Category Archives: Projects

Billy Dang, Katherine Dillon, Persuasive Design, Projects, Yu Hu

iMemoriam

Billy Dang, Yu Hu

iMemoriam imagines the final user experience of an Apple product.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxu4X2-2XfjiT1V5X19IRFQ5NTg/view?usp=sharing

Description

The Apple company is tremendous successful because they hold the secret in designing products that triggers and sustains emotional impact on their users.

For many Apple users, this emotional attachment with the product can be very intense. The problem arises when the older device needs to be replaced with a newer version. This emotional attached makes it incredibly hard for the user to part with their older device.

Steve Jobs and the designers at Apple are famously known to hold complete control over all aspects of their product. Their control over hardware, software, marketing strategy, retail, and advertising ensures that of the user experience of their product is cohesive and regulated. However, one final aspect of the Apple user experience is missing. That is, what to do with the device once it’s being replaced with a newer version.

iMemoriam imagines what the final user experience would be like if it was designed by Steve Jobs. iMemoriam helps the user to emotionally detach from their older device in a respectful and environmentally responsible way.

Classes

Persuasive Design

Introduction to Physical Computing, Jedy Chen, Jeffrey Feddersen, Jonathan Han, Projects

Equilibrium 2.0

Jonathan Han, Jedy Chen

Inspired by the mechanics of an ancient Chinese plucked zither called the Guzheng, Equilibrium 2.0 is reimagined into a rhythmic sequencing game designed for a collaborative and conversational experience between two individuals.

http://jedychen.com/category/equilibrium/

Description

The first iteration of the game led us to design an interaction that had both players pluck their individual string, held by two piezo flex sensors connected to their individual micro controller. The physical interaction of plucking have to be timed perfectly by both players to bring the undulating movement of a sin wave to a standstill.

However, we felt that the physical interaction of did not fully correspond to the design of the UI. As a result, we ‘married’ the physical interaction to the design of the UI in our second iteration.

The Chinese plucked zither is a musical instrument ancient Chinese Aristocrats would learn to play. They would, through the playing of the instrument, converse their inner feelings with another individual. In the movie, Red Cliff, directed by Ang Lee, two warring generals were seen playing the instrument to converse and reveal their innermost feelings and thoughts.

Similar to our initial idea of equilibrium, we were inspired by the mechanics of the instrument and its intentional yet subtle conversational quality. Hence, the design of the UI took after the instrument. Players now have to ‘pluck’ at individual micro controllers to hit a node placed at a designated string on the UI. They can hit the node individually but will gain more (game points) from hitting it at the same time.

The design of the experience is minimalistic. The minimalistic design approach directed the decision towards the the industrial, typography, UI design and choice of materials. The minimalistic approach paralleled the intent of equilibrium. From an information design perspective, the formal choices were clear. The only difference in the UI design is the circular node that is the focus for both players.

Equipment: Dell 23 Inch Monitor, HDMI to HDMI Cable, Power Cords and White Table.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Benedetta Piantella Simeonidis, Daniel Shiffman, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Minju Kim, Projects, William Field

Explorer

William Field, Minju Kim

Explorer is a space simulator. It is designed to be an educational tool which teaches about orbital mechanics.

http://www.willjfield.com/?page_id=348

Description

Explorer is a space simulator. It is designed to be an educational tool that teaches about space flight and orbital mechanics. The user of the simulator controls a space ship orbiting one of four planetary bodies in our Solar System – the Moon, Mercury, Earth and Neptune.

The simulator has two modes: free play and tutorial. Free play allows the user to direct the ship as desired and for any planet to be chosen at any time. Tutorial mode guides the user through several steps explaining how to get into orbit and how to change the shape of the orbit.

Along with the Processing sketch, Minju and I built a handheld controller to control the ship and camera. The project is designed as a prototype for a interactive museum didactic. It is targeted to ages 10+ but is enjoyable for all ages.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

Eamon O'Connor, Marina Zurkow, Projects, The Temporary Expert: Research-based Art and Design Practice, Vicci Ho

The Comments Section

Eamon O’Connor, Vicci Ho

A space where you can hear and control internet comments on social media by manipulating an archery bow.

http://vicciho.com/the-comments-section/

Description

The project aims to vocalize the many anonymous internet comments that is part of our social and political discourse. The Internet has become a space where every person can have a voice, an equal opportunity to express his or her views anonymously. However, this also provides more protection towards more extreme views, and with social media's filtering and algorithms, it is becoming ever so easy to ignore views that one does not want to read. “The Comments Section” aims to explore these issues, by turning internet comments into a physical experience.

The project involves curated online anonymous comments on certain issues that caused a storm on social media, such as GamerGate, Ferguson and the Bill Cosby scandal. The installation would be set up with an archery bow that can be used to manipulate the comments which had been read and recorded.

Classes

The Temporary Expert: Research-based Art and Design Practice

Despina Papadopoulos, Project Development Studio, Projects, Salem Al-Mansoori

Online Wayfinding System

Salem Al-Mansoori

A Chrome extension that gives the user a better understanding of their location in a browsing session.

http://www.rbknrbkn.com/workandprogress/?cat=27

Description

The management of a browsing session can be greatly simplified through a map that the user can visually access at all times, representing the current website trail as rooms, grouping of rooms, and so on. The locations and sizes of the rooms can be used to signify further information: the time spent there, the relation of this location to the other contexts of the website/session, etc. Within each room, information about specific sections in the page can be added as peripheral visual elements.
The utility of such map is two fold: as a navigational aid, as well as a visualization tool for the user’s internet browsing habits.

Classes

Project Development Studio

David Cihelna, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Projects, Yurika Mulase

Terminus

David Cihelna, Yurika Mulase

A 3-Dimensional game controller for a 3D glitch world that is falling apart.

http://www.davidcihelna.com/terminus/

Description

Terminus is a 3D experience that is navigated with a hand controller. Using conductive stretch sensors, players place their fingers into a strange enclosure that moves them around in a virtual world full of sounds and glitch graphics. Players can move between “cubes” with different environments and sounds to explore the world. Each environment is accompanied by narrative fragments of a space traveller getting lost in the multiverse.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

Materials and Making Things by Hand, Peter Menderson, Projects, Seiya Kobayashi

Meta Crafts

Seiya Kobayashi

A series of self-referencing crafts that reveal the nature of the medium.

http://metacrafts.tumblr.com/

Description

I love the idea of Douglas Hofstadter's “Self-reference”, a term used to indicate something that refers to itself. ex) This sentence written in six words.
And I believe that this technique is a good way to shed light on the essence of medium and human cognition(and humor), because it reminds me McLuhan's saying “Medium is the message”.
This is a first collection of self-referencing crafts that I have been creating using new technologies.

Classes

Materials and Making Things by Hand

Diana Freed, Jonathan Sparks, Michael Ricca, Projects

WRING

Diana Freed, Jonathan Sparks, Michael Ricca

The wring is a assistive technology device used by patients with fine motor issues in Occupational therapy to improve function and provide musical feedback initiated by strengthening exercises

http://Wringdevice.wordpress.com

Description

Wring is a device that enables patients to improve fine motor hand function while receiving real-time auditory musical feedback. The Wring can be used as a stand alone device to play music or as an interface to control and interact with game interfaces through therapeutic hand exercise. There is a great need to provide feedback to patients in OT or PT for fine motor issues. Musical feedback pairs to finger press based on music-supported therapy. Rehab is ongoing often occurring outside of a clinical environment. Patients benefit from feedback based on accuracy of touch to improve hand function. Wring contains a TinyDuino, sensors, and a speaker.

Classes

Chang Liu, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Projects, Rubin Huang, Tom Igoe

Note Constellation

Rubin Huang, Chang Liu

Note Constellation is an interactive installation that provide an immersive environment to audiences, and it allows audiences use their fingers to draw note in the screen as draw a series of constellation in the sky .

http://www.rubinhuang.com/blog/?p=172

Description

Note Constellation is an interactive sound installation that allows people draw nebula in the ceiling screen and make a music note simultaneously.
Note Constellation is an interactive installation that provide an immersive environment to audiences, and it allows audiences use their fingers to draw note in the screen as draw a series of constellation in the sky . People could engage in this interaction process in terms of sound and visual part. People stand under a ceiling screen, and they look up at the starlit sky. When they intuitively point to the sky, they will automatically draw an element of constellation, and make a of note. When they finish draw a complete constellation, they simultaneously get a customized melody that composed by themselves.
We are inspired by the movie 《A Beautiful Mind》, protagonist John make a romantic scene for his lover Alicia Nash. In the movie, he hold her hand and point to sky, and they start to draw a series of beautiful constellation stars. It’s also a metaphor to represent the distance between human and galaxy. In the reality, we can not reach the distant galaxy, we even can not clearly see the constellation. We try to realize the romantic scene from the movie 《A Beautiful Mind》in our interactive work, and provide an experience for audiences to let them have a dynamic conversion between Tonze and themselves.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing, Introduction to Physical Computing

Introduction to Physical Computing, Projects, Song Hia, Tom Igoe

Hugstr

Song Hia

Hugstr, a carnival-style hugging game installation.

http://www.songhitp.com/?p=393

Description

Hugstr is a peer to peer hugging game designed to encourage hug giving, hug receiving, and conversation around the act. One user dons the Hugstr outfit and gives a hug to someone. The “strength” of the hug is calculated through sensors in the mittens and the user receives a rating and hears a corresponding animal sound.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing