200227.5 // The Lag

Hardware

We tried connecting all 8 solenoids to the arduino board through 2 relays.

Each relay is to be powered by 1 adapter. Using 1 adapter for 2 relays will cause the relays to be switch on and off in turns instead of simultaneously.

circuit diagram

 

Software

The current code uses a random delay inside each loop zone. The program reads the code line by line, and stops the entire reading process when there is a delay. Every loop has to be completed before the program is able to read the distance information from the kinect to determine which zone to activate. The lag is induced as there is no way to constantly read the distance data and jump out without completing a full cycle of the zone loop.

 

PEN-ing ma thoughts on Principles of New Media ;)

PEN is a sound sculpture that responds to users approaching. The clicking of pens changes from a state of chaos to a calm, unified one as the user moves towards it.

sculpture blueprint

Numerical Representation

Sampling and converting data received from kinect/ultrasonic sensor into digital data is the backbone to how PEN will work. The data collected will directly translate into how the sound sculpture will react to the user. This binary translation into values to be tracked triggers different states of the scores, which would also affect the state of chaos/calmness of the sounds.

 

MODULARITY

Hardware – The pens could be swapped out and replaced by another object,changing how the entire sculpture would sound like.

Software – The scores work like different pieces of sheet music and the pens, the instruments. We could change what “songs” the pens are playing by changing or modifying the scores.

 

AUTOMATION

The ability for the sets of scores to be triggered based on pre-determined distances between the user and the sensor in the code gives the sculpture a life of its own. The code gives PEN a set of logic to be followed and actions to execute when certain requirements were met.

 

VARIABLE 

PEN is completely reliant on the interaction between the users and the sculpture. The scores the pens are clicking to will not change without the sensor detecting an object approaching.

The scores selected to be used will also be a variable due to the use of a randomiser. This would make the sounds made by the sculpture appear to be more interesting but still maintaining the same concept of chaos/calmness that we want.

 

TRANSCODING

The concept behind PEN plays on the idea of the interstice of sound. With the use of technology, we are able to emphasize the gaps between sounds by exaggerating and enlarging these sounds. Through this change of sounds between chaos and calmness in a short time by something we would normally not pay attention to, we hope to highlight the gaps/silence between sounds to the users.

200227.3 // Mini Solenoid Mockup

Hardware

sculpture blueprint
  • Solenoid gets really hot quickly, duration between clicks to be increased to prevent overheating

 

Software

Loaned out the kinect to test the depth sensor.

sample base code

Kinect outputs a double image as seen on the right. This is because there is a  physical offset between the IR camera and the projector.

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/74ff175a-291f-445d-ab55-09d2af7cfd4c/why-did-my-kinect-sensor-show-such-a-double-image?forum=kinectsdk

Thankfully, this isn’t an issue as all we need is the depth data and not precise location information.

 

Next, we tried to colour code objects based on how far they are from the kinect.

weird glitch

The sample code we found online did not include the function to purely draw the raw depth distance data.

Look for corey for some help and…

raw depth data

200227.2 // Mid Term Project Review

 

We focused on the code and tried testing out the scores by using the relay first.

 

IMPROVEMENTS

  • Decided to change the ultrasonic sensor to kinect as the ultrasonic sensor could only detect distance linearly. Using the depth function of the kinect would increase the AoE and accuracy of incoming humans.
  • We will retrieve the depth values from the kinect in processing and hook it up to arduino to make the solenoids click.

LOCALE ZINE: PROCESS

INSPIRATION (ZINE LOOK)

I was going for a glitchy look, with doodles on the pictures I took on site.

 

DOODLES

Inspiration/References of the ghost doodles

The ghost doodles were done first before the realization of the actual zine. I wanted to set the look and feel first.

I choose red to draw them. In a sense, I already had a direction of what I wanted the zine to look like, a black and dark tone.

 

INITIAL DESIGN

PAINFUL TRIAL AND ERROR

I tried out many different “feel” for the zine. The process of finding the look/theme of the zine took the most time.

I did start with trying to make the zine look fun? Initially, I was trying to go for a fun concept. But as I laid and try it out, I figure that it wouldn’t work out and just looked really weird and generic. In the end, I went back to my original concept of making a dark and glitchy looking zine.

Another take on glitch

I also tried to experiment with the look of the glitches for the pictures.

For this particular SS, it seemed abit too red for my liking as I was going for something more eerie looking.

 

PHOTO EDITING

For all the photos with the ghost illustration, they are edited into a black and white version with a blue and red after effect to them.

 

BACKGROUND

Deciding what to put in the background is another difficult thing to decide. I wanted to put a black background but went against it because it looked too plain.

Then I thought about how my zine revolves around glitches, and attempted to create that feeling by using the background.

Playing with triangles and transparency

I didn’t glitch the background for every spread because I felt that it would be too repetitive.

Grainy noisy background

Instead, the first spread was a calmer background with a noisy texture

 

 

 

As you read through the zine, the background gets more and more glitchy.

 

TITLE

The title of each spread was actually a solid red fill. I played around with the different settings and took up Shirley’s suggestion of a red outline instead.

 

FEEDBACK

Thanks for the very constructive feedbacks! ^^

 

TAKEAWAYS

I’ve learned how to apply different elements (eg: colours) for the spreads. But not making the spreads look repetitive by changing and twerking things such as the background and image sizes.

Making the spreads look aesthetically pleasing but at the same time maintaining a visual hierarchy was definitely something challenging for me.

Drawing digitally is still something very new to me (picked it up from the last project) and I would love to explore and practice more in the future!

 

Click me for Research!

Click me for Final Zine!

SYMPOSIUM HYPERESSAY

In this symposium essay, I would like to discuss about how the third space is able to blur the lines between reality and the digital space. I will be focusing and drawing examples from the keynotes from day 2 and 3.

I was very fascinated by the ideas and concepts that were brought up by Matt Adams. As what he had mentioned, projects by Blast Theory explores the fictional bend of myth-making, story making and how political reality interconnects and collides. His attempts to question relationships and the intimacy between strangers in the third space, in particular, was something that hit and had me thinking.

“My One Demand”

This project is a reflection on the things you wish but cannot get. There is a connection between the audience and Maggie. It is different from watching a film in the cinema, there are questions proposed, and answers and participants are acknowledged after a set time. It felt like a conversation, with the screen showing the city’s scenery as Maggie talked. There is the intimacy created through the storytelling. The fact is, there really isn’t. But it feels as if there is a connection and the cinema became a space, for the audience to become vulnerable with the work. And when the final question came, asking the audience about something they wish they could change, but couldn’t. That was a very personal question. It was a moment for them to acknowledge these moments of vulnerabilities by giving them a chance to write it out. There is something about being able to see what others had answered and seeing their own answers on the screen. That moment of tenderness between the strangers in the room created a sense of connection between them, that they are not alone.

Moments of vulnerabilities

 

“Annie Abrahams collab”

The collaboration between Annie Abrahams and collaborators using their hands is something possible only in the third space.

It is a space that people can interact with each other regardless of their location in real time. (there is still a factor of lag which is present in this collab)
Boundaries are collapsed and a sense of intimacy and closeness is created between the collaborators despite being in different locations.
There is also the freedom to do whatever I want, and there is no need to think about the consequences of my actions.
There are no restrictions, the third space is somewhere that I can truly express and do what I want.