Social Robots

This was the model of Hades that I created, but ran out of time to implement electronics into.

This odd soft egg shape made of foam slowly rotates around its center axis, making a grinding, rolling sound. As you go closer to it, it starts to rotate faster.

Process

My first idea was to analyze the most commonly used personality dimensions (Extroversion, agreeableness, contentiousness, neuroticism, openness) and assign each robot a random combination of these traits.

Once I started to define the robots based on their dimensions, I realized that I am limited in how much personality I can show with these forms. For example, it is difficult to show the level of openness that something that is not creative.

I still broke down the dimensions of each social robot that I planned to make, but the factors that seemed to influence them the most was their levels of extroversion and agreeableness.

I originally planned to make three distinct robots with different personalities, but due to time and how surprisingly challenging it was to make Hermes, I did not make Hades or Oizys. Hades was intended to be a hard rigid form that would have a temper and be antisocial. Oizys was designed to be anxious and nervous.

The interactions that I mapped out for each social robot helped me to define them in my head and get a sense of how they should react when approached to socialize.

This was my original plan for Hermes which I more or less followed when constructing it. The main idea was to have a servo with a weight on the end of it continuously moving and shifting Herme’s center of gravity.

Process Reflection

The process for designing and constructing Hermes was fun but rough. I enjoyed making its shell out of foam, it’s rare that I can make something so organic and intentionally imperfect as Hermes. Most of my struggles came after that when I was trying to implement the electronics into this form. I had the idea to try and put the Arduino, servo, battery pack and breadboard into a tin can and then core out the shell and put the self contained can in. I was on the right track with this method and it’s something I’m going to implement into my work in the future, but did not fan out how I planned in this case. The main issue was that the servo needed to be able to rotate a full 360 degrees to get the action that I wanted, but this required the servo to have wide clearance in a small space. The shell of Hermes should have been slightly bigger to allow me more space to work with, but in the end I was able to make everything fit.

The biggest other issue I ran into was Hermes not animating in the way that I was expecting. I chose a tin can to house the electronics because this would also allow me to make a bow in the bottom for Hermes to rotate on. I make this bow by hammering the bottom of the can, but because of this, the bottom was not a symmetrical hemisphere for Hermes to rotate on. Looking back, I should have 3D printed the electronics housing to ensure that I had space for the servo and the bottom was symmetrical. I also did not have enough weight on the end of the servo for it to make Hermes sway the amount that I had intended. However, the end result of a little wiggle that Hermes does is surprisingly still communicative of the happy/social personality that I wanted Hermes to have.

I also ran into some issues with the distance sensor. Initially I planned on using a laser ranger distance sensor, but after a failed attempt to make that sensor work, I reported to the ultrasonic range finder. This sensor is functional, but will randomly report incorrect numbers with will confuse the servo and so the motion of Hermes is not always connected to distance.

//Social robots
//Casandra Rausch
//A project to physically animate and give personality to unique forms.
//This code detects the distance and changes the speed of a continuously rotating servo in response.

#include <NewPing.h>
#include <Servo.h>

#define TRIGGER_PIN 9
#define ECHO_PIN 8
#define MAX_DISTANCE 200
const int GAUGEMOTORPIN = 3;

Servo gaugeMotor;

// NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance
NewPing sonar(TRIGGER_PIN, ECHO_PIN, MAX_DISTANCE);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  gaugeMotor.attach(GAUGEMOTORPIN);
}

void loop() {
  delay(50);
  unsigned int distance = sonar.ping_cm();
  Serial.print(distance);
  Serial.println("cm");

  int Dist = analogRead(distance);
  int Level = 0;
  Level = map(Dist, 0, 200, 1, 9);

  if (Level = 1) {
    gaugeMotor.write(90);
    delay(5000);
  }
    if (Level = 2) {
    gaugeMotor.write(80);
    delay(4500);
  }
      if (Level = 3) {
    gaugeMotor.write(70);
    delay(4000);
  }
    if (Level = 4) {
    gaugeMotor.write(60);
    delay(3500);
  }
      if (Level = 5) {
    gaugeMotor.write(50);
    delay(3000);
  }
      if (Level = 6) {
    gaugeMotor.write(40);
    delay(2500);
  }
      if (Level = 7) {
    gaugeMotor.write(30);
    delay(2000);
  }
      if (Level = 8) {
    gaugeMotor.write(20);
    delay(1500);
  }
      if (Level = 9) {
    gaugeMotor.write(10);
    delay(1000);
  }
}  

Photos

Video

Narrative Description

A frosty white device composed of acrylic panels and a tear-drop shaped facade sits on a table. The tear-drop contains a speaker centered on its face as well as an IR-proximity sensor just below the speaker. The user sets their hand directly in front of the sensor for about a second. The device then begins playing a message. Narrated by a male robotic voice, the message describes the weather for the week at the user’s location using highly detailed meteorological terminology. The tear-drop plays two short messages, with a rectangular light accompanying the second message. These two messages, which berate the user, are narrated by a real yet snarky female voice. The first message corresponds to a certain temperature range while the second message, along with the light, corresponds to a sky condition. Once the second message is played, the rectangular light shuts off after about 4 seconds. 

Progression to Final Project

Maquette –> Simple circuit –> Hardware –> Electronics Integration –> Final Project

Maquette

Maquette made out of cotton balls and pipe cleaners. Circuit contains 4 blue LEDs, powered by a button press

Simple Circuit

Simple circuit with Adafruit MusicMaker shield playing MP3 file in parallel with NeoPixels lighting up, all activated by gentle press on IR proximity sensor

Hardware

Gluing a side and bottom panel together with acrylic glue

Electronics Integration

Placement of speaker, NeoPixels, Arduino, and IR proximity sensor into back compartment of device

Final Project

Rain lighting up yellow to indicate stormy weather

Process Reflection

This project involved many compromises and experimentation regarding its hardware and software, but many lessons were learned. I wanted to take this project into the gimmick product realm. I wanted a device that informs the user about the weather and berates them while doing so. Throughout the project build, I adhered to the latter quality quite well. However, the type of weather information I wanted the device to convey proved to be a rather complicated decision. Due to limitations of the Arduino Uno board and a lack of time to implement a wifi-compatible board, I found it difficult to implement live and useful weather data such as temperature or precipitation percentage. These values change very often, which seems to necessitate a live stream of data. Ultimately, I decided on using the “area forecast discussion” from the National Weather Service as my weather data. This is essentially commentary on the weekly weather of a specified location, designed for meteorologists. It includes vocabulary that is very unlikely to be comprehended by the average user and does not contain numerical values that people tend to care about. Including this kind of data increases the absurdity of the product experience; this is further elaborated in my artist’s statement. 

I ran into lots of issues on the software side of this project. To play audio files, I used an Adafruit MusicMaker MP3 Shield, which has its own code library. It took me some trial and error to get some understanding of what the MusicMaker code was doing, so that I could then manipulate it for the project. Unfortunately, I did not pay close enough attention to the code at first, and I missed important information on which pins of the Arduino were being used by the shield. As a result, trying to play an audio file along while lighting NeoPixels took a very long time to figure out as I kept placing the NeoPixels into pins that were already used. Thankfully, Zach spotted this issue very quickly, and I was then able to successfully play audio files along with lighting the NeoPixels. Another challenge emerged when finalizing the code. Despite the lack of a live data stream, I wanted to emulate such a data stream as closely as possible for the final critique. I decided on importing Pittsburgh weather data for one day into the code and basing all the product’s actions on that. Specifically, I wanted it such that, anytime a user gently pressed the IR sensor, the device would play a message and light up correspondingly to the weather of a randomly chosen time that day. For instance, after a gentle press, the random time chosen is 6pm, and the device would play audio and light up according to the weather at 6pm of the imported day. This required a lot of if/else if statements, which unfortunately I could not get to work properly. So, I ended up having to manually alter the code after every use to display all weather combinations. 

The hardware assembly involved some improvisation. The tear-drop facade as well as the back panels are all laser-cut acrylic pieces. Initially, I wanted the device to have a soft, fluffy exterior to make it more approachable. This necessitated 3d-printing, but, due to time constraints, I ended up designing the device to be laser cuttable. I created a CAD model of the full assembly and created DXF files from that model. I used acrylic glue to fixture the tear-drop to the two side panels. These side panels were then glued to a bottom panel. The top and rear panel were not featured at all as I wanted easy access to electronics for debugging. In between the back panels lies the Arduino, all of the wires, and a clear acrylic wall where two NeoPixels are hot glued onto. The speaker is fastened to the tear-drop facade with nylon screws, and the IR sensor is placed on the facade through a small rectangular hole. In order to experiment with lighting, I did not glue the NeoPixel wall as I wanted to move it freely. Gluing would also make any debugging more difficult. Because of this, the wall would not stay perpendicular to the ground, which made the lighting on the tear-drop uneven. As a result of the panel enclosure, the lighting on the tear-drop was rectangular. I had wanted the light to cover the entire face in any external lighting condition, but of course this was limited by the rectangle.

Overall, I did not fully realize my ideas for this project, but I made compromises to get as close to them as I could. Managing my time better would definitely have improved this situation; I think I spent some unnecessary time on hardware design. As with my previous project, I overestimated the wiring difficulty, but not as bad as before. The main issue with the wiring this time was accessibility. I could barely fit a few fingers into the back compartment of the device, so ensuring all the wires were firmly connected proved to be challenging. I think wiring consideration in design will come with experience as it is difficult to predict and implement wiring in CAD. Despite these difficulties I have outlined, going through them has given me valuable insight into how I want to expand this project. Similar to my first project, I want to implement a dystopian plot to the product. Specifically, the device would contain a weatherman that is trapped inside of it and is forced to be snarky and provide weather data to the user; this is hinted in my project video. To fully realize such a plot, I think the biggest design changes I need to make are to implement live weather data and include another medium, likely a video, to better contextualize the device with the plot. 

Artist’s Statement

This project is a physical device that informs users of the weather at their location and mocks them while doing so. The weather information is highly detailed in meteorological language that is very likely foreign to the average person. Once the weather information is presented, the teardrop-shaped face lights up to a color corresponding to the current weather. While doing so, the user is mocked. I was inspired by the song Rain by The Beatles. Its writer, John Lennon, grew tired of what he perceived to be people constantly complaining about the weather, and he dedicated this song to making fun of them. It’s one of my favorite songs from the band, and I only recently discovered its original meaning, which makes it not only musically but thematically clever. So, I decided to create a physical manifestation of the song. 

The project provides interaction through physical, auditory, and visual means. It is a white acrylic teardrop with lights and a speaker attached from the back in a white acrylic case. When a user brings their hand in front of a sensor on the teardrop face, a message is played. Narrated by a robotic male voice, the message describes in meteorological detail the weather for the week. Afterward, the teardrop lights up, depending on how the weather is, and then a real female voice mocks the user with a few lines. 

One of the most common small-talk discussion topics is the weather. It’s very easy to discuss because it’s always with us and everyone experiences it. I sometimes get a bit annoyed when I catch myself mentioning the weather in small-talk; it seems like a waste of conversation given how obvious the weather is like. Rain takes this phenomenon and completely exaggerates such a scenario. By presenting weather information that is nearly incomprehensible without decent meteorological knowledge and by berating the user, conversation about weather is seen as undesirable. It questions the presence of weather in kind, simple small-talk. 

Code 

//Rain 
//Gabriel Prado
//Code plays MP3 files through speaker and lights NeoPixels, all activated by IR sensor
//Code used from Adafruit MusicMaker MP3 Shield library and NeoPixels library


//Lines 10-41 --> setup for Adafruit MusicMaker MP3 Shield
//Lines 43-60 --> setup for NeoPixels

#include <SPI.h>
#include <Adafruit_VS1053.h>
#include <SD.h>

// define the pins used
//#define CLK 13       // SPI Clock, shared with SD card
//#define MISO 12      // Input data, from VS1053/SD card
//#define MOSI 11      // Output data, to VS1053/SD card
// Connect CLK, MISO and MOSI to hardware SPI pins. 
// See http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/SPI "Connections"

// These are the pins used for the breakout example
#define BREAKOUT_RESET  9      // VS1053 reset pin (output)
#define BREAKOUT_CS     10     // VS1053 chip select pin (output)
#define BREAKOUT_DCS    8      // VS1053 Data/command select pin (output)
// These are the pins used for the music maker shield
#define SHIELD_RESET  -1      // VS1053 reset pin (unused!)
#define SHIELD_CS     7      // VS1053 chip select pin (output)
#define SHIELD_DCS    6      // VS1053 Data/command select pin (output)

// These are common pins between breakout and shield
#define CARDCS 4     // Card chip select pin
// DREQ should be an Int pin, see http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/attachInterrupt
#define DREQ 3       // VS1053 Data request, ideally an Interrupt pin



Adafruit_VS1053_FilePlayer musicPlayer = 
  // create breakout-example object!
  //Adafruit_VS1053_FilePlayer(BREAKOUT_RESET, BREAKOUT_CS, BREAKOUT_DCS, DREQ, CARDCS);
  // create shield-example object!
  Adafruit_VS1053_FilePlayer(SHIELD_RESET, SHIELD_CS, SHIELD_DCS, DREQ, CARDCS);
  
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#ifdef __AVR__
 #include <avr/power.h> // Required for 16 MHz Adafruit Trinket
#endif

// Which pin on the Arduino is connected to the NeoPixels?
#define PIN        6 // On Trinket or Gemma, suggest changing this to 1

// How many NeoPixels are attached to the Arduino?
#define NUMPIXELS 32 // Popular NeoPixel ring size

// When setting up the NeoPixel library, we tell it how many pixels,
// and which pin to use to send signals. Note that for older NeoPixel
// strips you might need to change the third parameter -- see the
// strandtest example for more information on possible values.
Adafruit_NeoPixel pixels(NUMPIXELS, PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);

#define DELAYVAL 500 // Time (in milliseconds) to pause between pixels

// table below includes all MP3 files for insults 
int temps[] = {"/track001.mp3" , "/track002.mp3", "/track003.mp3" , "/track004.mp3" , "/track005.mp3", "/track006.mp3",
"/track007.mp3" , "/track008.mp3", "/track009.mp3" , "/track010.mp3" , "/track011.mp3" , "/track012.mp3" , "/track013.mp3" ,
"/track014.mp3" , "/track015.mp3" , "/track016.mp3" , "/track017.mp3" , "/track018.mp3" , "/track019.mp3" , "/track020.mp3", 
"/track021.mp3" , "/track022.mp3" , "/track023.mp3" , "/track024.mp3" ,"/track025.mp3" , "/track026.mp3"};



void printDirectory(File dir, int numTabs) { //part of MP3 Shield setup
   while(true) {
     
     File entry =  dir.openNextFile();
     if (! entry) {
       // no more files
       //Serial.println("**nomorefiles**");
       break;
     }
     for (uint8_t i=0; i<numTabs; i++) {
       Serial.print('\t');
     }
     Serial.print(entry.name());
     if (entry.isDirectory()) {
       Serial.println("/");
       printDirectory(entry, numTabs+1);
     } else {
       // files have sizes, directories do not
       Serial.print("\t\t");
       Serial.println(entry.size(), DEC);
     }
     entry.close();
   }
}


void setup() {
  pinMode(A0,INPUT); //Pin for IR proximity sensor
  Serial.begin(9600);
  
  musicPlayer.begin();
  SD.begin(CARDCS);
  //SD.open("/track001.mp3");
  
  
 // printDirectory(SD.open("/"), 0);
  
  musicPlayer.setVolume(20,20);
  
  #if defined(__AVR_ATtiny85__) && (F_CPU == 16000000)
  clock_prescale_set(clock_div_1);
#endif
  // END of Trinket-specific code.

  pixels.begin(); // INITIALIZE NeoPixel strip object (REQUIRED)
  
}

void loop() {
    pixels.clear();
    delay(1000);
    if(analogRead(A0) >= 200){
        musicPlayer.playFullFile("/track099.mp3"); //MP3 for area forecast discussion
        int up = 3; // current sky condition (0,1,2,3, or 4)
        int f = random(0,3);
        int g = random(3,6);
        int h = random(6,8);
        int i = random(8,10);
        int j = random(10,12);  //each letter corresponds to insults for certain temp range
        int k = random(12,14);
        int l = random(14,16);
        int m = random(16,18);
        int n = random(18,20);
        musicPlayer.playFullFile(temps[2]); //MP3 for insult corresponding to temp
        if(up == 0){
                  for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                     pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(0, 191, 255)); //blue emitted
                      pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
                      }
                  musicPlayer.playFullFile(temps[up+20]); //MP3 for insult corresponding to sky condition
                  delay(4000);
                  pixels.clear();
                  for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                     pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(0, 0, 0)); //no color emitted
                      pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
                       }
              }
              else if (up == 1){
                  for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                         pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(255, 20, 0));   //red-orange emitted
                         pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
                      }
                      musicPlayer.playFullFile(temps[up+20]);
                      delay(4000);
                      pixels.clear();
                     for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                           pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(0, 0, 0)); //no color emitted
                           pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
                        }
              }
              else if (up == 2){
                 for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                         pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(32, 32, 32)); //gray emitted
                          pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
                      }
                      musicPlayer.playFullFile(temps[up+20]);
                      delay(4000);
                      pixels.clear();
                     for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                           pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(0, 0, 0)); //no color emitted
                           pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
                        }
              }
              else if (up == 3){
                  for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                         pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(255, 255, 255)); //white emitted
                          //pixels.setPixelColor(1,pixels.Color(0, 150, 0));
                          pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware
                      }
                      musicPlayer.playFullFile(temps[up+20]);
                      delay(4000);
                      pixels.clear();
                     for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                           pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(0, 0, 0)); //no color emitted
                           pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
                        }
              }
              else if (up == 4){
                for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                         pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(255, 100, 0)); //yellow emitted
                          pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
                      }
                      musicPlayer.playFullFile(temps[up+20]);
                      delay(4000);
                      pixels.clear();
                     for(int i=0; i<NUMPIXELS; i++){ // For each pixel...
                           pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(0, 0, 0)); //no color emitted
                           pixels.show();   // Send the updated pixel colors to the hardware.
                        }
              }
               
    }     
        
  
}

Insults

Rain (0) --> 21. And don't bother getting your umbrella, you'll need a shower anyways
Sunny (1) --> 22. Looks like we're gonna have sun today. Here's a fun tip: stare at it 
Cloudy (2) --> 23. The sky is gray, not the brightest. I'm sure you can relate 
Snow (3) --> 24. The snow is so pure and wonderful, and you're a disgusting blemish
Stormy (4) --> 25. It's getting rough out there, have fun!

0-20 degree range
     1. I just wanna see you freeze to death
     2. Ready to freeze, scum?
     3. The weather outside looks frightful, but you look even more frightful. Seriously, just look at yourself.  
     
20-30 degree range
     4. See if I liked you, I would tell you to stay inside. But, I don't so, get out there!
     5. You should wear your jacket, but seriously it makes you look like a balloon
     6. The freezing point of human blood is 31 degrees, so let's keep our fingers crossed shall we?
     
30 - 40 degree range
     7. It's too cold to for a walk and too hot to go sledding, so go screw yourself
     8. Looks like you'll be looking for warmth again, we all know how that will go

40 - 50 degree range
     9. Whatever drink you get to keep you warm, I hope you spill it all over yourself
     10. The temperature right now is the number of reasons why you're a loser
50 - 60 degree range
     11. Slightly cool, slightly warm. I don't know anymore, so screw you
     12. The temperature is as meh as your looks
     
60 - 70 degree range
     13.It's getting kind of hot in here, I hope your body odor doesn't show
     14. You should go outside and enjoy the weather. Oh wait, you're a loser my bad 

70 - 80 degree range
     15. It's so warm, unlike your personality
     16. The temperature right now is pretty great to be honest. The only thing in my way is you


80 - 90 degree range
     17. It' really hot, unlike you
     18. Global warming is coming for you!
     

90 - 100 degree range
     19. Time to starting wearing less, but no one wants to see that 
     20. Some people wanna watch the world burn, like me

Sources

Snarky Female Voice –> Jolie Ma

Robotic Male Voice –> https://voicemaker.in/

Insults –> Katarina Garcia, Soomin Kong, Jolie Ma, Gabriel Prado

Area Forecast Discussion –>

https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=PBZ&issuedby=PBZ&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=off

Tear-drop Shape –>

PROGRESS REFLECTION

The entire idea is from my ambition to expand the interaction to two person. I started the project from aiming to create a fun & spatial experience between people and environment. To fulfill this goal, certain design considerations come to mind that guide me throughout the whole process.

1. The time-based painting needs to be large enough to be seen.
By fulfilling this idea, me and Zach made a large easel from scratch. Marking, cutting, and mounting all the woods took us hours. However, this is a great learning process in that I knew how to use machines in the woodshops.
To create an experience of time, the paper roll was then mounted onto the easel and by manually pulling down when needed, it dropped onto a certain height, and being clamped to the easel.

2. The influx of colors are controllable.
I proceeded to test out the paint texture. The water-ish color flows too fast, which is harder to control, but the acrylic paint has higher viscosity that is more difficult to pump. After testing, I found that acrylic paint has heavier texture, which can be easier to control if we have a robust pump. Also, mixing a little water into the color will make the acrylic paint more fluidic.
When finding the pump that fits, I was trying to find excellent pumps from Amazon, but later I found out that IDEATE has lots of 12V pumps for lending that are also robust enough.

3. Color Mixture looks like a painting that has certain aesthetic.
I was experimenting on multiple color mixture ideas. The initial idea was just doing red and blue mixture — which turns purple only. Then, I found that more color variation could lead to more vibrance and dynamic effect. In the setup, there are three colors mixing together (red, blue, yellow), and there are six kinds of color possibilities each with multiple levels of mixture (red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange).

4. The control of pumps on the painting are dependent on their distance between each other.
To capture the distance of two people, I used 8 ultrasonic sensors, with each sending signal to one pump. Mounting all the hardwares and manage the wiring + tubing is a super time-consuming process.
Though not managed to calibrate to a “working” state, I got all the required setups (code+hardware).

Things that was hard:
Setting Mechanics up: This took me an entire weekend. First I drew out the schematics, and try to produce a small demo before mounting. Then, the tedius part comes: I individually glued the pumps, sensors, breadboards, and Arduino to the Easel. Then, the wiring process requires a crystal clear mind to avoid making mistakes. Also, there are risks that things are burned. I nearly damaged all the hardwares because one time I was testing, the power supply immediately goes to 21V when turned on. I could even see smokes. All the lession learnt is to Stay Alert.
Cleaning: Thanks to the help from Zach and Erin, I was able to clean up the space after the presentation. The thing that I need to keep in mind in the future is to prepare for the mess beforehand (such as papers, napkins etc.), so that I will not spend lots of time wiping the floor and the table.

Things that I learned:
The installation process requires a huge amount of time and energy, and might result in lots of errors, so plan ahead and leave space for fixing / calibrating would be super important.
The presentation was — a physical MESS. Although my audience’s feedback was that seeing the pumps creating an unexpected effect was fun, I personally was not satisfied because the idea is to “control” my hardware to not go crazy. Before the next presentation (final show), one thing I should do is to make sure all the pumps work correctly, and the color will not be disrupting. But this could be a thing learnt as well: you never know how the final things turn out to be and how the intended effect and the actual one could be.

Finally, this is still a work-in-progess project that I can’t wait to iterate on!

Video

(This are just detailed shots of the set-up and not Working Demos!!! – Please wait for the final show :))

Code:

//FLUX
//This is the Arduino Code for operating the interactive painting setups. Pin assignment is listed below.
 
#include <NewPing.h>
int myArray1[20];
int myArray2[20];
int myArray3[20];
int myArray4[20];
int myArray5[20];
int myArray6[20];
int myArray7[20];
int myArray8[20];
int sensorValue[8] = {0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0};

int counter1 = 0;
int counter2 = 0;
int counter3 = 0;
int counter4 = 0;
int counter5 = 0;
int counter6 = 0;
int counter7 = 0;
int counter8 = 0;

int rawValue1;
int rawValue2;
int rawValue3;
int rawValue4;
int rawValue5;
int rawValue6;
int rawValue7;
int rawValue8;

//Pin Mapping
int pump1 = 6;
int pump2 = 7;
int pump3 = 8;
int pump4 = 9;
int pump5 = 10;
int pump6 = 11;
int pump7 = 12;
int pump8 = 13;

int pumpValue1 = 100; //red
int pumpValue2 = 100; //blue
int pumpValue3 = 100; //red
int pumpValue4 = 100; //yellow
int pumpValue5 = 100; //yellow
int pumpValue6 = 100; //blue
int pumpValue7 = 100; //red
int pumpValue8 = 100; //blue

int distance_two[2] = {0,0};
int distance_pin[2] = {0,0};

#define MAX_DISTANCE 200 // Maximum distance we want to ping for (in centimeters). Maximum sensor distance is rated at 400-500cm.

#define TRIGGER_PIN1  22  // Arduino pin tied to trigger pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define ECHO_PIN1     23  // Arduino pin tied to echo pin on the ultrasonic sensor.

#define TRIGGER_PIN2  24  // Arduino pin tied to trigger pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define ECHO_PIN2     25 // Arduino pin tied to echo pin on the ultrasonic sensor.

#define TRIGGER_PIN3  26  // Arduino pin tied to trigger pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define ECHO_PIN3   27 // Arduino pin tied to echo pin on the ultrasonic sensor.

#define TRIGGER_PIN4  28  // Arduino pin tied to trigger pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define ECHO_PIN4     29 // Arduino pin tied to echo pin on the ultrasonic sensor.

#define TRIGGER_PIN5  30  // Arduino pin tied to trigger pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define ECHO_PIN5     31 // Arduino pin tied to echo pin on the ultrasonic sensor.

#define TRIGGER_PIN6  32  // Arduino pin tied to trigger pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define ECHO_PIN6     33 // Arduino pin tied to echo pin on the ultrasonic sensor.

#define TRIGGER_PIN7  34  // Arduino pin tied to trigger pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define ECHO_PIN7     35 // Arduino pin tied to echo pin on the ultrasonic sensor.

#define TRIGGER_PIN8  36  // Arduino pin tied to trigger pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define ECHO_PIN8     37 // Arduino pin tied to echo pin on the ultrasonic sensor.

NewPing sonar1(TRIGGER_PIN1, ECHO_PIN1, MAX_DISTANCE); // NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance.
NewPing sonar2(TRIGGER_PIN2, ECHO_PIN2, MAX_DISTANCE); // NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance.
NewPing sonar3(TRIGGER_PIN3, ECHO_PIN3, MAX_DISTANCE); // NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance.
NewPing sonar4(TRIGGER_PIN4, ECHO_PIN4, MAX_DISTANCE); // NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance.
NewPing sonar5(TRIGGER_PIN5, ECHO_PIN5, MAX_DISTANCE); // NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance.
NewPing sonar6(TRIGGER_PIN6, ECHO_PIN6, MAX_DISTANCE); // NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance.
NewPing sonar7(TRIGGER_PIN7, ECHO_PIN7, MAX_DISTANCE); // NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance.
NewPing sonar8(TRIGGER_PIN8, ECHO_PIN8, MAX_DISTANCE); // NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance.

void setup() {
  pinMode(pump1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(pump2, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(pump3, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(pump4, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(pump5, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(pump6, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(pump7, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(pump8, OUTPUT);
  Serial.begin(115200); // Open serial monitor at 115200 baud to see ping results.
}

void loop() {
  delay(500);                  

//-----get raw data-----
  
  rawValue1 = sonar1.ping_cm();
//  Serial.println(rawValue1);
  if (rawValue1 >0){
  myArray1 [counter1] = rawValue1;
  }
  counter1 += 1;
  if (counter1 >= 20) {
    counter1 = 0;
  }
  int allData1 = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
    allData1 = allData1 + myArray1[i];
  }
  int average1 = allData1 / 20;
//  Serial.println(average1);
  sensorValue[0] = average1;


  rawValue2 = sonar2.ping_cm();
//  Serial.println(rawValue2);
  if (rawValue2 >0){
  myArray2 [counter2] = rawValue2;
  }
  counter2 += 1;
  if (counter2 >= 20) {
    counter2 = 0;
  }
  int allData2 = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
    allData2 = allData2 + myArray2[i];
  }
  int average2 = allData2 / 20;
//  Serial.println(average2); 
  sensorValue[1] = average2;


  rawValue3 = sonar3.ping_cm();
//  Serial.println(rawValue2);
  if (rawValue3 >0){
  myArray3 [counter3] = rawValue3;
  }
  counter3 += 1;
  if (counter3 >= 20) {
    counter3 = 0;
  }
  int allData3 = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
    allData3 = allData3 + myArray3[i];
  }
  int average3 = allData3 / 20;
//  Serial.println(average3); 
  sensorValue[2] = average3;


  rawValue4 = sonar5.ping_cm(); //sonar4 is broken
//  Serial.println(rawValue2);
  if (rawValue4 >0){
  myArray4 [counter4] = rawValue4;
  }
  counter4 += 1;
  if (counter4 >= 20) {
    counter4 = 0;
  }
  int allData4 = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
    allData4 = allData4 + myArray4[i];
  }
  int average4 = allData4 / 20;
//  Serial.println(average4); 
  sensorValue[3] = average4;


 
  rawValue5 = sonar5.ping_cm();
//  Serial.println(rawValue2);
  if (rawValue5 >0){
  myArray5 [counter5] = rawValue5;
  }
  counter5 += 1;
  if (counter5 >= 20) {
    counter5 = 0;
  }
  int allData5 = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
    allData5 = allData5 + myArray5[i];
  }
  int average5 = allData5 / 20;
//  Serial.println(average5); 
  sensorValue[4] = average5;


 
  rawValue6 = sonar6.ping_cm();
//  Serial.println(rawValue2);
  if (rawValue6 >0){
  myArray6 [counter6] = rawValue6;
  }
  counter6 += 1;
  if (counter6 >= 20) {
    counter6 = 0;
  }
  int allData6 = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
    allData6 = allData6 + myArray6[i];
  }
  int average6 = allData6 / 20;
//  Serial.println(average6); 
  sensorValue[5] = average6;



  rawValue7 = sonar7.ping_cm();
//  Serial.println(rawValue2);
  if (rawValue7 >0){
  myArray7 [counter7] = rawValue7;
  }
  counter7 += 1;
  if (counter7 >= 20) {
    counter7 = 0;
  }
  int allData7 = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
    allData7 = allData7 + myArray7[i];
  }
  int average7 = allData7 / 20;
//  Serial.println(average7); 
  sensorValue[6] = average7;


  rawValue8 = sonar8.ping_cm();
//  Serial.println(rawValue2);
  if (rawValue8 >0){
  myArray8 [counter8] = rawValue8;
  }
  counter8 += 1;
  if (counter8 >= 20) {
    counter8 = 0;
  }
  int allData8 = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
    allData8 = allData8 + myArray8[i];
  }
  int average8 = allData8 / 20;
//  Serial.println(average8); 
  sensorValue[7] = average8;

//Serial.print(sensorValue)
//Serial.println(average1); Serial.println(average2); Serial.println(average3); Serial.println(average4); Serial.println(average5);Serial.println(average6);Serial.println(average7);Serial.println(average8); 

//-----set pump pin-----
//pump is from 100 to 255 
// if distance > x, red or blue pump is increased 

//find smallest two vertical distance
  int small_value1; 
  int small_value2;
  int small_pin1; //find sensor location
  int small_pin2;
  for (int i = 1; i < 4; i++){
    if (sensorValue[i] < sensorValue[i-1]){
      small_value1 = sensorValue[i];
      small_pin1 = i+5;
      }
    }
  for (int i = 5; i < 8; i++){
    if (sensorValue[i] < sensorValue[i-1] && i != small_pin1){
      small_value2 = sensorValue[i];
      small_pin2 = i+5;
      }
    }
  //Increase_Pump value
  int pump_updated = 200;
  
  Serial.println(small_pin2,small_pin1);
  //color spreading out
  analogWrite(small_pin1, pump_updated);
  analogWrite(small_pin2, pump_updated);

  //-----send signal to pump-----
  //Mixing: more left - more red element, more right - more blue element
  int pump_red = pumpValue1;
  int pump_blue = pumpValue1;
  int pumpArray[8] = {6,8,10,12};
  for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++){
    if (i+6 != small_pin1 | i+6 != small_pin2){
      analogWrite(i+6, pump_red);
    }
    pump_red = pump_red + 30;
    }
  int pumpArray[8] = {7,9,11,13};
  for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++){
    if (i+6 != small_pin1 | i+6 != small_pin2){
      analogWrite(i+6, pump_blue);
    }
    pump_blue = pump_blue - 30;
    }

//Serial.println(small_pin1,small_pin2);Serial.println(small_value1,small_value2);
 //analogWrite(pump1, pumpValue1);
//analogWrite(pump2, pumpValue2);
//analogWrite(pump3, pumpValue3);
//analogWrite(pump4, pumpValue4);
//analogWrite(pump5, pumpValue5);
//analogWrite(pump6, pumpValue6);
//analogWrite(pump7, pumpValue7);
//analogWrite(pump8, pumpValue8);

}

This experience is meant to be used by multiple people at once, with more people causing more birds to flap their wings. The birds would be suspended above the users, all stationary at first. There would also be marked spots on the floor for users to stand on, and the more of these spots are covered, the more birds will flap their wings. The input to this system would be a pressure plate that users would stand on. The output would be the movement of mechanical birds through a motor rotating. This feels a bit one dimensional but I think it has potential to be a cool experience.

IDEA 2

Users would control the brightness of a light source and as the light grew brighter, an actuated flower would bloom. With less light, the flower would fold up again. The input would be light brightness and the output would be the opening/closing of the flower. I’m not sure how I would make the flower yet or get it to open and close, but I think it would be interesting.

IDEA 3

 
Users would kick, punch, throw and abuse a durable plastic cube, and in response the cube would change color and make different noises. I feel like this could be a more profound idea if I expanded on it more, or changed the form of the cube. It would also be interesting to make multiple shapes, each with a different color/response.