The Team:

Maggie Burke – Fabrication, LightBlue programming, performer

Daniel Hua – Android programmer extraordinaire, camera man

The Project:

The Kinecontrol is a modular music device intended for use in dance and other live performance. The performer wears an Android phone in a standard mic belt used for theatre, and between one and four bands containing a LightBlue Bean around their wrists and ankles. The Kinecontrol uses the accelerometer and gyroscope built into the phone, and the accelerometer built in to the LightBlue Bean to control music in MAX/MSP. Unlike similar music control systems for dance the Kinecontrol is entirely wireless, can be scaled for a larger or smaller number of controllers, and uses devices performance companies either already own, or can easily obtain for under $35.

The Tech:

The Kinecontrol wrist and ankle bands each contain a LightBlue Bean that communicates its accelerometer data to the Android phone worn around the waist. The Android phone then communicates strings of data from its own and the Bluetooth accessory accelerometers to the computer running MAX/MSP over Open Sound Control (OSC) wireless protocol. Daniel Hua created the custom app that runs on the Android phone to manage accelerometer data.

Kinecontrol Video

Original Concept Sketch

Right Wristband

Left Wristband

Wristbands also fit ankles

Wristband outside with LightBlue Bean

Wristband inside with LightBlue Bean

Mic Belt holding Android phone

Proof of concept – Android phone data to MAX/MSP

Final MAX/MSP Program

The KineControl is a modular device worn on the ankles and wrists used to control different parameters of music. Each band will contain a LightBlue Bean, an infrared light emitter strip, an infrared light sensor, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a button. The Bean’s built in accelerometer and the 3-axis gyroscope sense the band’s position and speed in space, the infrared emitter and sensor help the bands sense their proximity to each other, and the button will allow the user to make program changes. Each band is communicating data via Bluetooth Low Energy to an iPhone/Android phone worn on the user’s chest. The phone will be sending OSC data from the connected bands and it’s own built in gyro & accelerometer to a computer running MAX/MSP.

For the third iteration of the Bubble Project we took the reaction the audience had to the presentation of our last iteration and ran with it. The rest of the class was intrigued and excited by the mess of soapy water and danger of fire during our presentation and the energy level was noticeably higher in the room after we were done.

The third and final iteration of the Bubble project was a Rube Goldberg machine of sorts employing fire, bubbles, and water in as many steps as possible given the time frame. The project played with danger and time to absorb the audience and cause them to anticipate each step.

We drew our inspiration from “The Way Things Go”. A video of an art installation created by Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss in 1987. This video features a Rube Goldberg machine that systematically destroys itself through a series of kinetic movements and chemical reactions.

Our project employed the bubble machine from the second iteration as the first step, setting off a series of other kinetic and chemical reactions that eventually turn on a pump that refills the bubble machine with soapy water.

Final Video:

Photographs:

Initial ideation of Fire Bubble Machine – Side view

Initial Ideation – Top view

Initial ideation – Part dimensions

Assembled Machine – First four steps

Assembled Machine – Last five steps

Second and third steps – Ramp and See-saw

First and final step – Bubble machine and tube to refill it

Bubble machine closeup

This (2nd) Prototype:

The Bubble Machine Robot is an autonomous robot that blows bubbles at five different targets arrayed in a semi-circle. The robot uses the feedback from the targets that it hits to adjust its aim toward the center target. When the robot manages to hit the center target a fan turns on and blows out the candle. If the robot doesn’t achieve its goal fast enough the candle burns to the ground and the fire spreads!

Earlier (1st) Prototype:

The first iteration of the bubble machine used an led and an ambient light sensor to pick up the quantity of bubbles in the air by the shadows they cast. This iteration was less successful because bubbles are mostly clear and cast almost imperceptible shadows.

The Next (3rd) Prototype:

In the next iteration of the Bubble Robot we will experiment with foam instead of bubbles in an effort to trigger the sensors more easily. We will also continue to improve plastic wrapping and containment methods for the soapy water.

Photos:

Fritzing Diagram:

Arduino Code:

A video of the bubble blowing mechanism:

Bubble Robot Video

Inspired by classic entertainment symbols echoing back to old theatres and movie houses, we have created an audio reactive chandelier that produces soft, incandescent light from basic musical input. This item first appears to be a simple chandelier made of flowing cloth. When musical input begins this perception is changed as the lights flicker and chase in time to the beat instead of providing constant light.

 Fabrication:

Made of three rings of laser cut acrylic with 20 incandescent bulbs affixed to them. each bulb is controlled individually from the black box hung above the chandelier that houses the electronic components.

Roles:

Tutor: Akiva Krauthamer

Designer: Anna Failla, Ruben Markowitz

Integrator: Rachel Ciavarella

Scribe: Maggie Burke

Process and Product Photos:

Video: