Tag: FYP

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NEW YEAR STAGNATION

What’s going on for the past ??? month(s)?

3D model and 3D model testing

I’ve done a few iteration with 3D modelling of the headset. It was a tedious process to begin with as I don’t really have a sense of how the form is to be made through 3D modelling even with reference to all the physical models I’ve made.

cold start with 3d modelling

I decided to try downloading trial for Rhino 7 and tried SubD which is basically T-spline, which I thought will be good for modelling this since its more like sculpting

soft edges and difficulty working with certain areas (i.e. the ear part)

Eventually I realised it’s easier to just model using the normal CAD method. Before that, I tried repurposing real products like earmuffs and visors from Daiso.

Using the band of a visor to hold the back of the headset
Took apart a earmuff to figure out what’s inside
Slipped the bone conduction headset inside the earmuffs, worked really well.

I realised that I can make everything really thin and even can try fabric instead of tough materials. More on that later in the next section.

This led me to realise I can use the shape of a hairband to create the form of my device.

Using a hairband as a gauge of the bend, I’m able to successfully model a “hairband” model
using paper and my actual hair band to prototype
Printed results
model wireframe

I then up the complexity to try adding all the other parts of the original design. I roughly made the form as this is still just a test print. I created a low-poly version to 3D print as the file size got too big for 3D printing

Results:

I tried different materials as well. Black one is TPU, a flexible plastic. White is PLA which is a more plasticy plastic.

Conclusion: I think the prints are ok. I can go ahead to refine the 3D model. But before doing so, I have some changes to my approach that I will talk more about in the next section.

Change of approach

So I’m happy that I’ve begun with making stuff. But I’m scrapping a lot of the previous headset design I’ve thought about. This happened after I saw earmuffs and I thought that it’s really easier to just put the headset inside a fabric thing that has a wire inside, AKA simplifying everything.

The old design will still be worked on, still. I’ll create separate parts and add magnets to let the different parts stick. It will be on display instead and will only be interactive as a “display” model.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned before but I remembered Sputniko!’s Menstruation Machine and thought my devices can just look like that too. (I think I was also influenced by this work previously actually)

Anyway so next up on the to-do list specifically for Chronophone:

  1. Experiment with fabric version of Chronophone using earmuff design (without covering the ears)
  2. Refine 3D model of original design, to be displayed and marketed as “cyborg model” for those who have cybernetics already installed on their head
  3. Refine sounds and add variations so people can change and choose what they like

Concept recap

I think I’m finally happy with the whole Sensorial Futures project. Here’s my train of thoughts for the whole project (sorry I keep doing this cos I need to constantly remind myself)

Sensorial Futures is a speculative cybernetics augmentation popup store, commercialised for the mass public to upgrade their senses on the fly. The shop has a shiny neo-future interior with displays that allow you to try out different device, placed around like Apple devices in their shops.

In this particular pop-up, the sensory devices are catered to the everyday people and the working population, dealing with things like time (productivity), money, and personal space (transport/mobile device use). These devices range from wearables, to implants, to cybernetics. Borrowing from cyberpunk themes, I want to make it such that the wearables are essential for certain jobs and this pop-up store offers sensory upgrades to the most generic 9-5 jobbers. (thanks prof. LP for giving me that idea way back 2 months ago)

3 key devices are on display:

  1. Time-telling sound device that translate time to sound (and maybe colour). Available in wearable (main interactive device), implant (poster implying its existence, asking people to register for it), cybernetic (on display, magnetic, for cyborgs). how it will work is basically translating real time seconds, minutes, hours into sounds and frequencies and then relayed directly to the eardrums through bone-conduction.
  2. Money-sensing which is split into 2 different devices.
    1. hunger/satiation device that makes you literally hungry for money, feeding into your instinctive desire to keep you earning your money. This device will be worn on the bell (and maybe head), warming and constricting the belly while creating salivating responses. The wearable is attached onto a computer-like device housing a game that simulates earning money. The wearable is only for experience, but the actual thing will be a supposed implant that release synthetic hormones which makes you feel hungry, and metabolises them when money is earned (this will be explained on a poster or some interactive screen).
    2. intoxication/soberness device that makes you intoxicated the more money you spend. This will be worn on the head, controlling your vestibular sense in the ear while also inducing mild constriction to the head. There will be a gambling game as well, simulating losing money.
  3. Personal-space protecting sense that senses the surroundings of the person. This will be a wearable on the neck (maybe?), with sensors surrounding that allow the person to sense the 360degrees around them. This won’t work IRL of course, looking at the technology we have, so I’m going to “cheat” using Kinect to detect presense, which detects depth as well which can be relayed too. The device translate proximity information into heat and touch, allowing one to feel the proximity of others or objects around them. The device will be wearble, and if I can do it, I’ll do a cybernetic version too that’s on display like the chronophone. This device is for people who use their personal devices all the time (looking into the future I won’t be surprised if we will wear google glasses-like devices as our personal mobile device which will be a major distraction and as such require this kind of sense)

The takeaway from the installation will be: do we really need these? Will we ever need these? In this project, I will explore a few themes, some more vague than others, and I hope people will catch them and think about them. Meanwhile, other than trying to get hired, I want people to have fun with my installation while thinking about the future of senses. Or even, not just the future of senses but to think about the current ways of them sensing their environments and the current ways of them using their senses.

Timeline Changes

Yes. Too much time wasted so here comes another update to the timeline, streamlined into more specific stuff since theres only FOUR + MONTHS LEFT…………..

I’ll be working specifically on each device in 3-week intervals.

Jan week 1: wrap up chronophone prototype

Jan week 2: start on money sense

Jan week 3: finish prototype for money sense

Jan week 4: refine money sense

Feb week 1: start on proprio sense

Feb week 2: finish prototype for propriosense

Feb week 3: refine propriosense

Feb week 4: super refine chronophone

Mar week 1: super refine money sense

Mar week 2: super refine propriosense

Mar week 3: finalise all products

Mar week 4: gather installation materials, Work on fake products (misc stuff on display)

Apr week 1: start installation design

Apr week 2: mid installation logistics work

Apr week 3: finish installation

Apr week 4: add ons to installations and products

May week 1: collaterals and marketting

May week 2: presentation

 

So next week I’ll start with money sense, while putting chronophone on hold till end Feb.

Hope I’ll stick to it kthxbye

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007 – FYP Progress

Before we start…

I want to apologise for long post. I treat OSS as my platform for filtered train of thoughts. I’ll be updating my thoughts on my own Notion page as well, but I prefer writing here so I can write something properly that can be posted.

Progress Thus Far:

  • Finished reading Cybercognition (not useful)
  • Finished reading Sensory Arts and Design (useful)
  • Finished reading Design Noir: The Secret Life of Electronic Objects (very useful)
  • Watched Akira (not very useful)

Also, I’m tracking my own progress on Notion so I guess I’m opening it up to prof and friends here to take a look:

My ever-changing timeline

My ever-evolving reference sheet

Feel free to take a look and give comments!

Not completed:

  1. Moodboard
  2. Tokyo Cyberpunk
  3. Sensory Pathways for the Plastic Mind Book
  4. Speculative Everything
  5. Journal Readings

SO…

Reading helped me in getting a deeper understanding of the topics I’m covering. I’m clearer in what I want and what I don’t. I won’t be reviewing the books on this post, cos to be honest, some of them aren’t helpful at all and were skimmed within an hour.

The only few I found useful were a chapter  in Sensory Arts and Design talking about extra senses, and many interesting concepts, approaches, and works from Design Noir. I really like Design Noir as the approach to “noir” design taken by the book really resonated in me. I think it helped me in deciding how I will approach the different devices in my FYP.

I didn’t have enough time to read, quite expected. Anyway…

Throwback to 2 weeks ago I wrote that by the end of these 2 weeks, I will:

  1. Good grasp of the concepts I’m trying to use and understand how artists apply these concepts to their work. This is done through all the readings.
    • My answer: I did and I’m happy 😀
  2. Made enough observations and have enough ideas to start creating a proper picture and narrative of what my work will be like. This is done through 2 weeks worth of observation and ideation.
    • My answer: I guess I did but I’m not happy with how little I have thought of

So I can say, my goals from last week were completed, even though the tasks are not.

Some thoughts probably induced by coffee

Balance out humanity with tech: why do we prefer drinking coffee than to directly inject caffeine? Isn’t it more sustainable? But drinking coffee adds so much value to our humanity because it is satisfying to drink, it encourages social behaviour, the process is enriching to our souls

What can my products do to enrich people’s souls? Or at least, retain their soul?

Complex processes help us feel productive and fulfilled. Thats why musical instruments or tactile objects make us feel good. It must be tangible.

When we can feel something, we feel connected to it. Manual car vs auto car. When someone else does it for us, its great for us in terms of productivity, but it lacks a certain value. Why we love analogue and not digital.

Then, how can we simulate an analogous response in digital context?

Also, relevant to think about when our minds do code switching. When we are on digital interface, we want whats smoothest. When we are on physical interface, we want to work for it (only it it adds value)

To sum it up: if it adds value to our life, we want to do it the manual way. If it doesn’t, we want someone else to do it for us.

Need for stimulation and simulation in order for sensory replacement to work. can be subconscious, but must include active input from the brain. This can be seen from me dreaming of Overwatch. Also can be seen in how we bring our hand up to see time, or when we adjust our spectacles, or when we wake up to turn off an alarm. It. Must. Be. Conscious.

From this thought, I kinda know that my devices have to let its user actively do something, to work for the information they want to get. That said, Vibrawatch might not be cut out for this cos it’s very passive.

Updates to Concept

New Inspiration

As the weeks go by, and as I continue reading, I realised that my focus shifts from something more technical to something more conceptual. Instead of wanting to do something relating to sensory substitution and all the specific phenomena, I started thinking further about why I want to do that, and what I’m trying to get at. I started out curious about my alarm problem, then thought about how this can affect the way we use objects to integrate with our senses, to how we can imagine this type of technology in the future that can fit our needs.

I realised that sensory substitution or addition is only a supporting part of my concept (although I still want it to be something all my devices have)

For now, I’m interested in this thing called “Notopia”.

Notopia is a term mentioned on the first page of Dunne & Raby’s book “Design Noir”. I can’t find this anywhere except a few architectural article that defines it as:

“a consequence of the cold logic of market forces combined with a disinterested populace”, “Characterized by a “loss of identity and cultural vibrancy” and “a global pandemic of generic buildings,”

In the book, it is a state of a world where we are given the illusion of technology being the solution to every problem, ‘force-fed’ by ‘corporate futurologists’. Where, as technology develops, human behaviour continues to be controlled and predictable, reinforcing the status quo of things instead of challenging them.

This idea reflects, in my opinion, the reality of consumerism now; products designed to fit our needs, and to put it crudely, to pacify us. We value convenience and ask for products that help our situation in the status quo. Realistically speaking, this works because we can’t suddenly change our behaviours.

But looking in the future, how can this affect us? Can not doing this affect us?

In the book, the solution to Notopia is to subvert the use of daily products through hacking and abusing other qualities of the products that may not be intuitive on first sight. Dunne and Raby created “Placebo Project”, 8 devices that creates a placebo effect for people to feel comforted when being around objects that give out electromagnetic waves (which many people think are harmful to us). This is done through the subversive use of everyday technologies like lamps that switches on when near heat, or compasses embedded into tables that detect magnetic influences.

The project is done with a separate intention (to study “The Secret Life of Electronic Objects” in the interactions), but thinking about it, I think there is some relevance to re-imagining new ways of using existing objects.

I thought this concept is relevant to my project, but now I’m having doubts. So let me think this over, while I go through what I know for certain I want to do.

Properties of my concept

  • My current space is “cabinet of curiosities” styled room of a not-so-far future individual.
  • The inhabitant of the room is a Singaporean youth in the not-so-far future.
  • The aesthetics I’m going for is inspired by the Cyberpunk sci-fi genre as it fits the themes I’m covering (post-humanism). It will be the more “hyper-city” like type of Cyberpunk, rather than the grungy kind; more “utopian”.
  • There will be elements of Singapore hinted in the room that creates a sense of home, but also feels foreign.
  • The devices I’m making will be devices for the sensory-augmented humans of the future. They must work. They must be interactive (visitors can wear them).

Updated one-sentence description

[WIP]

Keywords I will be using

  • Sensory Substitution / Addition
  • Embodied / Embedded Cognition, Enactivism
  • Neuroplasticity
  • Speculative Design
  • Neuro Linguistic Programming
  • Anchors
  • Critical Design

Devices

  • I want my devices to be non-invasive
  • I want my devices to have sensory elements, either in augmentation or substitution that may or may not alter perception
  • My device must be related to a current-day anchor, like an evolved form of it
  • My device have to be interactive and wearable

Goals for next 2 weeks:

Recess

  • Read Cyberpunk Tokyo
  • Read journal article and scientific articles that may help expand (I know I’m doing too much reading and too little doing. I will watch myself)
  • Updating, refining of concept and clear arrangement of information.
  • Moodboard (really start on it!)

Rationale: I just feel like I might miss some information if I don’t finish reading what I set myself to read. But yes I will definitely watch myself now and not let myself go like the last 2 weeks.

To me, establishing a clear and good foundation is important. I want to sort everything out properly as I’m still feeling uncomfortable about some parts of my concept.

Week 8

  • I will have a clear idea of everything by now. So clear that I’m confident.
  • Create first prototype of whatever product I’m making
  • Start ordering things I need
  • Finishing up all research. (this doesn’t mean I’ll stop research, just that all the back-logged research have to be completed)

Goals by end of these 2 weeks

  • Talk to seniors, profs, etc for feedbacks on my concept and ideas
  • (maybe) start thinking of interviewing people that knows the subjects I want to cover, and also people who are using devices that substitute senses
  • I will get my hands dirty finally
  • I will be able to confidently tell people what I’m doing for FYP

Long-term goal (timeline)

When all my research and ideation is done, I will be going into prototyping. During October, I will be doing a lot of prototyping and testing, hoping to get conclusive results by the end of October to go into November AKA Phase 2 for me.

In phase 2, everything will be more urgent and critical. Real products will be made. Plans for grad show will be made.

In phase 3 (February), I should have most of the stuff I need ready and working. Here is where I start doing all the refinement, writing, exhibition, competition, admin stuff, etc done.

See my timeline on Notion for more details

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006 – Week 6 Updates

Progress

Tasks completed:

  1. Devices That Alter Perception 2010 Book: Obtained relevant information and insights
  2. A Tour of the Senses Book: Obtained relevant information and insights
  3. See Yourself Sensing Book (Partially)

Not completed:

  1. Moodboard
  2. Tokyo Cyberpunk Book
  3. Sensory Pathways for the Plastic Mind Book

I would say I’m still on time with my readings, just got to keep going. I’m also making observations and writing notes down as I go.

Updates on Concept

Currently my concept is:

Conditioning from everyday activities creates new instinct for adaptation – Through speculative design, I intend to playfully explore sensory augmentation interactive devices, wearables, and prosthesis that inspire new adaptations to potential future scenarios stem from current-day routines.

Building upon this, I want to build a set alongside my devices, a room of a future Singaporean young adult that houses the devices they use daily. The idea is to bring visitors into my vision of the future of sensory augmentation, kind of like looking at a slice of what future youngsters will live like, and how our current actions affected their lives and the technology they depend on (one big example is climate change).

I envision the installation to be a room that contains local elements. Some typical ones are chou chou pillows, standing fan, tear off calendar, and many other humble, general items.

This may happen to your eyelashes if you don't wash your "chou chou"/"bantal busuk" - Daily Vanity
Chou chou pillow and blanket is a typical childhood item of Singaporeans
Nostalgic Items Tear Off Calendar
Tear off calendar is still popular in households

But all these come with some twists: the calendar may be a projection, the chou chou could have sensors in them, the room is filled with gadgets and futuristic objects, and neon coloured lights casted on the interior.

Futuristic Dystopian Apartment by Kamen Nikolov : Cyberpunk

All these are just a thought for now, I know that cyberpunk is quite an overused genre and to be honest, that’s not really how the future is headed (at least, not the aesthetics of the above image). So I will fine tune it to be more realistic to our current timeline.

Why cyberpunk: There are rarely depiction of Cyberpunk aesthetics in Singapore context, usually it’s Japan, Hong Kong, Korea. I want to explore that in our local context, taking cues from local references like HDB, chowchow, Merlion, food, objects, etc. Cyberpunk aesthetics are often linked to cyborgs, post-humanism, robots of the future, and it entails the type of devices my concept bring about.

There are more to think about for this idea, cos I definitely need to design the set so it looks convincing. But as of now it is like this.

Summary of this new part and why I think it adds value to my project:

I want to use this room to immerse my viewers in this new world I’m building (futuristic, somewhat cyberpunk, relatable to us), with the new devices I’m making that can convince them that they exist for a good reason. In this way, I’m still going with my “cabinet of curiosities” idea, except that it is in a themed room.

Update on Ideas I want to explore (in terms of devices):

  • Non-invasiveness: All my devices must be non-invasive. This is because its easier to present them, and I don’t get into trouble. Plus I’m also not comfortable with making invasive devices
  • Vibrawatch: The watch that vibrates to tell time
  • Personal space bubble that tells their user of their surroundings using tactile responses
  • Weather detection: Based on an old wives’ tale on how they can predict rainy weather when they feel pain in their knees due to arthritis, a device that is attached on users’ joints that responds to weather changes based on API data
  • Money sensing: A device that translate bank transactions into a sensory organ
  • Self-Anchoring Device: as my concept is about anchors, I think there can be a device that let its user create their own anchors
  • Seeing your eye with your other eye: Not related to my concept actually, but just curious what if I build a device that connects one eye to another eye using a tube and mirrors. What will we see lol
  • Gas Detection: Our nose can’t detect certain gases. A device that uses certain feedbacks to tell us of dangerous gas proportions especially relevant if the future is all pollution
  • Home-Body Integration: We are always fantasising robots doing chores for us, what if we have devices that integrate us into the house where we manage our home from?
  • Anchor Alarm: An alarm that teaches us to anchor to waking up. Related to circadian rhythm, perhaps fixing it to be more modern than primitive (the idea is that circadian rhythm sometimes limits our lifestyle, can we create a new artificial circadian rhythm?)
  • Health Diagonsis: An organ that detects degrading health

Book Reviews

Review of Devices That Alter Perception 2010:

Book has good amount of relevant concepts that I can reference and take inspiration from. However, as these concepts are from 10 years ago, I wonder if there are any newer sense-altering concepts done nowadays. I am worried that this have been done too many times before that it becomes “old” and uninteresting. Still, these are very good information for me and I am thankful that this book exists. (also great that the book endorses low-fi prototypes that work)

Some interesting artists and their concepts that I’m drawing reference from:

Ong Kian Peng: Objects For Our Sick Planet:

  • Flood helmet: Contextualise the future of floodings due to sea level rising. Water level changes base on GPS location. Also adds weight → pressure on the wearer’s face.

Susanna Hertrich, Gesche Joost: Automatic Anchoring Armour

  • Bio feedback and mental conditioning.
  • Similar to anchoring technique used in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)
  • Taps repeatedly in the same spot on the forearm to trigger positive emotions when feeling stressed
  • Anchoring, therapy, Instant therapy to cultivate sense of calm in anxious situations
  • Critique point, and also emotional pacemaker

Susanna Hertrich: Synthetic Empathy: Somaesthetic Body Actuation As A Means of Emotional Evocation

  • Novel means of emotional evocation: somaesthetic body actuation
  • Design to help us understand societal issues from critical point of view
  • Connect emotional reactions of bad news but actuated by computers and machine
  • novel ways of bodily actuation, low-tech prototyping as exploration for new ways of interaction
  • Uses sensory substitution as an add-on concept to more conceptual part of their work
  • Using low-tech prototypes to explore new ways of interaction

Devices That Alter…. A Potted Inquiry by Danielle Wilde (bolded because super relevant imo)

  • Artificial organs to improve our senses
  • Art to bring cyborg aesthetics and transhuman concerns into everyday life
  • Step away from extreme artists like Stelarc or Orlan, we see how our lives have already integrated cyborg aspects like people wearing cochlear implants or prosthetics. EEG mind controlled games also exists today.
  • Perception altering devices are more present in arts than in tech or irl
    • Lygia Clark: Sensorial Hoods (1967)
    • Walter Pichler: TV-Helmet (1967)
    • Haus-Rucker-Co: Environmental Transformers (1967, 1968)
  • Wild, entertaining, stimulating, provocative proposals aimed at prompting us to reflect on the future we would like to live in.
  • If we gain a body part, our neural map expands accordingly
  • If you can have wings, you would develop a winged brain. Our bodies change our brains. It is infinitely mouldable
  • But: Does our neural network map expand when we wear temporary devices that alter perception? How much wear or use is required to shift what our brain consider to be norm?
  • “Why” is a question people always ask when confronted with wearable devices that alter our perception
  • So why do we continue along this pathway of creating devices that alter perception? What drives the artists and designers, engineers, and tinkerers? What use can the device possibly be?
    • Do we want something thats going to be “neat” for only 15 mins, or something that will permanently enrich our lives?
    • Are propositional devices enough to raise provocative questions?
    • Do we need to make the objects and experiences being proposed?
  • Good design doesn’t just look beautiful, it acts differently and makes people who use it act differently. How can we then discern what makes a DAP well designed?
    • Know the constraints within which you are designing
    • Be empathic – think seriously about the way you feel and the way that people around you might feel and use it as inspiration
    • Challenge precedence, break through the way things have been done
    • Prototype your idea, try it, put it out there, test it
  • Qns:
    • What constitutes usefulness in the context of DAPS?
    • Is design for debate, in relation to DAPs, effective, and thereby useful?
    • What defines a DAP?
    • How do we evaluate such devices?
    • How can we bring rigorous methodologies to their development, evaluation, and distribution (whether the final embodiments are prototypes products or scenarios?
    • How can designers, artists, theorists, makers, engineers, technologists cross-fertilize in meaningful ways and thereby enrich their enquiry and ultimately the DAPs they are developing?

Tomoko Hayashi and Carson Reynolds – Empathy Mirrors

  • Using experiences as a mirror for emotions.
  • Twin cue

Alvaro Cassinelli – Earlids and Entacoustic Performance

  • Earlids as if it is like our eyelids
  • The body and its sensory organs always modulate the external sound field in one way or another
  • Unconscious processing of the environment in the body → becomes apparent to the user
  • User relearns the new artificial auditory sensory-motor contingencies
  • Interesting: How do our bodies react to different stimulis

Review of A Tour of the Senses:

A Tour of the Senses is kind of like a textbook that explains different aspects of senses broken down into 3 main chapters: stimuli, sensation, perception. It breaks down all the different senses in different categories (Electromagnetic, Chemical, and Mechanical) in a clear and informative manner. The types of senses covered are:

  • Vision (Sight)
  • Olfactory (Smell)
  • Gustatory (Taste)
  • Auditory (Hearing)
  • Somatosensory (Touch, Temperature, Pressure, Pain)
  • Proprioception (Space, position, location)
  • Vestibular (Balance)
  • Nociception (Pain)

The book explains what each of the senses are, and how they work. Then, how we perceive through the use of these senses. The book also give various examples of how we use those senses; as well as animal examples like how snakes use the Pit Organ to sense in Infrared.

The book also mentions interesting points like the cochlear implant, transduction between stimuli and sensation, and how perception is different based on culture and education. This helped me to understand our senses better, which gave me more confidence in exploring those senses in my concept.

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FYP002 – Sensorial Rehabilitation

Sensorial Rehabilitation – FYP Presentation 2

Personal comments:

I found time to revisit what I’ve thought through previously and remembered the origin of my concept which is in senses and cognition when we expose ourselves repeatedly to stimuli that transforms into a new “sense” or instinct. Example, my body is able to estimate how long 5 minutes is due to my constant alarm snoozing; and how I dreamt of playing a game after hours of intense gaming. Took a step back and tried to simplify everything + researching helped.

Also just some self check:

Timeline: In progress

Moodboard: In progress