Interactive Spaces Final: ZoeBike

ZoeBike

The ZoeBike is a spatial device that aims to promote an eco-friendly lifestyle by combining the bicycle and the zoetrope. The rear wheel of the bicycle is used as a gear to spin the zoetrope to display a light-projected animation of a running deer. As the user mounts the bicycle and holds on to the handles, a projected video plays in front of them to simulate the feeling of actually cycling out in the mountains to be closer to nature.

Going Green

With the current state of our planet, as excessive amounts of carbon is being emitted every day, straining on our climate and the Earth’s ecosystem, it is important that we realize and discuss how we could change and improve our daily activities to make sure that we maintain a sustainable way of living.

Taking public transportation and driving an electric car are just some of the ways where we could reduce air pollution and increase fuel efficiency. Excessive use of fuels could possibly destroy the environment, depleting wildlife as well as natural resources.

The ZoeBike creates a space for users to realize how important the environment is to us and how it provides shelter and resources for millions of species. The deer, being one of the most common species found in the forest, is used as a representation of the very planet we live in. If we stop caring for the Earth, we might not be able to see deers in the future.

That is why we have decided for the light-projected animation of the deer to only be played if the bicycle is being pedaled. If the user stops pedaling, the animation would slow down and come to a stop. Having pressure sensor pads on the handles of the bicycle to start and pause the POV video symbolize how important it is for us as the most intelligent species on the planet to maneuver carefully to be able to move forward.

Changes to the Original ZoeBike Design

The previous ZoeBike had several flaws. One is that the support that is used to hold the zoetrope up was not strong enough, resulting in an inconsistent and lop-sided animation of the deer. We installed wires and fasteners to make sure that the PVC pipe (previously an uneven bamboo pole) was stable enough to bear the weight of the zoetrope. The PVC pipe is then further secured with a plastic chair and bricks to elevate it.

The zoetrope’s design was also changed with the silhouettes of the deer inverted to have it be projected better. We have decided to use the flash light in strobe mode as it allows for sharper projection of the animation.

For a digital spin of the original design, we have added pressure sensor pads to activate a POV video to the handles of the ZoeBike. The pressure sensor pads attached to the icubeX were programmed to start and stop the video that is projected in front of the bicycle.

Documentation Video

Done by: Goh Cher See & Anam Musta’ein

Semester Project 1: ZoeBike

The ZoeBike

The ZoeBike is a spatial device that allows the user to project a zoetrope animation onto the walls of a dark room that uses the power generated by pedaling a bicycle.

Animated Projection

Initially, we wanted to do project an animation of the growth of a plant from seedling to adult tree. However, we realized that in order to present the life cycle of a plant, we needed to work with more frames then what could be contained within the dimensions of the zoetrope. So instead, we decided to go with the projecting the walk cycle of the animal that is regarded as the guardian of the forest, the deer. The animation consists of 17 frames. Below is a video of how the movement of the deer should look like when it is projected onto the walls of the dark room:

Assembling the ZoeBike

Here are the tools and materials we have used to construct the ZoeBike:

  • Bicycle (with the back tire removed)
  • Wooden Dowels
  • Gorilla Glue
  • Silicone Glue
  • Wooden Platform
  • Bamboo Poles
  • Black Spray Paint
  • Foam Sheet
  • Strings
  • G-clamp
  • Construction Paper
  • Mounting Board
  • Glue Stick
  • Clear Tape
  • Duct Tape
  • Plastic Jar
  • LED Light Strip
  • Portable Power Bank
  • X-Acto Knife
  • Scissors
  • Saw
  • Hacksaw
  • Ruler
  • Cutting Mat

Here are some photos to show of how the bicycle component of the ZoeBike is being constructed:

Here are some photos to show how the zoetrope was constructed:

Documented Video

Below is a video to display the process of making the ZoeBike and how it works:

Improvement Points

Upon seeing the results of our ZoeBike, we realized that there were several areas of improvement that we should work on before moving on to the next step of digitalizing our project for the final submission.

  1. Plant the bicycle on a platform to ensure that it does not tremble when participants move the pedals. Relying on the bicycle stand might be somewhat hap-hazardous for the participants and the people standing of close proximity to the ZoeBike.
  2. Use a better support to substitute the bamboo pole that holds the zoetrope upright to ensure that it eases its rotation as well giving it a more balanced spin.
  3. Stabilize the zoetrope. It appears to be tilted when it is being spun which resulted in an angled projection of the animation.
  4. Use a spotlight instead of LEDs to project the animation as the light diffuses and messes up the silhouettes that were created on the walls of the dark room.
  5. Provide a division in between the frames of the animation to make sure that it plays smoother.
  6. Place the ZoeBike in a darker and preferable a smaller room to ensure that the light is projected well onto the walls.

Done by: Anam Musta’ein & Goh Cher See