About Alex Samuel

Posts by Alex Samuel:

Week 10: OF Add-On + Class

Here is my app! It’s a swarm of bees created using the OF add-on boids and a “queen bee” made with a bees class. Basically, if the “queen bee” returns to the hive, all the bees will swarm back. (click to see the interaction).

good things: i really like being able to integrate classes and add-ons. i also like exploring the add-ons and being inspired by them.

bad things: despite having the right syntax, i’m still having a tough time getting the ‘queen bee’ to trail the mouse. i just need to take a look at it when i have less going on, i think!

Here’s a link to the GitHub: Boids + Bees

And here’s a link to the Screencast: CCLabBoidsAndBees

 

OF + Processing

 

I decided to port my bouncing balls sketch from Bootcamp into OF. Video can be found here (it works better with multiple people, but it’s just me here right now!). GitHub code is here.

When I originally had the Haar recognition working with the video, the entire thing began to skip and move really slowly, and then the balls moved really, really quickly. But, when I incorporated the image grab and had the haar recognition look at the image, instead of the video, it worked!

Also – here’s the website with the bouncing ball code (and a bunch of other codes).

See you later!

A

Week 9: Serial Communication

Hi guys,

Here’s my serial communication assignment. I made an amp that makes Nigel Tufnel’s (from Spinal Tap) head grow as you turn it up and shrink as you turn it down. When you turn the potentiometer all the way up, his head turns into something else!

Here’s a pic of the controller:

 

Here’s a link to the repo.

And here’s a link to the video:

SpinalTapCCLab

Thanks guys!

A

Week 8 Assignment: Rube Goldberg Machine

Bobby and I worked on a Rube Goldberg Machine that followed the following path:

A vibrating motor with a cardboard arm taped on > a flex sesnor > an LED > a photocell (with a small cardboard hut over the led and photocell) > another LED > another photocell (with another cardboard hut over the two) > a speaker that played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

We chose each input and output because we were playing with the idea of an alarm clock.

We ran into a couple issues with the flex sensor being ultra sensitive, so maybe next time we could use a pressure sensor.

Unfortunately, we forgot to take a picture or a video – but hopefully you saw it in class!

Week 7 Assignment: Heartbeat Bunny

 

Originally, I wanted to make a stuffed animal I called “Fever Bunny” that would sense the temperature of whoever is holding it and light up with the person has a fever (which I could do by mapping the fever range to match the LED brightness (like we did in class with the potentiometer).

I sewed the bunny by hand (with fabric I used to recover my couch) and sewed three LEDs where the heart would be. Then, I wrote some code that made the LED look like a heart beat (which I think would be soothing). But, when I tried to incorporate the temperature sensor, I kept getting readings below 0* celsius. I tried a few different resistors in a few different positions – and was able to get an LED to respond – but I couldn’t control the temperature properly so I decided to ditch that sensor.

Instead, I used a photocell to control the brightness of the LED. When the room gets dark, the heart LEDs dim. Now it’s more of a nightlight bunny than a fever bunny, but it’s still soothing!

Here’s a picture of the bunny:

Here’s a picture of Dan interacting with the bunny:

 

And here’s the video of Dan interacting with the bunny: Video

And here’s a link to the repo.

 

Week 6 Assignment: LED Circuits

Hi guys,

 

Here are the videos and schematics: one parallel circuit and one series circuit.

Parallel Circuit

Series Circuit

Schematics + Calculations

This is the first thing I’ve ever done with electricity (let alone p.comp) and it’s so much fun! It’s amazing how exciting it is to make three little LEDs to light up. So far, everything seems pretty clear. The only thing I’m a little unsure about is the calculating the voltage, current and resistance of the series circuit. I think I could use a quick break down of the math – but Liza, I’ll come to office hours and talk to you if I’m the only one!

Here’s a link to the repo for this post: Oct9HW

Anyway – I can’t wait to find out what’s next!

A