Background:

Much of our current understanding of memory looks to the chemical or material processes and physical structures that make up what we think of as the abstract concept of a “memory”. Memories are very real, very material things – they are believed to be a series of connections between synapses that are strengthened and weakened over time based on how frequently these memories are accessed, or rather how often chemical neurotransmitters and electrical currents transmit across a unique pattern of synapses.

Synaptic plasticity allows for us to strengthen memories through the use and reuse of synapsis as learning continues, previous thoughts and concepts are associated with new ideas, and the past is remembered. This strengthening has a material basis, with proteins being built or modified to increase connection strength between synapses. In the case of memories, the old idea of “if you don’t use it, you lose it” is believed to be true: If a memory is not frequently attended to, strengthened, or associated with the present, it weakens. The mind has a finite amount of resources, and maintaining an infinite amount of information – treating the most mundane details of our lives as equally important as the moments that we most treasure – would be inefficient and exhausting. Thus, we “delete” old or unnecessary memories from our brain, giving priority to those thoughts and ideas to which we refer to most.

This is a brief overview of the idea behind my project – that there is an ephemeral, material component to memory, and this “memory-matter” degrades over time as we fail to attend to it.

The Prism:

The prism consists of a clear plexiglass container containing a glass jar, woven heating elements, a button, and a thin block of solid coconut oil. The heating elements are constantly being powered by a battery inside the container, warming the solidified coconut oil and causing it to melt and be collected by the funnel into the glass jar below. However, when the button is pressed by the user, the heating elements are turned off, and an LED within the container’s funnel begins to pulse. When the user releases the button, the heating resumes.

This circuit and user interaction is meant to mimic the process of attending to the synaptic connections that form our memories. So long as we continue to remember specific details, those details cannot be forgotten. And so long as we continue to push the button, the oil cannot melt.

Materials:

for the circuit

• LED
• TIP122
• 100k ohm resistor
• 100 ohm resistor
• button
• 9V battery
• Nitinol/high resistance wire (tested multiple materials, and nitinol/muscle wire works best)
• Arduino Uno
• Alligator clips
• wire / conductive thread
• Breadboard
• Thermochromic paint/pigment + paper (for swatch to test heating elements)

for the container

• 4″x4″x6″ clear plexiglass cannister
• 6oz. glass jar
• Perforated plastic / needlepoint plastic sheet (to sew heating elements into)
• Small plastic funnel
• Coconut oil (room temperature or refrigerated to make solid)
• Plastic dowels/straws (to keep things in place)

The Heat Circuit

To test the heat circuit that you’ll be making, it’s helpful to prepare a small swatch of thermochromic pigment (material that will change color as it heats up) mixed with a clear medium (I used Modge Podge).

The circuit diagram for the heat controller was found at the eTextile Summer Camp website. They’ve generously provided the following Fritzing diagram:

This was the same circuit used in this project. The following video shows the circuit in action heating up the thermochromic swatch that was previously prepared:

(read more for the code)

The Code:
const int buttonPin = 2; // the number of the pushbutton pin
const int ledPin = 13; // the number of the LED pin

// variables will change:
int buttonState = 0; // variable for reading the pushbutton status

void setup() {
// initialize the LED pin as an output:
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
// initialize the pushbutton pin as an input:
pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);
}

void loop() {
// read the state of the pushbutton value:
buttonState = digitalRead(buttonPin);

if (buttonState == HIGH) {
// turn LED on:
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
}
else {
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}
}

The above video shows the Arduino sketch running on a programmed ATTiny. The ATTiny controls two LEDs using a 3V battery and lights these LEDs based on capacitive touch input (the yellow wire that is touched in the video, which then becomes the copper fabric in the headband below). The “resting state” of the circuit/headband is a small, blue LED that pulses over time. When the input is received via the capacitive touch sensor/when the headband is worn, a second LED (10mm bright white) is lit, lighting the headlamp.

Materials:

• 1x ATtiny45
• 1x Arduino UNO (for programming the ATTiny)
• 1x 10uF capacitor
• 1x 10mm white LED
• 1x 5mm blue LED
• 1x 3V / coin cell battery
• 1x button
• 1x 330k ohm resistor
• 1x breadboard
• soldering iron, solder, conductive thread/wire, perfboard

The Circuit / Fritzing Diagram:

The yellow wire in this diagram connects to a piece of conductive material that – when touched – triggers programmed response (in this case, lights the white LED)

To begin, users are presented with a helmet/head covering. The front of the helmet contains a clear plate or viewport, allowing the user to view their surroundings. Though their ears are covered, users are still able to hear. Once the helmet is on, water begins to trickle down the viewport. As time progresses, more and more water runs down through the clear plate, obscuring the users’ vision. Simultaneously, water droplets fall into small metal disks next to the users’ ears. With two senses affected by the passing of time, the helmet begins to simulate the blurring of experience and fading of memory.

So far, we have been experimenting with different materials – including plaster of paris and copper sheeting – and different ways of initiating this sequence of events. We would like this prototype to possibly be one of a few variations, all of which would occupy the same sort of “universe” and would address different ways of altering experience and memory through the senses.

Don’t wake up the angry firefly…

The plan for my Behavior Story took a detour when I underestimated how loud/strong the vibration from the mini vibe motor could be. I had initially planned on making a nice, soothing toy/object that created a gentle vibration and pulsing light when you put your hand on it. Instead what I got was an angry cricket/firefly that was irritated when you bothered it.

A photoresistor at the top of the jar detects when the user places his or her hand above it, causing the angry firefly inside to wake up (lighting an LED and powering a mini vibe motor in short pulses) until the user’s hand is removed.

Materials:

• 1x Adafruit Trinket Pro 5V (or any other microcontroller that fits in the container of your choice – in this case I was using a glass jar with a plastic lid and needed something compact)
• 1x Photocell/Photoresistor/LDR
• 1x 5mm LED (bright white)
• 1×1300 mAh LiPo Battery* (+battery “backpack” to connect it to microcontroller) *used 9v battery instead – bulkier, but still works
• 1x 100 ohm resistor (for LED)
• 1x 100k ohm resistor (for LDR/photocell)
• Hookup wire/conductive thread + solder + soldering iron etc.

for the vibe motor circuit:

• 1x NPN Transistor
• 1x 1k ohm resistor
• 1x 1N4001 Diode
• 1x capacitor
• 1x 33 ohm resistor
• 1x mini vibe motor

The project is my first attempt at using a Trinket microcontroller with soldered connections – something I tried in order to keep the components as compact as possible. However, the project still required a 9v battery to work effectively (the vibe motor requires a decent amount of power), making it bulkier than intended.

Fritzing Diagram / Breadboard Circuit:

for Arduino code, see below:

The Code:

/*
Jane McDonough
Computational Craft, Fall 2015
October 13, 2015

Behavior Story: Cuddling/Comforting
Create a circuit showing a behavior or action
Tell a story about the object: what is it feeling?
How is this feeling displayed through code?

Circuit uses: Trinket Pro 5V, photoresistor, mini vibe
motor, 5mm LED, and is powered with a 9V battery

*/

int sensorPin = A0; // LDR on analog pin A0
int ledPin = 10; // LED on digital pin 10 (PWM)
int motorPin = 13; // mini vibe motor on digital pin 13

int sensorValue = 0; // stores sensor reading value
int val; //store mapped sensor reading value

int brightness = 0; // for pulse: how bright the LED is
int fadeAmount = 5; // for pulse: points to fade the LED by
void setup() {

pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(sensorPin, INPUT);
pinMode(motorPin, OUTPUT);

// Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {

sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin);
val = map(sensorValue, 550,900,255, 0);
analogWrite(ledPin, val);

if (val>200){

analogWrite(ledPin, brightness);
brightness = brightness + fadeAmount;
if (brightness == 0 || brightness == 255) {
fadeAmount = -fadeAmount ;

digitalWrite(motorPin, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(motorPin, LOW);
delay(1000);

}
delay(30);
}else{
analogWrite(ledPin, val);
}

// Serial.println(sensorValue);
// Serial.println(val);

}

Brother CS6000i

There are three main things that you should know in order to start sewing:

1. The parts of the sewing machine
2. Winding/Inserting a bobbin
3. Threading the sewing machine

(and then, of course, actually sewing)

1. THE PARTS

These are the basic parts of any sewing machine:

• Spool/Spool Pin
• Bobbin Winder
• Thread guide
• Needle Threader
• Needle Plate
• Presser Foot

And this is a diagram of the specific sewing machine that we’ll be using:

2.1  WIND THE BOBBIN

In order to start sewing, you’re going to need a bobbin that has been wound with thread.

To wind your bobbin, put the bobbin spool on the bobbin winder pin on the top of the machine next to your main spool of thread. Next, follow the diagram at the top of the machine,  weaving the thread from the thread spool around the guide and back to the bobbin. Finally, turn the bobbin winder, turning it off when the bobbin is full.

2.2  INSERT THE BOBBIN

Once you have your bobbin wound, follow the diagrams on the base of the machine to properly insert the bobbin. Every machine is different, but ours makes it really simple by providing a clear guide.

3. THREAD THE MACHINE

Just like the previous steps, you’ll follow the visual diagrams printed on the machine in order to thread the needle. First, you’ll move the thread through the guides down to the needle. Next, you’ll use the machine’s built-in automatic needle threader (!!!) to actually thread the needle. Here’s a video that shows an up close view of this awesome feature in action.

Once you have your bobbin and needle ready, you can start sewing! This machine has button controls to control the speed and direction of the stitch. You can also change the type of stitch using the LCD display and inputs at the front of the machine.

This is just a brief overview of what we’ll be showing you tonight, but hopefully you feel a little less intimidated about sewing! Bonus: here’s a picture of the inside of the machine since we love hacking electronics

• maker
• student/researcher
• designer

I think this is a really interesting/important question to pose to us as students in this program. This was a question I had to ask myself when considering graduate school – when I wasn’t totally sure how to put into words what I enjoyed doing, how to categorize my work, or what I wanted to do when I “grew up”. That’s why I’ve always loved the word “maker” as a title: it’s vague enough to include multiple disciplines, but descriptive enough to emphasize the act of “making”, of creating new things that are tangible or material. I also consider myself both a student and teacher. I always try to learn new ways to make things or express ideas, and try to share my methods and ideas with others. Finally, I would also call myself a designer. I studied Visual Art and Art History in college, and always felt really dissatisfied with my studio art practice. I felt that I was creating things that were briefly shown in a gallery, possibly/passively experienced, and then archived, never to be seen or used again in the real, physical world. Because of this, I chose to study design – where my work would be not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and purposeful.

What is your favorite tool and why? 

My favorite tool is tape. More specifically, I love two different types of tape: electrical tape and gaffer’s tape.

Electrical Tape

Electrical tape is great as a quick, easy insulator for conductive materials. I always have some around whether I’m using wire or conductive thread. It also helps to hold things in place temporarily while I’m testing circuits or making sure I don’t have any issues with short circuits.

Gaffer’s Tape (i.e. the best tape)

Gaffer’s tape has been my favorite “tool” since I discovered it in my high school photography class. It’s usually used for stage lighting or to secure cords to the floor, a task that it’s great for as it’s similar to duct tape in that it’s super strong, but it can be easily removed from materials without leaving sticky residue. It has a matte fabric backing, making it awesome to use when labeling things or when you want to use tape that looks a little more “classy”. The fabric backing also makes it really easy to rip with your hands (like duct tape). Basically, it feels like it should be this heavy duty, super temperamental / permanent tape, but it’s really forgiving: it doesn’t stick to itself, sticks to (and comes off of!) all sorts of materials, and is durable while also being aesthetically pleasing. I’ve literally used this tape in 20+ different ways and find new ways to use it everyday. 10/10 would recommend this tape to anyone who has never heard of it. It’s great. Go buy it.

Also, Wikipedia does a great job explaining everything that makes Gaffer’s tape the best:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaffer_tape

Reflect on your experience learning a new craft (both independently and from other people in class) and teaching it to other people. Some questions you could address: What did you like about the process? What was frustrating? What insight did you gain? What would you do differently next time?

Working with Cathy to learn how to sew using D+T’s Brother sewing machine was way easier than I expected. It’s always daunting to learn a new skill, particularly when you’re faced with learning how to operate machinery as well, but Cathy + The Brother sewing machine + Charles (shoutout!! you’re the best!!) made it so easy!

*We’ll be demo-ing how to use it tonight, so I’ll come back to this post to follow up with my thoughts on teaching everyone else in the class how to use it!

For my keyboard hack, I made a dog toy push/squeeze switch that plays a video of my dog playing with the same toy in the past. My dog is back home in Miami, so I wanted to create an interface that could make me feel like I’m playing with him even though he’s not actually here. The video plays when you squeeze the toy and pauses when you release it.

Materials:

• USB Keyboard
• Wire
• Solder/soldering iron
• Foam makeup sponges (2)
• Copper fabric/tape
• Conductive Thread

I created a squishy/squeezable switch using two foam makeup sponges. I cut a hole in the middle of the sponges and sandwiched them between two pieces of copper fabric.

Next, I used copper tape to connect two pieces of conductive thread to the copper fabric. I then used electrical tape to secure everything in its place and make sure the squeeze switch was durable. I removed the “fluff” from the hamburger toy and made sure the switch could fit inside.

After finding a working key on the keyboard’s board, I soldered the connections in place using regular hookup wire. (*This was the hard part for me – the resin on the board kept melting over the metal as I was soldering my wire to the board, which made me have to keep sanding it down and try again). Once a successful connection was made, I attached the conductive thread from my squeeze switch to loops in the hookup wire.  Now when you squeeze the toy it will register as a key press from a keyboard over USB.

After fitting all my components inside the toy, I created a simple video player in Processing and tested out my interface.

PS: this is the video that plays in my Processing sketch just in case you can’t see it in the top video.

I created a switch that lights an LED using the verb “drop”. Conductive thread connects the positive side of a coin cell battery to the anode/positive leg of an LED. The cathode/negative negative leg of the LED is connected to a sheet of copper fabric on the ground. When the coin cell battery is dropped onto the copper fabric, the circuit is completed and the LED is turned on. The battery functions as a weight to improve drop accuracy in addition to being the circuit’s power source.

Materials:

• Coin cell battery x1
• LED x1
• Conductive thread
• Copper fabric
• Tape