Category Archives: Process

Final Project, Process, Research

Progress and Prototypes on our installation! (Amelia, Yit Ling and Natasya)

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So here is the breakdown on some of the progress we made with regards to our installation on the sense of our starfish-nemo-anemone!

SCENT

For the scent portion of our installation, we decided that we would be hanging a contraption that once pulled it would release a powdered scent. We initially wanted to be more like a trip-over-a-string thingy and suddenly poof the scent comes out but we figured it that method could only be done once. Instead this way, it would allow to be done repeatedly.

As you can see here, it is basically a slightly cut balloon taped to an open end of a cup. Inside the cup for this case was baby powder that was sweet smelling. Tugging and releasing the end of the balloon slightly would release the powder in mid air and allow the scent to be released!

SIGHT

The sight portion of the installation ties in with the scent portion as little as there was an added idea whereby the cups would be painted with luminescent colours, and would hang in mid air. Upon seeing these blobs of light from afar, the user would move towards it, and try to reach for them. There would also be stationary white balloons lighted up by LEDs dimly all around. We also tried out and see different aesthetics of ballon to see what would fit out theme, but we settled with normal plain white ones!

TOUCH

As for the touch, we were inspired by this video of how a balloon contraption moves on the internet. A piece of balloon simply stuck on a CD and due to the pressure, it moves in a very anemone-ish kind of way!

We experimented and tried with different way but we figured that it wasn’t the most reliable method for the movement. We realised that the surface of the floor and also how heavy and wide the base was played an important part. So this is the more mechanical method we found that we would try out!

So the idea would be that these little things would be attached with balloons and feathers and would be wiggling about on the floor dancing as touching and tickling the legs of the user as they walk through the space. This would also be the surprise anemone essence of the installation.

Also upon reaching for luminescent cups as mentioned above, the users would be tingled by a small metal ball/fuzzy object at the tugging portion, before pulling it.

Overall our installation would be in a dark room, with the kind of white playful aesthetic feel to it with a tinge/speck of colours in the room.

 

Process, Research

2D and 3D animal movement analysis

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So after being informed about the class activity, this is my 2D analysis on the movement of the sea anemone.

I used different coloured crayons to show the different positions the sea anemone has stayed before moving off again.

As they are fairly slow creatures, i felt like they don’t make much difference in space as they move and is quite slow thus the numerous rounds of circular scribbles.

I choose a circular shape as the body of the sea anemone is cylindrical and it is not a perfect circle as i feel that its movement its quite random and it is going against water currents so it would be gripping onto anything it can.

The middle portion that i yellow and more directional is the sea anemone being attached onto a hermit crab. I figured it was also another way the sea anemone would move.

Moving on this is my 3D paper sculpture on the creature.

I decided to keep the circular pattern and decided to make it more varying is sizes from it going from smaller to bigger and then smaller again. This depicts the sea anemone ‘speed‘ on whether it was staying in that place or moving. The bigger the circle is the longer the presence of the sea anemone.

The way the circles wrap around really feels like how the sea anemone would move, almost sluggish and random, clinging onto anything it can.

Thats all!

My Work, Process, Research

Animal Research: Sea Anemone!

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So the creature my group was assigned to was the relationship between the sea anemone and other animals, mostly the hermit crab and the clownfish. They share a symbiosis relationship which means that, it is a mutually beneficial relationship from both parties in close physical association.

The structure of the sea anemone

To understand how the anemone bonds with the hermit crab and clownfish, it is first important to understand the structure of the anemone, how it moves, defends and other actions it may take.

  • surrounded by numerous tentacles,  studded with nematocysts and are actively used in food capture and defence.
  • the nematocyst, or stinging capsule, similar to that of a jellyfish.
  • they have single sack-like body cavity that performs digestive, nutrient absorption and, gas exchange functions.
  • this single opening  is the mouth, through which food, water, and gametes must pass.
  • several kinds of muscles can be found, and are used to contract and bend the column in various directions.
  • the pedal disk, used by burrowing anemones to anchor in soft substrate.

So we can conclude there are numerous movements which the anemone takes which is, the stinging action by the tentacles, the column that contracts for digestive functions or just bending into directions and finally the pedal disk which sort of anchors the anemone or while it moves around.

Symbiosis with clownfish

The clownfish is the only fish that doesn’t get affected by the sea anemone stinging tentacles as they have a special mucus that protects them. They get accustomed to the sting as they lightly brush their bodies against the tentacle.

Symbiosis with hermit crab

As for the hermit crab, it is intelligent enough to find sea anemones to hook onto its shell for extra protection against predator. This makes the sea anemone seem as though it has a moving house! It doesn’t need to stay in one position waiting for food as the hermit crab does all the work for it.

I also came across two very interesting documentaries on the sea anemone so do take a look. Thanks for reading!

Final Project, Process, Research

Final Sound Texturizer

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So here is my first prototype for the rain texturizer.

So basically this is a simple slide for the sago seeds to slide and make the rain sound. However I felt like this texturizer was too rigid and stagnant.  So I decided to go back to my  initial idea of the headphone and surround sound and made this instead!

It is a helmet that you can wear, with two different tubes varying in lengths. The sago seeds are inside so, as the tubes slides, one sounds heavier and louder than the other. Placing the tubes near the near and sliding them the same times gives the effect of the surround sound.  Here is a video of me using the rain texturizer!

Also enjoy the few pictures of me and Vienna as since we both did on rain, we decided to combine our instruments. Attached is also my pdf for viewing 🙂

Sound Texturizer

Overall it was such a fun project!

My Work, Process, Research

Dialogue in the dark Experience!

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So we went to Dialogue in Ngee Ann during one of the lessons. It was my first time being there so I didn’t know what to expect. I thought the journey would be kind of short but it took longer than expected. Here is my experience journey map of the entire journey through.

As you can see from my mapping, I have also drawn out how certain areas I felt were like in terms of their shape and the ”x” i drew represented me in the scale of each area. As for me the journey continued to grew more and more exciting for me as i grew more anticipated to experience what awaits. The most interesting and fun part for me was the cafe, because it was not like a staged performance, we really got to buy, eat, seat and do everything like a normal cafe would in the dark.

What could have been improved: I felt like one segment they could improve on was the walls? Because at the moment it is all flat and only varying in different materials. Maybe, there could be indents or more tactile stuff to make it more fun.

So after the entire experience, we were told to make interpret the space into a paper form, and this was how mine looked like!

I felt like the beginning was very narrow and winding, which then lead us to more natural surroundings that i felt were more safe and comfortable thus i made the paper more flow. I felt like the boat experience I was in a deep hole and I was quite small. As for the marketplace i felt like it was very linear and straight kind of orientation? The car park felt more open and the cafe at the end I felt like it was entering a big space that gradually.

Overall it was a great experience, that’s all!

My Work, Process, Research

Sound Texturizer Progress 2

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Here is an update on my progress!

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So my initial idea was like a funnel spiral kinf of contraption. The seeds would be dropped from the height producing a first sound which is the rain dropping. After which, the second sound would be produced when the seeds are sliding producing the constant rain sound. Here is the actual try out of the sound texturizer.

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So part of my sound texturizer managed to be made like how i imagine to be however unfortunately the bottom part which i imagined it to be a continuous spiral where the seeds flow didn’t exactly work out how it should be! So i improvised and made it straight instead. However another point to take note was that instead of using the flimsy metal, the harder metal, produced a not so rain-ish sound like i expected it to be. So I might have to go back to that and work around it. Still sticking to the concept of using the same material but changing the distance and direction to change the sound produced. Will work on a better idea for the final!

 

Process, Research

Sound Texturizer Progress 1

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Hi! Here is my update on my sound texturizer .

Idea One

img_1719The materials I used were the aluminium sheets and peppercorn seeds. Upon dropping the seeds i found out it sounds like the rain drops and if I were to slide them from side to side, it sounds lile the rain falling. So i thout it would be interesting  if my sound texturizer mimics the various different stages of rain.

  • Stage 1: Dropping of rain
  • Stage 2: Constant rainfall
  • Stage 3: Fading of  rain

Idea Two

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For my second sound texturizer, originally it came from the ruler organ idea but I improvised amd used bobby pins. I bend each at a different angle so the sound produced is slightly different.

New Concept

My new concept is a combination of both the ideas whereby i was thinking of making the different stages of the rain sound using the concept of the flicking of the bobby pin. It inspired me to use the concept of the Goldberg machine.

I’ll upload my skecthes and ideation soon! Thank you for viewing!

 

 

Process, Research

Soundscapes and In class Activity!

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Here are my two soundscapes represented by the pleasant and unpleasant sounds, pleasant being the waterfall sound and the unpleasant being the feet dragging.

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Because my sound had a very grainy texture, I immediately thought of sandpaper. The bigger sharp holes represent the squeaky part of the shoes or the start of the shoes dragging where it is more dominant. The longer torn out part represents the echo of the dragging feet. I also sanded the entire of the sandpaper because there is a certain white noise.

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As for my pleasant sound,  I decided I would cut wavy slits on transparency paper as I felt that it was the most suitable material that represented the softness of the water. I also varied in the cutting making very thin ones with thicker on in between as at certain points, the sound of water is quite loud when dropping. I like how the material is when light acts on it and it sort of moves as it really gives the feeling of water flowing!

For the in class activity, we played around with more materials to get ideas for our sound texturizer. So here is my idea:

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So what I made was like a contraption for surround sound? The top photo shows the right hand side of the headset that I made that if you listened to you would hear it as very near. Then the bottom is the side of the headset where if you listen to it would be far away. If you actually turn around it sounds quite interesting. Playing with space, near and far, atmospheric.

Also me and Candy experimented and found out about a diy ruler organ!

ruler-organWe played around and figured that the metal ruler actually works better. But i think the concept of playing with the same material but different distances or even the vibration the material makes.

Thats all!

Process

Scent-ses: Chocolate experiment and Research

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Chocolate tasting experiment!

A (rank #3) – unpleasant!

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  • deep dark scent
  • scent reminded me of Toblerone, so expected a sweet taste
  • shape implied was like those normal milk candy, rectangular
  • bitter upon biting
  • weird spicy after taste

B (rank #2) – meh

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  • dark chocolate smell
  • texture feels sophisticated
  • circular shape remind me of the cheap chocolate coins
  • taste what i expected, no change in experience

C (ranked #1)- amazeballs

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  • crumby on one side, smooth on another
  • textured side reminds of potato chips, immediately pleasant
  • chocolate side melts immediately upon eating
  • sweet then salty
  • has something different which is the crunch sound

Pleasant Scent:

My pleasant scent is this perfume which has a very sweet, lingering smell. It is  a halal perfume and its scent reminds me of being in the mosque and feeling very serene, safe and calm.

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Unpleasant Scent:

My unpleasant scent is cat food. It has a very overpowering pungent smell and the memory it evokes just reminds me of cat puking or the unpleasant things they do.

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Fun Facts about scent and memory!

  1. Studies show that 75% of emotions are triggered by smell which is linked to pleasure, well-being, emotion and memory – handy when you want people to buy your products.
  2. One of the most evocative smells from childhood is crayons.
  3. The sense of smell is the first of all our senses to develop. Even before we are born, our sense of smell is fully formed and functioning.
  4. The human brain can process roughly 10,000 smells in an area the size of a postage stamp, each triggering a neural response.
  5. The answer to the question, can you smell in your sleep, is quite simply, no. As it turns out, the phrase wake up and smell the coffee is more true than you would imagine. When you are asleep, your sense of smell shuts down. You can only smell the coffee after you have woken up.
  6. Your sense of smell accounts for 75-95% of the impact a flavour has. Without being able to smell the difference between onion and potato, it’d be difficult to tell them apart.

Credits: http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/20-fascinating-facts-sense-smell-1977351