tke – F15 60-223: Intro to Physical Computing

Final Project: Bacterial Record Player

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 21:13:10 +0000

The bacterial record player is a home audio device that sonifies bacterial colonies. ‘Records’ are produced by collecting bacterial samples from the body and environment and incubating them on agar plates. Each culture sounds unique.

Vimeo / Thomas Eliot – via Iframely

How it works:

Agar plates can be inserted into the viewing chamber, where photographs are taken with a canon DSLR. There is a python backend that uses gphoto2 to control the camera, and OpenCV to process the image. A 4-connectivity algorithm is implemented to detect bacterial colony areas and locations. Colony data is transmitted to Processing via OpenOSC. The colonies are drawn in Processing, and can be interacted with. Clicking on a colony causes that colony to propogate outwards, creating tones whenever the wave intersects with another colony. Tones are created by stretching or shortening a 2 second 440Hz sinusoid clip. The pitch of the tone is based on the proportions of the areas of the expanding and colliding bacteria.

code

The setup gave some nice photographs of the colonies themselves, too

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D3b: Police Gun

Fri, 04 Dec 2015 02:40:09 +0000

This gun does not throw bullets where it is aimed. Instead it projects the name of innocents murdered by police. It forces the wielder to reflect on the damage of which they are capable, and the mistakes of those made before them.

http://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/physcomp/f15/60-223/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/police-gun.mp4

An iPhone runs OpenCV on the camera image to identify faces. It generates a name and date of death for each body and fixes it to an interpolated chest position. This is projected back onto the person with a Optima ML750 picoprojector connected to the iPhone via a lightning to HDMI adapter. The iPhone and projector are aligned and made into the form of a handgun using an Open Beam chassis. ‘Firing’ the gun by recoiling it upwards displays another name, using the iPhone gyroscope.

Previously I had received feedback on the first iteration of the project. The cardboard phone attachment was replaced with an aluminum construction, making the device more durable and professional-looking. Another criticism received was that projecting just a heart onto a person is a task that a simple flashlight can do. So the content of the projection was expanded.

Taking the project to the next step would mean strengthening the emotional connection to the victims portrayed, as a name & date is a relatively clinical representation of a life. The device could be made into a weapon attachment for use in empathy training of police forces. Users reported that the light from the projector was too bright when pointed directly at them. I reduced the brightness and found that the effect was improved and the face recognition functioned better.

Code:

myFaceRec

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D3a: Body Canvas Projection Prototype

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 20:07:57 +0000

I created a handheld device that when pointed at a person, projects a heart onto their chest. It makes the recipient vulnerable by revealing to the public the location of this vital organ. OpenCV is running on an iPhone attached to a projector. Heart location is extrapolated from head position.

video:

iPhone Obj-C:

FaceRec

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Mobile Robot: Telepresence

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 00:21:59 +0000

Using the 3pi platform, Bob Rudolph and Tom Eliot built a telepresence robot. The robot allows you to have a remote physical presence anywhere in cell service.

YouTube / Bob Rudolph – via Iframely

Our telepresence robot is based on the Pololu 3pi platform. We’ve added an ESP8266 wireless module that acts as a TCP client to provide remote control. It connects to the 3pi via serial. The ESP8266 uses the iPhone’s cellular data connection to connect to the internet. The iPhone runs Facetime to provide remote audio and visual.

We control the robot using a server and facetime on a computer. The server is written in Python, it takes keyboard commands and sends TCP packets.

We noticed that inhabiting the robot can cause some interesting effects. Controlling the robot can give the feeling of reduced responsibility, resulting in actions that divert from social norms. The robot lives on the floor, giving the user the perspective of a mouse. Humans and their feet become dangerous. After inhabiting the robot for more than 30 minutes continuously, I became frustrated with the helplessness I felt.

Future improvements could include:
Changing to the form of the robot to be more playful and inviting.
Controlling the robot using facial recognition.
Scripting interactions

Code

Robot Control Server: robotControl.py
Note that the machine you are running the server on must have it’s TCP port exposed to the internet. If your machine is on the ‘CMU’ (unsecured) network, this is already the case. Almost anywhere else, you need to set up port forwarding on your router. It also helps to have a static IP, so you never have to program a new server IP into the ESP8266.

ESP8266 code: TCPClient.ino
This code is for the Arduino IDE. You can install ESP8266 support in the IDE: Enter http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json into Additional Board Manager URLs field in the Arduino v1.6.4+ preferences. The schematic for programming the ESP8266 can be found here http://www.xess.com/blog/esp8266-reflash/. They use a different utility for programming but the schematic works.

Robot code: 3pi code
Upload using Atmel AVR studio

Schematics

schematic

Manufacturing

Chassis: Laser cut files
Made in solidworks. For 1/8″ ply

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One-in-one-out: Lillium Candidum

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 06:53:28 +0000

Long after all flora has become extinct, Lillium Candidum is a mechanical recreation of the Madonna lily. The basic components are there: six white petals, a long stalk, and leaves. Furthermore, the flower responds to the light in its environment, blooming when lit and closing up in the dark. However, much of the emotional component generally associated with flowers is lost in this mechanical creation. This flower represents our prediction that as people start to express their emotions via electronic means (texting, social media, etc), the simple, elegant beauty of lilies (and flowers in general) are neglected. In particular, lilies were usually associated with funerals, representing the restoration of innocence to the soul. Thus, we found it appropriate to choose a lily as the flower representing the “death” of flora. We hope that by observing this flower, spectators will reflect on the sincerity and genuineness of their interactions particularly in the context of using flowers to express care towards others.

Vimeo / Thomas Eliot – via Iframely

code & laser cutter drawings
stepper motor schematic
light sensor schematic

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“ATM Machine” by Donald Wetzel

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 06:11:14 +0000

The ATM machine is a great example of an IoT product that has become normal in everyday life. Such an object reminds us how long IoT has truly been around, invented in 1969. A huge reason for the persistence of the ATM Machine is it’s straightforward usefulness. Human labor is reduced and convenience is increased. ATMs continue to be improved upon, with instant check deposit features. Now ATM technology is moving into smartphones, with banking and check deposit available on the phone.

YouTube / ABC News (Australia) – via Iframely

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“Amazon Echo” by Amazon (2015)

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 05:52:26 +0000

The Amazon Echo is a voice recognition device that sits in a room and listens constantly. With an advanced microphone array, it picks up requests. It can play and control music, answer questions, make amazon orders, and control the smart home. The product sits at the center of the home of the future, bridging the gap between inhabitant and devices. One notable application is for users with disability. Only a verbal command is required to turn the lights off, lock the door, and order more paper towels.

YouTube / amazon – via Iframely

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“Friday Smart Lock” by Marcus Kjellson (2015)

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 05:32:06 +0000

The Friday Smart Lock is a consumer electronics product in the space of home automation. It provides keyless entry: automatically locking and unlocking the door when you approach. It allows for a easy retrofit of existing deadbolts, and boasts 1 year of battery life. The lock changes the way you secure your home, letting you unlock the door remotely to let the repairman in. You can also share or revoke keys, making lost keys a non-issue. Retail $249.

YouTube / Friday Smart Lock – via Iframely

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