and resistive fabrics, foam, and fur. While experimenting with different textiles, I observed that fur invited a few specific interactions. I attempted to create a sensor able to differentiate and react to users petting it.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing