Week 4 Tutorial

During Week 4s tutorial and workshop we looked further into our intended concept (blind/light sensor) and the context of the design (home living). 

Once again we discussed as a group the potential our concept circuit had and where it could take us in terms of furthering its design as well as actually building a conceptual prototype. We talked to one of the tutors; Carolyn and she helped us approach the design from a different mentality/angle. 

Back to our source of wise words of wisdom we were. Thank-you Carolyn. :)

Instead of designing a concept in application to the real world etc, we should look to just designing a circuit under the CRA. So this is what we did, we scrapped the idea of a concept and a context and rather looked at the intended backbone of the project - the circuit containing the Arduino board and the various devices/pieces we had obtained through our deconstruction. 

In order to be productive about this we once again collect our own individual thoughts and put pen to paper for a little over 45minutes. The ideas we had come up with in that time were then laid out in front of all group members and open to interpretation/discussion from the various members. 

So with our deconstructed parts in mind, plus some (listed below), we discussed some of the ideas we had come up with; 

- Proximity Sensor

- Pressure Sensor

- Water Pump

- Speakers

- Wires

- Power sources

- Lights/Light sources

- Switches

- Fans/spinners

A couple of the first few ideas looked at utilizing the pressure sensors and the lights and applying developing a circuit where when pressure was applied; depending on the extent of that pressure, a light would get brighter or dimmer (off when no pressure is applied. So using this idea we built the context of a security system to a house - if an individual is pressing/leaning against a door or a window - the lights within the room, or a separate light attached to the area will light up warning or waking individuals within the home. One downfall; cats and other mammals could trigger multiple false alarms.

Another idea was a circuit that used fans and proximity sensors. When something was within the proximity of said sensor, then the fan would begin its rotations, the closer the object was the faster the fan spun. Once again this could be applied to the context of a room in which a large ceiling fan acts as the cooler for the space. When someone enters the room, the fan begins to spin thus cooling the space and that individual while they were in it. When they left, the fan would stop - conserving energy. This idea however had the flaw of not being able to control the rotation speed while in the room without moving closer to or further from the sensor - which could prove to be quite irritating.

Many other ideas were thrown around the room and discussed openly, but we kept hitting the same wall with the majority - they were too simplistic...

Then like a brain snap (of the good kind) Hannah thought of DJs and playing music with their hand rather than buttons - using motion as a tool to create commands that normally would require a hardware (buttons) to do that exact command. We ran with this idea for a little while and looked at variations including my suggestion of a playing system, like an iPod docking station etc in which once the iPod was placed on the product, the user could control the device and its Play/Pause/Stop/Forward/Previous commands using their hands from anywhere in the room - as long as these actions were all aimed at the one (or multiple) sensors.

Then, as a group, we jumped back to the DJ idea, and thought of utilizing other features experienced at shows/festivals or sets; one of them being the atmosphere. From here we thought that maybe controlling the music wasn't the primary context - but what if controlling their surrounding space with light shows or other extravagant features was the primary context...

And so we decided; using a proximity sensor, a motor, wires, power source, lights and speakers, maybe we could create a light show or pre-sound show for the DJ in which the could stand on stage, use their hands in relation to multiple proximity sensors, and put on this crazy show for the audience before/during/after their show was played/playing. 

We toyed with this idea for another half hour or so before  Steve mentioned an old water pump he had and home, and possibly incorporating that somehow. I imediately thought of fountains in public spaces, notibly Melbourne, where during summer children are allowed to play in these spaces and their position in the area or sometimes time, triggers the path and projection of the water (examples shown below):

 From these ideas and notions, we kept the scenario of a DJ controlling a pre show show, but included the incorporation of water shooting up at his control.

So essentially the DJ would come on stage, potentially the crowd haven't noticed their presence (aside from a select few up front). He/She then turns on the device (our device) and begins to warm up their hands and run the routine through their heads. They step out behind their DJ booth, and look out over the crowd, more people begin to notice their presence and begin to pay attention...

Suddenly they lift their arms up, out, left, right down, at different heights and speed, all the while keeping in line with the product (which consists of a strip of multiple proximity sensors). This product is hooked up to multiple water pumps, all aligned to their corresponding sensor. When they lift their hands above the sensors - a reading is taken and tranfered to the appropriate water pump - BOOM - a jet of water is shot upwards at the intensity and to the height the DJ has indicated. All the while multiple LEDs are placed underneath the water pumps, consisting of different colours and strengths; which are in turn engaged when the water pump is; giving the jet of water the illusion of the LEDs colour and intensity.

This would create a multiple sensory experience for the crowd and DJ, keeping everyone entertained, pumped up and in a pleasant mood, ready for the set to come.

Joey has the software installed on her laptop and has the Arduino board synced rather nicely. Steve takes the Arduino board with the intention to hook it up to his water pump and home and try to get the device working to our intended aspirations. 

The tutorial is over and as a group we will keep in contact with each other over the development of our project and aid each other when needed and where necessary.

If this works, our product will be awesome - we will definitely make a splash in the class demonstration next week. ;)