Tab & Slot Structural explorations + Automatic Pull Strip Mechanism
Went around and shared our homework assignments. A lot of people utilized cross sectioning as a way to strengthen their projects. We then also brainstormed our final projects and were assigned a modular assembly creation challenge.
He passed around a couple books and showed us online links to some examples of architectural paper popups he enjoyed like the Amsterdam Canal House below. When someone mentioned they hoped to try a architectural project he mentioned that sometimes like the Harry Potter Popup book below its nice when its a fantastical place because it can allow you scale/realism flexiblity. And mentioned the Frank Gehry Popup book as an example that doesn’t quite hit the mark in that way.
His friend Simon Arzipe’s The Wild Pop-Up Object was really interesting as a storytelling mechanism that can continually rotated through 3 scenes.
We also explored a couple of different Slide Tongue Mechanisms / Automatic Pull Strips
Brainstorming different possible playful search engine methods for exploring different curated collections in the Library of Congress Young Readers Center. How can we allow for both curation but still a sense of serendipity? Thinking of applying the idea of a paper fortune teller simulation, where maybe its an interactive p5js sketch that navigates you using a similar layout as above. Or maybe its a program that generates one for you to fold yourself for older visitors.
For the test I search a range of children’s books based around different seasons of the year to do a quick paper prototype of the search mechanism. Although the paper fortune teller restricts the title amounts to 8 due to its 8 reveal tabs, maybe from a p5js could access / sift through a larger amount of titles.
A couple questions are leading me to wonder that maybe fuzzy dice or something that can be rolled like dice, with FSR sensors on each face would be a more logical mechanism if looking for future modularity/ interchangeability?
For the Fortune teller concept to work currently its very dependent on the visual illustration of the concepts. And would be unsure how it could become something that librarians could easily change out unless they’re excited to create their own illustrations for their future curated lists? Right now its a very rigid design in that way. How to make it more fluid / interchangeable?
Assignment 4: Turn one of the previous wearable projects into a wireless one.
For this project we were asked to think critically about what makes a product need to be part of IOT? Does it actually improve the functionality of the object if its online? Jingwen gave us an example of shopping for microwaves and the idea of do you really need Alexa to heat up your coffee? And encouraged us to think critically about whether our projects are improved by incorporating that layer of functionality.
For wearability and accuracy I decided for this project to switch out the Particle Sensor for a Airvisual API + Bluetooth LE setup. Similar to Alvin and his Raspberry pi exploration, I think I dove head first into more than I realized but definitely learned a lot through the process:
Original video of PM sensor + 3 LEDs tied to particulate matter thresholds
Circuit based on Adafruits’ Flora+Bluefruit BLE + Neopixel + Bluefruit App:
Adafruit Flora
Bluefruit LE
Programmable Neopixel
Each pixel draws as much as 60mA (all three RGB LEDs on for full brightness white)
3.7 V Lipo battery
Conductive Thread
Construction:
** due to neopixel being programable can decrease LEDs in circuit from 3 to 1 or even use the onboard neopixel on the flora or CPlaygroundExpress
Hardware Side:
Understanding differences between Circuit Playground Classic, Circuit Playground Express, and Flora
Testing the Onboard & Sewable Neopixel:
After seeing that my initial bluetooth circuit wasn’t communication to the neopixels w/ the Bluefruit app, took Arnab’s advice to break it into small blocks for debugging starting with the neopixel components. Both tests worked without the Bluefruit Bluetooth module in the circuit, so now I know its either the BlueFruit module or the code example. When running Jingwen’s FSR example, I was able to connect a couple times through the app & was reflected in the serial monitor, however it wasn’t producing a range of values when i pressed the FSR?
**neopixel originally lit up on hat but was not changing color / had a short due to having added the neopixel into the circuit backwards and also initially using graphite to trace the component placement on muslin, forgetting it was a conductive material.
Trouble Shooting / Issues encountered:
FSR example
kept getting either “3”s continually (w/out a resistor in circuit)
and then “255’s” continually (w/resistor added to circuit)
DFU / Factory Reset issues w/ adafruits controller example
Issues with continually receiving “couldn’t factory reset” when trying to use Adafruits Controller example code
Renaming Bluefruit LE Module – Trying to work alongside someone w/ another BlueFruit it became clear quickly it would help us to rename our modules due to accidentally connecting to one anothers
LE connect continual crashing on laptop
Using Adafruit Bluefruit LE connect on laptop
Jiwon mentioned that since Madison and I were having trouble id-ing our specific module to try the desktop version. However had issues with it continually crashing
Commenting out “while” serial connect statement
broken maker 1010 from shop
realized when home it was labeled broken on box
checked a new one out friday
Questions to look into:
Checking Cmd/data switch vs mode pad
Baud Rate
why in the fsr example I keep getting a steady stream of the same numbers
3s w/out resistor & 255 w/ resistor
it seems like it is receiving some kind of data but not
Why neopixel lights up with flora test but not with the Bluefruit BLE connect app?
Which parts of code need to be edited – commented in or out on examples
API parsing w/ ArduinoJson:
Last weekend Mary and I talked through thinking about how to call a live API JSON file with Arduino using arduinojson. I also printed out her project’s code Storm’s A Comin’ 2.0 to see if I could follow the logic / better understand what would need to be adjusted from her experience for the AQ Hat + Air Visual API. I think also classmate Jillian Zong’s Umbrella Notification Light code might help me better understand as well?
Sifting Through a Storm A Comin’s Code using arduinoJson
AirVisual // Free API key for community usage up to a certain call amount
Provides updated AQI on an hourly call & it gps coordinates based on city
Sewing needle with large enough eye for conductive thread
Clear Nail Polish
Prototyping Muslin
Sewing Hoop
Lessons Learned:
Comment out the While Serial code when no longer connected vis usb (meant for serial trouble shooting only)
Don’t use graphite to trace placement due to conductivity / always use tailor chalk or pen
Always check the data in & out arrows of flora neopixels
Double check that your circuit works with alligator clips first
As you build, check one item at a time as you add it into the circuit so that similar to debugging you can know where you’re having issues due to isolation – See A Brief Introduction to Debugging
That always check if the example you’re looking at is for Circuit Playground express vs Circuit Playground Classic
Shorter alligator clips for quick prototyping
To Consider Next:
Office hours with:
Jingwen to troubleshoot BLE circuit
Jasmine to review APIs
Back it up and try examples w/ maker 1010 first before trying bluefruit
Over the summer – looking at CircuitPython environment + the Flora
How could we use a counter-current exchange system to help minimize the amount of water lost from the respiratory system process for humans in arid climates? Or if it could apply to cooling mechanisms / systems for machines?
Originally for the assignment I started thinking about jellyfish both their phosphorescence and self-healing abilities. However, there’s a lot of current existing technology and applications centered around those qualities so tried to think a little more on another animal and came across the kangaroo rat ❤ It has an increased ability for water storage, having adapted to its desert climate. According to its wiki page there are a few qualities that play into its superwater storage ability are its kidneys, its back legs that allow it to bounce around large areas for high carb seeds that yield it water, and its skull anatomy.
I wonder if there’s a way to incorporate the structural understanding or its longer nasal cavities into housing for tech to keep it cooler or more moist. Thinking about the potential benefits of a counter- current exchange system.
“Desert kangaroo rats have the longest nasal cavity of all the kangaroo rats, which allows for better water conservation. Hot, dry air can remove water from the body. The long nasal cavities reduce this water loss by cooling the air leaving the lungs. Cooling air releases moisture for reabsorption to the body so its loss can be avoided in a situation where water is a precious resource.[5]”
Desert kangaroo rats have the longest nasal cavity of all the kangaroo rats, which allows for better water conservation. Hot, dry air can remove water from the body. The long nasal cavities reduce this water loss by cooling the air leaving the lungs. Cooling air releases moisture for reabsorption to the body so its loss can be avoided in a situation where water is a precious resource.[5]”
For this week’s assignment I was really inspired by Kari’s presentation in class on inflatables, specifically by the Aeromorphs explorations from MIT. I tracked down the aeroMorph paper MIT “aeroMorph – Heat-sealing Shape-change materials for interaction design”. And was inspired by their exploration of hinges and also using both dashed line seals and also sealing/ “creasing” from opposite sides.
I played with a couple hinge explorations inspired by theirs in figure 5, where the width/heigh aspect ration of a diamond hinge affects the angle the inflatable bends. will make sure to post those pictures soon.
I then was really inspired by these self folding shapes in figure 17. although would be better explored as a laser cutting exploration to help control the specific cuts ❤ Although my experiments didn’t yield the motion I was hoping for, I was inspired by the circular shape and decided to make 2 variations of it – more of a chain of the circles, with one pictured in the video above.
I also found the Stripe Loop Morphing to be just so cool! Using a double airbag stripe.
Sifting Through a Storm A Comin’s Code using arduinoJson
30 KM/s 