Monthly Archives: October 2021

DOW – Senses : Theremin

DESCRIPTION

Theremin can be seen as an instrument you play by not touching it, and is played by manipulating the electromagnetic fields around the instrument’s two antennae. Players move theirs hands near the antennae to raise or lower the pitch and volume. The sounds can be seen as operatic.  It can be seen as creating audio through proximity.

PROS

Unique instrument, using spatial perception to play

Characteristic sound of theremin

Works well with other instruments, as duets, ensembles and even as a soloist

Scalable pitch

Shift in volume both gradual and sudden shifts are relatively easy to achieve

Staccatos are also possible on theremin

CONS

Definite pitch and volume is not allocated and most likely to be played through experience and muscle memory of spatial perception

Learning curve, once of the most difficult instruments to play well

Monophonic instrument, only able to produce one pitch at a time, no chords

VIDEO

REFERENCES

https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/theremin.htm

Composing for the Theremin: Some Practical Issues

DOW – IoT : SKYME Owl Robot Pet Camera and Treat Dispenser

DESCRIPTION

Skyme Owl Pet Camera and Treat Dispenser is a interactive device allowing owners to interact with their pets wherever they are. It can be remotely controlled with an app, two way audio allows communication with pets and able to dispense treats.

PROS

Super interactive with your pet (move around, feed and two way audio)

Wake up function allows automatic interaction with pet once they touch the robot, keep it active

Accessible with app with multiple users, wherever users are

Great for checking in and accompanying pets, movable surveillance

Video recording with HD camera with night vision

CONS

Relying too much on robot for pet’s mental stimulation

Expensive (Around $200), compared to $20

Mental stimulation for pet is limited  (chasing, following of robot)

Overfeeding of pet

VIDEO

 

REFERENCES

Skymee Owl Robot Pet Camera & Pet Treats Dispenser

Skymee Owl Robot: Mobile Full HD Pet Camera with Treat Dispenser, Interactive Toy for pets via App

DOW – Health : Ring fit Adventure RING CON

DESCRIPTION

Ring con is an device that comes along with Ring Fit Adventure, an exercise action role-playing game. It accompanies the Nintendo switch controller to support (or augment) for better performance and also do the gestures needed in the game, especially pressing in and pulling of the ring con which are one of the few main mechanics of the game. These movements correspond along with the avatar in the game.

PROS

Ring con is sturdy (made of fibre-glass reinforced plastics in spring)

Allows the player for better exercising (more balanced, straightening) and various exercises (from stretching, running, yoga poses, working of arm muscles)

Allows Nintendo switch IR motion sensor to become a heart rate monitor, able to track estimated pulse rate

Allows working out at home and injecting fun to your workout!

Adjust intensity, exercises developed with the help of fitness advisors

CONS

EXPENSIVE ($100+ base price)

Needs to house a Nintendo controller in order to function

Game requires ring con and leg strap in order to play (hence, the need to buy a physical version of the game)

VIDEO

 

REFERENCES

https://superbusymum.net/is-ring-fit-adventure-nintendo-switch-review/

https://ringfitadventure.nintendo.com/

New World’s End Reflection

The New World’s End is a permanent installation in OH! Open House which provides a multi sensory theatrical experience. It tells a love story of Kiran and Rosa, while presenting the history and stories of Jalan Besar such as the mentioning of iconic New World Amusement Park in the 1960s and exploring the theatrical sets and installations during the walk. It was my first ever audio guided walk and I had not explore much of Jalan Besar before so it was new and interesting experience. To be able to have both takes on how Jalan Besar was, from hearing it’s past through the eyes of the couple and seeing how Jalan Besar is presently.

We started the introduction at the OH! Open House at Desker Road and heading out exploring Jalan Besar. The timing of the tour fits with the tour. As it was during night time, especially the section “The streets of Jalan Besar”, it was accompanies by real time sounds of Jalan Besar, the bustling of the streets of people walking and cars driving around. However this provided slight collision of sounds at sections such as “The Night Style” where the couple were together having a conversation, creating a romantic, peaceful quiet like atmosphere.

An aspect I have noticed of an audio guided tour was how the audio can be received along with the route we were to take. There were times we had trouble keeping up with the audio or listening to it whilst taking note of our surroundings in hopes to find our way along the guided route and also not get in anyone’s way. I felt I would have been lost if not accompanied by my classmates. This in my opinion breaks the immersive experience the audio perhaps intends to give but also giving a difference experience with the surrounding sound, space and environment as mentioned before on the sections. The map in the ticket also was a great help, showing noticeable landmarks such as the Mustafa Centre, Fortuna Hotel and the 24 Hour Coffee Shop Al Mubin, it works well with the audio which also mentions the landmarks, and with the audio track number marked on the map as well to keep track.

For the theatrical sets, such as the apartment and dressing room had such great attention to detail. From the cigarette butts on placed in the ash tray, the drinks, papers and stationary scattered around, to Kiran’s typewriter half typed. The setting of the space also fit with the time period. It gave the impression as if someone really lived there and I felt slight bad for intruding their home. We also noticed the apartment on the other side of the window was lit and wondered in it was part of the set. The set portraying the collapse of the Hotel New World showed the devastation and also the memories of the couple. The staff had to close the entrance so the set was pitch black and flashing of lights and it terrified me, fitting with the collapsing of the hotel, but with the black and white screens showing the couple, it created this flashback calm effect as we focused on what was on the screens.

 The New World’s End overall was an immersive experience and it showed me the possible interactions be it controlled and uncontrolled through an audio guided tour we may encounter.

(563 words)

FURTHER REFERENCES
https://ohopenhouse.org/OH-Stories-New-World-s-End
https://sgmagazine.com/things-to-do-singapore/news/oh-open-house-new-worlds-end
https://www.timeout.com/singapore/art/new-worlds-end

Possible questions to ask:
>How was the guided route designed or planned out?
> With the experience enhanced with music duo NADA, and films by Brian Gothong Tan. Were some of the works pre-existing or made specially for New World’s End?

Sketch 4: AR (Ideation and Low Prototype)

PDF verison: Sketch4

Sketch preview on AR.

Paired up with Audrey and we decided to go towards the hide and seek idea, envisioning markers around a space and you have to find them to find your digital friends! Wanted to further expand what was learnt in class, from triggering the visibility of the face filter, to triggering a “found” function instead, to show you found the digital character (also played around with the particle system). Decided to go for an Easter egg hunt theme for this low prototype, where you have to click on the egg to show you found the bunny (with the egg unable to be triggered back on again even tapping the screen the second time).

The thought of AR got me thinking of how it kind of combines or ties fictional and reality together, and in a sense brings life to objects. This to me kind of blurs out that line giving this grey area where we can interact with these digital objects as if they exist. So with that, it was the exploration of ideas on how using this grey area, whether the need for objects be it real life or digital.

Further improvements can be:

Multiple targets (more characters)

Implementation of animated 3D characters (more immersion)

Scoring system or number system (show number of characters found, or characters that left to be found)

Sketch 3: Multimodal (Ideation and Low Prototype)

PDF version: Sketch3

Sketch preview on ring device.

Paired up with Audrey and we decided to go towards the touch ring idea. Combining her script on communication from processing to arduino by serial, I was able to stimulate the ring using 3D touch in zigsim, showing how the ring at the receiving end would show the respective led light colours.

Sending one’s state of mind got me thinking of conversations, and how putting thoughts to words was always a challenging process to me. Especially after an awkward conversion, or after a spat with a loved one, making the first move to reconcile or continue the conversion would be very hard so the idea of a device to assist such moment comes to mind.

Further improvements can be:

Types of touches can be further explored/experimented (double tap, swipe)

Types of the feedback can be further explore/experimented (audio, light colour or sequences/patterns)