Inness and Neil R: Week 5 Pseudo Code

We’ve been getting down to the nitty-gritty of how to build the components of our pitcher this week, and have found that the most essential part of our design is also the most complex. Our concept hinges on the ability to A) transmit audio wirelessly from microphones to a receiver and play at a high enough quality that words can be discerned, and B) have the receiver switch between different microphone channels. To solve for the first essential need of our design we’ve purchased a baby monitor from Goodwill. Because of the important function of a baby monitor this device has a high enough quality to suit our purposes. It also has four channels, so that theoretically we could set up microphones transmitting on each of those channels and have them all be picked up by the receiver portion of the monitor. It’s in the channel switching that things become complicated. The switch is a complex mechanical slide, so because we don’t want to build automated mechanical parts to move the switch, our plan is to break the switch and sodder each frequency to a different wire. Each wire would be linked to its own transistor, with their gates linked to arduino pins that would alternately be programmed with one HIGH and the others LOW depending on the pitcher’s orientation. However, before we more onto installing a compass our goal os to figure out this audio transmission portion of the device, and incorporate a tilt sensor to initiate a ten second audio feed.

After thinking through the approach we were going to take in building the audio transmitting pitcher, we conceptualized how our program might look. What we would need the code to do is set a variable based on the angle of the pitcher and then activate a predetermined receiving frequency. If a tilt sensor is activated, then we want to turn the volume or power to the receiver on, and allow it to play for 10 seconds before turning off, staying dormant for a minute afterwards.

pseudo code:

if liquid is greater than minimum threshold, turn on

find directional angle of pitcher based on degrees from directional sensor

if angle of pitcher is >=0 and <90

{

then match pitcher receiving frequency to frequency A

}

if angle of pitcher is >=90 and <180

{

then match pitcher receiving frequency to frequency B

}

if angle of pitcher is >=180 and <270

{

then match pitcher receiving frequency to frequency C

}

if angle of pitcher is >=270 and <360/ 0

{

then match pitcher receiving frequency to frequency D

}

if pitcher tilt sensor is activated

{

then activate pitcher walkie talkie receiver to on state, and play sound from corresponding frequency transmitter (A,B,C, or D)

delay for 10 seconds

end pitcher transmission

delay 1 minute

}

if liquid level is less than minimum threshold, turn off

Week 5

Katie Hendricks & Scott Lui

Current Plan:

We have currently designed our object to be a modular floor panel. The input sensors would be buttons. Shifting away from the DDR idea, we now plan to have the majority of the floor be stationary. There will be many small circular buttons spread evenly across the floor. The output will be light from the buttons and sound.

Materials:

We are in the process of ordering sensors and deciding what our best options are. Here are some of the questions we have been working through in regards to materials with our current resolutions:

-What is the best type of LED Light to create an obvious change from off to on? (Colored LEDs, with clear bulbs, and high mcd)

-What type of sensor should we use to indicate when someone has entered the elevator? (Infrared motion sensor to detect door movement)

-How to we store music in the arduino? (Sound shield)

Not Enough Pins:

The biggest issues we have discovered thus far is the limited number of pins on the arduino since we are attempting have all of our buttons act as unique, individual inputs. We found multiple solutions to this problem on the web. One was to create a grid of wires that would function as a coordinate system to trigger specific lights so less output pins would be required. A second solution would be to purchase a shift register to expand the arduino input pins. The diagram below shows how this connection works. Our last option is to purchase an arduino mega that has 54 digital pins.

PB & A #2

Patrick, Ben, and Arduino: What we've been building

Prior to this class, Ben and I had had no experience whatsoever working with the Arduino open-source prototyping platform, however, we were more than excited to jump in and actually start learning how to build the interactive environments we were beginning to envision.

Fortunately, between the two of us, we have had a fair amount of experience writing code in various programming languages ranging from Java to PHP to ActionScript. And with a dash of electrical engineering education to add to that experience, getting acquainted with some of the more basic aspects of the Arduino programming environment and hardware has been a relatively easy and enjoyable process.

Just as the "Hello world!" statement is a standard for introductory programming courses, blinking an LED seems to be the first little introduction into the world of Arduino. Of course, being the hyper-active, humorous individuals that we are, we took this introductory project a few steps further and within a few minutes of learning how to set up this basic circuit and write the program, we had our own variation -- an extremely annoying, though amusing LED light show:

If you're interested in seeing it, the code is available here.

Taking this project a step further, and utilizing our basic understanding of the programming language as a whole, we put together a short light show controlled by a simple button, starting with an ordered succession of blinking lights, a randomized succession of blinking lights, and finally a series of fading LED's using the Arduino's inherent PWM outputs:

If you're interested in seeing it, the code is available here.

More recently, we began exploring different kinds of controllable input. In this example, we used a potentiometer to control the brightness of two LED's inversely; as one LED becomes brighter, the other decreases in brightness:

If you're interested in seeing it, the code is available here.

We've also started looking into different kinds of sensors in the hopes of finding the appropriate hardware for our final project. This past weekend, the nice folks at Metrix introduced us to a series of pressure sensors that could be used to measure the amount of liquid in a container based on weight. The first was a low cost, home made pressure gauge:

The second option was a pre-fabricated pressure sensor costing around $9:

With these sensors in mind, our vision for the perfect Arduino enhanced social beer drinking experience is one step closer to becoming a reality!

As usual, more pictures and videos of the fun stuff we're doing to come...

Team Tupperware:Week 4

Emily +Mitch

Now that we have a direction we still have a few questions we needed to hash out. We started answering what we are detecting, mold.

How can you see if something has gone bad, sight, smell, taste, chemical reactions. This seemed to complex and difficult to analyse in one quarter. Maybe a two year research grant and a fully stocked lab could handle that. So we needed to a novel and simple solution to suggest to the user that food had spoiled. We ask ourselves what makes food spoil. Being over 40 degrees for 4 hours. If kept under 40 most food is good for 4 days. With these parameter we decided on a novel solution to manage food spoilage. Time, Type, and Temperature by tracking these we are able to suggest fairly accurately a safe time to eat food stored in tupperware.

This week was really about how and with what we will using to detect these things.

We identified our 3 variables that needed to be addressed.

Time

Luckily the arduino has a built in crystal and we can track the vibrations for that. Since we are only timing for a relative time, its accuracy doesn't need to me militarily accurate. It seems like for this just some nice coding will do the trick.

Temperature

When the food item gets too warm we need to decrease the amount left of the timer. On the market there are plenty of temperature and humidity sensors but the easiest way to achieve what we need is through a thermistor. It tracks the resistance caused by the change in temperature in the resistor and coverts that value to a temperature. Once again a fairly easy sensor with a chunk of coding to pull it all together.

Ambient Light

The last main component we want to track is the ambient light. there is no need to display data if the tupperware is in the fridge an out of sight. For this, on the market are a variety of cheap

light sensors and simple code that we can use.

Now its time to dive into some coding and see if we cant pull it all together.

PB & A #1

Patrick, Ben, and Arduino: What we've been up to

Here's a quick recap of how our project has been evolving.



Social Beer Drinking

We've been designing around the situation of social beer drinking--partially because it's a situation that we're both quite familiar with, but also because it's a situation that's teeming with interesting interactions that are just begging to be messed with.

First we brainstormed around the items involved with social beer drinking:

• Glasses
• Pitchers
• Stools
• Chairs
• Tables
• Coasters
• etc.

Then we focused in on the vessel itself--all of the information that can be gathered and what that could say about what is happening between the drinkers, each other, and their drinks. The beer-cology started to take shape. Some things we looked into:

• Temperature
• Head
• Drinker/Owner
• Act of Pouring
• Amount of Beer
• Proximity to Pitcher
• Proximity to Drinker/Owner
• Beer "Identity"
• Viscosity

We started to get a feel for the situation and some of the possible effects of learning from these variables. Still, we weren't sure how to manifest potential feedback in a way that would affect the social situation in a really interesting (and maybe fun) way.

Back to the drawing board.

Instead of wrapping our heads around the pint glass and working outwards from the object, we attempted to get a fresh look by zooming out and examining the situation as a whole, once more. As we examined closely some of the other objects present in the situation, one seemed to stand out against the rest.

The table is always there, doesn't belong to any one person, and acts as the intermediary between the drinkers and their drinks--providing the surface necessary for these things to come together. Conveniently enough, it's also able to contain all of the sensing, processing, and actuating equipment we need to use. It is also positioned in such a way that would make it easy to interact with in a tactile, visual, and even aural way.



So a Supertable? What does it do?

Our device intends to measure one variable (to start with): Amount of beer.

It measures the amount of beer in the pitcher and in each member's glass by providing affordances that indicate where the glasses and communal pitcher should be placed (these areas contain sensors that can gather this information).

By reading this information, we intend to inform the user of a few things:

• How many beers have been consumed by each member
• How "drunk" that member might be (ballpark estimated by time vs amount)
• How much money they need to contribute to the group for the communal beer
• Who has had the most, who has had the least

We've also considered the concept of having the table decide who's next in line to buy a pitcher (randomly selecting a member of the group, and eliminating them from being chosen in the next random selection).

By working in this space, we're not trying to solve an existing problem--just make one of the solutions to life's problems a little more interesting. A hat-tip to Neil and Inness for presenting during class the situation that gave us the initial kick in the right direction.


Pictures, Fun Arduino experiments and more to come...

Week 4: Sensors

Amy & Amy

We decided to pursue a route in an opposite fashion from what our original thoughts were from the last week: Why try to make the deaf conform to a hearing world?--Let's utilize the unique way the world can be experienced without sound. So, we started off this week by looking at projects already out there and what was possible if we were to take on similar projects.

Our input was focused on pressure and movement and we found a project called "Joy Slippers" that used analog pressure sensors that coordinated output to left/right/up/down sketches onto a computer.

We also started looking into malleable shapes, soft circuits and fabrics where we had a few ideas. Since our idea was inspired by the deaf culture, we decided to look into pressure sensors embedded into neoprene gloves where expression could be explored through hand gestures and movements.

As far as output, we focused on both tactile and visual stimuli. We agreed that lights (LEDS) could be an exciting route to go, especially since there is room for creativity and we could include both color and position for expression. We imagined a board with lights in a grid formation and the gloves would be connected to it, allowing the user to interact with it. (one idea)

For a second layer of the project, if possible, we would venture in the route of connecting another tactile element that was more expressive tactile approach than the light direction. 

Materials that are vital:

- LEDs--multiplexed single LEDs (depending on price and ability for color choice, could use cheaper xmas lights/ bulk strands)

- position or proximity sensors (reed)

- neoprene fabric for gloves and covering exposed parts

- analog pressure sensors

- connection wire from gloves to connection into LEDs (telephone wire would be inexpensive)

- some sort of sturdy casing for lights

The blinking/fading is only the beginning for us...

Week 4

Katie Hendricks & Scott Lui // Super [Mario] Elevator

Sensor Possibilities

The most important input that our object has to be able to sense is the location of a person in the elevator. We have discussed a variety of options that we think could be possible and are still researching to decide which will be the best (easiest to implement and most cost efficient.)

1. Pressure Sensors

An obvious way of detecting a person’s location is by the pressure they are exerting on the ground. This would produce an analog output, which would work but is not necessary for our project.

2. Physical Buttons

One existing system that shares similar characteristics to our project is DDR. The game needs to be able to identify where are on the game board the player is stepping. We found one example of a DYI arcade style ddr mat that turned each tile into a physical button that completed a circuit when pressed. This would produce a digital output if pressed or not pressed, which if fine for what we are trying to create.

3. Infrared photo sensors

Infrared photo sensors are another possibility we have considered. Just as a computer mouse can determine if it is being held in the air or on the table, we think the same concept could be applied to detecting a person’s location. If a person were standing over the infrared LED the infrared sensor would detect their presence. This would also create a digital output.

Week 4: What Sensors

Meleigha and Amber:

• Can you sense something without touching it? is contact (touching) better?
- Motion sensors
- Proximity sensors
- In the case of our project, touching is not better because it is too late by that time--a person has already been poked by the umbrella.
• What is the cheapest way to sense what you want? The most expensive?
- [cheap one] http://www.instructables.com/id/A-very-simple-proximity-detector/
- [other one] http://www.parallax.com/tabid/768/ProductID/92/Default.aspx
• Can you combine two or more sensors input to sense something? What about using only one
- In our situation, one sensor is ideal to detect the presence of another person or an object. Since this is used in public, other sensory inputs (such as sound or light) could be misinterpreted, therefore one type of input is necessary.
- Umbrella with tentacle-like feelers, that feel-out the surrounding area for people or objects. If an object was detected, then the umbrella would retract accordingly.
• Can you combine output with sensing? For example, to detect a person, what if you squirted a water gun, and then waited to hear a yell with a microphone?
- A person that knocked into an umbrella, thus impeding flow of water from gutters on the umbrella, would result in the umbrella contracting.
- If a person blocked the flow of light encompassing and spinning around the umbrella, then the umbrella would retract.

Code and Blinking Light:

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000167 EndHTML:0000004014 StartFragment:0000000457 EndFragment:0000003998

We used the codes found in the book to make our light blink and fade. The fade code is:

//Fading LED page 59

# define LED 9 //Define LED is 9

int i=0; //intensity is zero

void setup() {

pinMode(LED, OUTPUT); //LED is the output

}

void loop(){

for(i=0; i<255; i++){ //intensity increases to 255

analogWrite(LED, i); //Output reaches intensity

delay(10); //waits 10ms

}

for (i = 255; i>0; i--){ //intensity decreases back to zero

analogWrite (LED, i); //Output reaches intensity

delay(10); //waits 10ms

}

}

The blink code (this one is the 1, 2, 1 sequence) we used was:

//Blink Once then Twice then Once

#define LED 13

int val = 0; //

void setup() {

pinMode (LED, OUTPUT);

}

void loop() {

val = analogRead(0);

digitalWrite(13,HIGH);

delay(500);

digitalWrite(13,LOW);

delay(1000);

digitalWrite(13,HIGH);

delay(500);

digitalWrite(13,LOW);

delay(1000);

digitalWrite(13,HIGH);

delay(2000);

digitalWrite(13,LOW);

delay(1000);

}

We discovered that we could change the either the high (light on) or low (pause) interval to achieve the same effect of blinks appearing close together. For example, to show the sequence one blink, two blinks, one blink, we made the low period longer after the first blink and after the two blinks. This same effect could be achieved by making the the first blink twice as long as the proceeding two blinks.

Week 4: Researching Parts - Inness and Neil R

After deciding to pursue our idea of the audio transmitting pitcher, we generated a variety of sensors and actuators we could use. In going through the essential functions of our concepts, we ordered these parts in order of most essential to least essential.

Microphone / Speaker/ Transmitter / Receiver: The combination of a microphone, a speaker, and wireless transmission is the most difficult and most essential aspect to our idea.

- Buy small and inexpensive microphones and speakers

- Utilize microphones/speakers from used electronics

- Find microphones and speakers that are already part of a wireless transmission objects, such as walkie-talkies or a wireless microphone system

-Buy transmitters and receivers

-Utilize slightly more advanced digital wireless connective devices, like an Xbee

MakerShed Speakers

Electret Microphone / Breakout Board

WaveShield

XBee Wireless / XBee Shield

RF Link Kit / RF Tutorial

Tilt Activation: The tilt activation of the microphone is the next most important, but could be replaced with an easier trigger if need be.

- Buy a simple tilt sensor to utilize

- If tilt sensors prove too complicated, a motion or accelerometer sensor may be used

Tilt Sensor / Tilt Sensor 4-way

Directional Sensor: The next part would be the directional sensor that chooses from which microphone the user is receiving audio. We could simplify this to one microphone and bypass this idea.

- Use a directional/compass sensor that can give out 360-degree feedback

- Use a Wii nunchuck 3-axis accelerometer to determine 360-degree orientation

2-Axis Accelerometer

Liquid level: The liquid level acting as a shutoff for the pitcher would be nice, but wouldn’t add value unless all the above parts are working.

- Some kind of weight sensor that could determine how much liquid is in the pitcher

- A liquid level sensor

Liquid Level Sensor

LED lights: Finally, additional LEDs for feedback and aesthetic flourishes would offer a nice final idea to explore, but would be something to think about when the bulk of the pitcher is completed.

- LEDs would be easy to get, in simple or complex forms.

- LEDs would also be easy to find in used electronics

Cross walk dilemma

PROBLEM:
Have you ever approached crosswalk and stood next to a stranger on the corner waiting to cross? Have they pushed the button? What should you do? Should you trust them? You pushed it didn"t you? Maybe three or four times to be sure. There are a lot of things to consider in this problem space, it boils down to an issue of improper feedback.

How can we alleviate confusion? And make the waiting experience more pleasurable.

SOLUTION:
Our approach is to implement an interaction that has fun fiddle factor to keep the pedestrian(s) entertained while they wait.

IN NYC:
Thousands of intersections in NYC contain well worn push buttons. Over the years they harried walkers from one side to another. Signage above the crosswalk buttons state their purpose:

To Cross Street

Push Button

Wait for Walk Signal

Dept. of Transportation

Residents and tourist alike have pushed these buttons thinking it will speed up their travel time. Some people believed they worked, but others, the cynics, might have believed they were broken but pushed them anyways out of habit or by the off chance they might actual work.

Apparently, the cynics were right.

NYC actually deactivated most of the pedestrian buttons a long time ago after the city implemented computer controlled traffic signals. Out of 3,250 walk buttons, 2,500 of them were mechanical placebos.


We are interested in using light and sound to enhance the pedestrians experience at major crosswalks. People want to cast their vote and implement change in some way or another.

Week 3: Sensors + I/O diagram

Emily + Mitch

Situation

When refrigerators get full, items get lost and spoil while their owner is unaware. We wanted to create an object that would display cues when an item goes out of date or is past its prime consumption time. With Ardunio, tupperware, bottles, and lids have the capability to host these cues.

We are still indecision about what this output should be but brainstorms we've had are listed below.

I/O Diagram

INPUT DECISIONS OUTPUT

time how much time has elapsed? increase affordance (*output cues) as more time passes

temperature is the temp. over 40 degrees? if yes: decrease acceptable save time; if no: remain dormant

light is the food sitting out/in light? if yes: decrease acceptable save time; if no: remain dormant

light is the fridge dark? if yes: stay in off state; if no: turn on affordance

food type is the [food category] out of date? if yes: turn on affordance (highest state); if no: stay dormant

Output Cues

+ rotting food-rotting container: To communicate that food has been spoiled the container looses strength and rigidity similar to rotting food or becomes squishy because a balloon fills with air.

+ signal light: Once the fridge has been open a light is shined from the top of the container onto the food. Green being safe to red being spoiled.

+ chroma change: If the food is unsafe the plastic of the container has changed color; from clear, safe to eat to dark unsafe to eat. The color change would spread like mold over a surface.

Sweet Sweet Dancing Shoes : by olga and nick

Inspiration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1hNypys7Bs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0LtpDFxHCQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSZW-gRE0tw&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzS1ldA4v3E

Breakdancing / Jazz / Capoeira

Common Thread: Group creates mood while one person improvises.

How can we build on these ideas?

Build in the collaborative. Change in sound production or effect as dancers move in unison. Change in sound based on proximity.

Introducing Free Running

What if you could actually produce your own music as a group or an individual in a mobile setting? As a free runner? As a street performer? And save the music as a unique DNA of your run... of your experience?

Next Steps

Learn how a DJ produces music. What tools does he use?

Make some simple sounds with Arduino.

Look over any open source music producing code available online.

Onward and Upward.

Week 3: Inness & Neil R(2)

In thinking about the social opportunities provided in a bar our group has

come up with two arduino enabled concepts- one pertaining to each smaller

group and the other creating a sense of the space as a whole. Both concepts

are conceptualized with the model of a casual bar implementing mostly group

table seating in mind.

The concept pertaining to smaller groups is that of voice activated

lighting, so that the lighting in the middle of a group¹s table would

respond to the sounds being made at the table. The light would have to

specifically recognize voices over music and ambient noise. It would then

change color and brightness according to the pitch and volume respectively

of the voices in close proximity to it. This would create awareness in

patrons of the sounds their speaking creates, enabling a feeling that the

environment they are in is responding to them, and encouraging vocal

experimentation. This device would also serve to help patrons modulate the

volume of their voices to keep the light at a comfortable brightness, and to

encourage all group members to speak to see how their voice pitch effects

the color of the lighting.

Our second idea would serve to amplify some of the features of a bar people

subconsciously value. The main value we are highlighting in this concept is

that of being noticed by others, but it also addresses being aware of those

around you. The concept is an audio transmitting pitcher. The device would

transmit a ten second snippet of conversational audio from one of a series

of microphones around the bar when it is tilted to pour. Tilting activates

the snippet, and the direction of tilting corresponds to a microphone

(though not one that is geographically logical). The pitcher only works as

long as it contains liquid. This experience serves to give people the

feeling of being heard, while witnessing the perspectives of others around

them. By limiting the duration of the audio and not using geographic mapping

between devices the voices retain anonymity and are less likely to limit

their behavior. This brings up the question of how to represent yourself and

points to this question's essential nature in a bar scenario.

Some of the situations we were considering appealed to us but posed problems as well.

One such situation is the how in bars people often times feel as though they have a connection or personal stake to the bar they visit, as well how their exploits at a bar could feel more important or grandiose than they actually were. Using these phenomena we thought of a system that would project or produce decorations on the walls based on the amount of time as well as the actions people performed the night before. This would allow regular customers of a bar to feel as if they are leaving their mark on "their" bar, and for groups who had a good time at a bar to feel as if their exploits were left behind in some kind of facsimile. This posed a problem in that it was hard to think of what simple actions could properly capture someone's experience uniquely, as well, what form the decoration would take. Simple LEDs probably wouldn't suffice to capture people's unique experiences, and projectors could be hard to set up in a public sphere or might not suffice as decoration for a bar.

Another idea we were drawn to but steered away from was one that utilized cups. As everyone in a bar usually has a cup of some kind, they could serve as personal controllers which could activate many sensors, and also indicate a variety of behaviors. These tokens could control lights or sounds, and also respond to group dynamics or arrangements. The problem with utilizing cups in their small size, the fact that we would need to create many prototypes, and that mixing water and electricity poses some risk.

Week 3: Scenario

Cierra and Chris

The Begging Dog

We began with the concept of training dogs or manipulating a dog's actions through entertainment. The situation we have focused in on involves people and dogs in social situations. We are looking to create separation between the dog and people in that environment without putting the dog in a cage. We are looking to build some sort of distraction for the animal that will keep it entertained and focused away from the people effectively.

In this scenario the following would need to be sensed...

The presence of a dog/human... ultrasound or similar sensor

The distance away from a dog... proximity sensor

The speed of approach by a dog... speedometer of sorts

The contact with a dog... pressure sensor

Week 3

Katie & Scott

Dynamic Elevators

This week we have narrowed our situation to awkward elevator rides. We want to create an experience that engages users during their elevator ride. Our current idea is to have the elevator encourage the movement of people during their ride with light and sound. If a rider is in a specific location a “mario coin sound” will play with corresponding lights. If possible, we imagine that the combined “score” of all of the elevator occupants would be displayed. Ideally this would make elevator rides less awkward and more social and dynamic.

Given this scenario the following are the things that would need to be sensed:

+ the presence of a person (pressure, motion)
+ number of coins “collected” (pressure, motion)
+ if doors are open (motion, tone)
+ if elevator is moving (acceleration, motion)

Week 2: Sensors

Katie Suskin & Jonathan Lai

We started to focus in on two of our ideas at this stage: health/hydration and bike navigation.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

HEART RATE

Tracking pulse would be a means to observing exercising habits and levels of exertion.

STEP COUNTER

A conventional means of measuring exercising habits, but still an interesting statistic. This could be measured through a pressure sensor or standard shaken counter.

FLUID QUANTITY

The amount of water consumed from a water bottle could be linked to another sensor based on amounts of exercise in order to calculate how much more water should be consumed. THe amount of water that has passed through the spout could also be measured.

TIME

Knowing how much exercise was done or water was consumed in a given time frame could be used to calculate the amount of water still needed in a day.

BIKE NAVIGATION

GPS

Take in information about position and direction in order to then relay directions to the cyclist.

ACCELEROMETER

An accelerometer could be used to sense when a rider changes direction or slows down or speeds up.

COMPASS

Something as simple as a compass could be useful information for a cyclist and could be used to supplement the GPS information.

LIGHT

Sensing the lighting conditions would be useful in adjusting how the navigation unit presented information.

Week 3: Senses for Situations

Amy G & Amy B

After a brainstorming session in class, we decided to focus on the scenario with the deaf. Originally, we had looked into the insecurities the deaf often have about their voices and laughter. However, as we started talking we realized that we were trying to impose the hearing world on the deaf. Why not embrace their unique way of experiencing the world?

We began to discuss what it would look like to be able to experience communicating emotions how the deaf feel them. This would increase understanding of how they live and would in turn hopefully increase communication between the deaf and hearing.

We asked ourselves the question, “How can you experience sound without audio?” and began discussing using the inputs of pressure and movement. The output could take a tactile or visual form through firm and soft materials, forms changing shape, vibrations, pulsing lights, patterns, etc. Some decisions we discussed are, Am I feeling ________(insert emotion here)? Is there a lot of movement? How much pressure is being exerted?

Week 1/2: Situations

Amy G & Amy B

The two situations we zeroed in on were walking home alone at night and deaf children in a home environment. Both present many opportunities for bettering the experience of the individuals.

1. Walking Home Alone at Night

The objects in this scene vary depending on the individual and setting. We looked at common objects such as a bag handle, shoes, and a watch, as well as typical environmental settings with objects such as trees. The bag handle could turn into something that comforted the individual, almost like a stress ball that is squeezed, as the individual walked home. The watch is quickly accessible and could notify and alarm the person if someone was walking up to them that they might not have noticed otherwise. The shoes could match the pace of someone ahead or behind you to keep you a safe distance away. Finally, the trees could have a hidden sensor on them that can detect if a gun or other sharp item is in possession and could start an alarm.

2. Deaf Children

We both had the commonality of having experience working with the deaf, which sparked this scenario. A common fear they have is not knowing what their voice sounds like, especially their laugh. Rather than practicing and strengthening their vocal chords they shut down out of intimidation. Common objects in this scenario would be toys, such as a teddy bear, that could provide feedback to the child in a non-intimidating, safe, and fun way. Blankets are also familiar objects to children and have mobility and flexibility. Scarf ties or scarves could also be worn by older children to provide them with feedback on their voices. The proximity to the vocal chords makes it a promising object. Lastly, the fascination toddlers have with their own reflection in mirrors could be utilized, using the mirror as an object to translate the sound of their voices into visual representations. 

Week 1/2: Situations

Emily + Mitch

FRIDGE MANAGEMENT

jam packed/cluttered refridgerators are a frustration and and sometimes a spoiled item can even be a health hazard

+ Item Locator: locate an item in your fridge using voice commands, the area of the fridge it’s in would light up when it senses the item’s RFID tag for example

+ Spoiled Food Locator: this could sense mold growing in an area of the fridge and alert the user of spoiling food before it gets out of hand

+ Item Allocation Tool: an object could sense what item was about to be put in the fridge and light up an area with free space or where the item “belongs” which could be customized by the user

+ Food Tracker: what goes in and out of the fridge and what needs to be replaced

+ Space Locator: weight or light sensors on each self could sense where the most space is located

+ Space Creator: a device could physically move things around in the fridge to create room to help the user fit things in the fridge and/or be more space efficient

+ Meal Idea Generator: through knowledge of what is in your fridge, a device could compile a list of ideas for meals with things you already have

NATURAL DISASTER, EARTHQUAKE

+ Self Locking Cabinet Hinges: In an earthquake cabinets open, items dislodge. These items can vary from harmful solvents to precious heirlooms. Damage to these are not an option. In a perfect world the cabinets would lock immediately upon sensing the vibration of an earthquake.

+ Shut Off Valves: The biggest cause of post earthquake damage is fires. Caused from both combustion in gas valves and electrical surges. In some cases diligent homeowners are too late in shutting these off. With traumatic situations decreasing distractions saves lives. As the device senses the earthquake vibrations it automatically shuts off the valves before the homeowner could even reach them.

+ Safety Illumination Guide: The safest place inside a home during an earthquake might not be clear. During all of the chaos if the situation could be simplified, lights turned off and the safest places illuminated. Through decreasing distractions it forces the people in these situations to head to the safest locations decreasing the injuries cause by users.

+ Trapped Beacon: During a strong earthquake with people trapped, time is the enemy. Survivors have varying odds of survival. The most critically hurt need to be addressed first. A device that records the status of the victim including the O2 levels, health of the victim, noxious gases and other variables. Knowing this data would then allow rescue providers to effectively reach all of the isolated.

After getting feedback on our situations on Wednesday, we are excited to move forward with our 'fridge management' situation and explore the possibilities within that realm.

Weeks 1 & 2

Katie Hendricks & Scott Lui

Our first two weeks have been spent exploring situations and attempting to find one with great potential. We are specifically interested in situations that could be improved by teaching a behavior or alleviating a problematic interaction. On Wednesday 4/6 we brought 4 situations to class. Those ideas were as follows:

1. Intersections

Objects: stop lights, cars, cross walks, cross walk signs, pedestrians

2. Meeting New People

Objects: nametags, icebreaker games, coffee shops, bars, web sites

3. What to do with trash

Objects: trash, garbage cans, recycling bins, compost bins

4. Living with roommates

Objects: furniture, refrigerator, shower, appliances, dirty dishes

We quickly discovered that our situations were too general. We decided that before thinking about sensors we needed to first refine our situations. We narrowed our ideas down to two more specific scenarios:

1. People not paying attention at stop lights

Objects: cars, stoplight, cross walk, pedestrians

2. Getting out of other peoples’ way in elevators

Objects: people, elevator walls, buttons, floor mat, ceiling light

Week 3: Sensing

Amber and Meleigha:

We narrowed our objects down to a toilet (toilet seat) and umbrella. The toilet seat would "sense" gender and either go up or down based on its user. The umbrella would sense its surroundings so it did not hit people in a crowd.
Possible sensors for each object:

Toilet
+PRESSURE: direction of feet.

+LIGHT: light sensor knows when seat is up or down.

+SWITCH: must give something to open seat. Item returned
when seat is put down.

+LIQUID: senses approach of liquid on seat.

Umbrella
+PROXIMITY: senses closeness to objects or people.

+PRESSURE: senses touch of object or person.

+RAIN: rain or no rain.