idea – Page 2

Final Project – #1 Proposal The Guiding Pen

This was my initial proposal for the final project – as I was inspired by wanting to help children learn how to write, I decided to create a pen which would help to correct their grip, and assist them in practising writing out of letters.

In brief, the pen would vibrate when the user writes out of line, or if incorrect grip has been sensed. The Guiding Pen can also have an extended user database than simply children – stroke patients, or people who may have diminished motor ability in their hands can also utilise it.

However, I decided to work on a different project for the final project instead, and will shelf this idea for now.

Our Personal Cocoon /Our Interactive Device

By Martin, Yi Xian, and Tania

Inspired by the SensorBox, our team decided to harness its sensory-qualities and implement it into a personal ‘cocoon’, or space, for each user.

How it functions:
– A smartphone sister application, and external sensors which will be placed around the house, recording and transferring sensory data (eg. air quality, light, humidity, length of conversations in house ie. noise measure) over to the Pod.
– The Pod then tunes itself to create a corresponding soothing environment for the user, based on the data collected. Eg. Hot weather, with long conversations and long periods of using laptop corresponds to: Cool temperatures, with blue hues and soothing music in the Pod.
– The user then steps into the Pod, which can stay upright in a sitting position, or lying supine. The Pod can then close up, and fully envelope the user.
– The Pod then further adjusts according to the user’s ‘live’ data – further fine-tuning the environment within the Pod. Eg. Music cuts off, or changes according to user’s preferences. These changes will occur on auto-pilot mode, but can also be adjusted manually.

We discussed about placing the Pod in public spaces, where visitors can geta ‘home away from home’, but thought that having a Pod for personal use at one’s own home could also be a good idea. The user can then wind down properly, after a day’s work.

We also thought that the Pod could work as a monitoring device, and placed at hospitals (or even jails). It could reduce the need for manpower, and improve administration.

Featured Image credits – https://www.behance.net/gallery/3838729/Telepresence-Pod-The-Cocoon

Idea Development (Final Project)

Just putting it here for recording purposes! Will work further on the project idea.

Idea:
Labyrinth
My idea comprises of a physical maze, where a projected image of the user running will be projected on the physical labyrinth itself. The aim of this game is to catch the doll in question, which will physically be present, and mobile via the use of motors, in the labyrinth using sensor-automated responses. Upon reaching the end goal of catching the doll, the doll will stop moving.

Project mapping will be conducted on the doll in addition to the user’s running figure, to give the doll a living feel (as we project her face, and her various emotions) in an attempt to increase feedback given to the user. The longer the user takes to catch the doll, the more the doll’s face will morph unrecognisable.

The doll’s facial features will be inspired by the Japanese wooden doll.

Projection mapping of the user will comprise of a stored footage of a human stick figure (the avatar). In order to trigger movement of the user’s avatar, the user has to stand on 4 square boxes, similar to the dance sectors of arcade dance games.

Feedback:
– find a reason why the doll moves
– Reason why you want to mix physical & projection together
– Maybe buy remote control call put doll on it (easier to do than Programme it)
– Control the maze will be an issue
– Maybe the maze will be projected
– Sphero ball to replace the doll. SDK. SPRK edition, figure out how to access the code
– Feedback when touching walls etc

“Music Instrument” [the Tun-tun]: Prototype / Assignment 2

A singing head!

Image of tun tun taken from here

Does it not remind you of a tun-tun (pig-stick used by the Iban people in Borneo/Malaysia to lure pigs into traps)?

Much physical resemblance between the sketch draft and the actual object; yet inspiration was not drawn from the tun tun. Sole commonality remains their names.

My project, aptly named “Tuntun”, features a sphere-shaped human-like head, where controls are placed around the head, eg. mouth, top of head, ears, to mimic a human making sound with his own facial features.

Below shall show a sketch of the areas with sensors:

At current, the ‘head’ is not placed in the order order and position. Further improvements in the patch are left to be desired.

The patch is currently incomplete, but here is a quick insight into some parts of it:

I used Gizmo~, Buffer~, Groove~ in replacement of playlist. Certain tweaks are required – for instance, the song abruptly stops playing when the trigger switches the toggle off. I am trying to include a timer, or delay, to allow for the entire soundtrack to play before it switches off.

Project Proposal 2: Reveal

Inspiration was drawn from chat roulette, an online site where users can chat with others anonymously, and at random. The most rudimentary method of communication, was through speech – hence, I thought of going back to the basics for this narration project.

The medium of choice remains an online website, where two users, at any one time, is able to log into the site. Their identity will remain anonymous, until they decide to reveal it. In summary, the website will adopt a common online ‘messaging’ interface.

There will be 2 boxes, where each user (who do not know each other) write into the box.

Each user will occupy each ‘station’.

Above the text boxes, there will be a camera input (from live webcam from each user).

Edit: later, after writing this post, I decided to change my layout to that of the above, cutting down on ‘items’ which I have no need for.

The gist of this project is for each user to try and reveal the others. Initially, each webcam will be fully obscured. Over time, little ‘pixels’ to be revealed from each webcam at random. Such that majority of the webcam input remains hidden, increasing the tantalising factor. Users will be able to communicate with each other via the chat boxes, and they are free to take on another persona, or hide their true identity from the other.

Ultimately, what I want users to take away from the project is to play around with the cloak of anonymity, and make some mischief, or have had some fun playing around with it.

I am still exploring the idea, that perhaps, each user can force the other user to reveal more of what is shown in their webcam (via a toggle button), to increase the interactive factor.

Edit: Upon further discussion with my fellow classmates, perhaps moving the project in the direction of a game would give the game an enticing edge.

Further improvements to ponder on:

a timer to goad each users to quickly find out the identity of the other
a ‘puzzle’ like format, eg 3 x 3, where each block will be revealed periodically

Update: Ultimately, while I did not work on my own idea for my final project, it remains something I might want to work on in the future, and will shelf it for now.