This week, I decided to play with composition, color, and tape thickness for my swatches. I used a tight spiral pattern.
Here are my in-class amp and speaker swatches.
This week, I decided to play with composition, color, and tape thickness for my swatches. I used a tight spiral pattern.
Here are my in-class amp and speaker swatches.
Code is here.
Circuit diagrams here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Secret-Light/
This is a smart lamp that changes the brightness by folding the top piece.
Concept:
This is an all the user-friendly lamp for anyone who enjoys reading in a relaxing environment. Try to image people sitting at the desk by a window with some cool breeze. After a period time of reading, and you want to take an easy nap. Simply folding the lamp to dim the light….. 🙂
This time I want to try something that I have been really interested with : LED Stripe.
I was always thinking how those indirect light source under stairways was built… until I knew it was actually using stripe LED and covered by some shade or hide behind such as a piece of wood block. So I decide to use that idea as a type of inspiration or motivation.
LED Behavior Code
int tempPin = A0;
int led1Pin = 11;
int led2Pin = 9;
int led3Pin = 10;
int currentState = 0;
// LED values:
int ledDim = 50;
int ledMid = 100;
int ledFull = 255;
int tempMin = 100;
int tempMax = 500;
void setup() {
pinMode(led1Pin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(led2Pin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(led3Pin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(tempPin, INPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop() {
int tempReading = analogRead(tempPin);
if (tempReading < tempMin) {
currentState = 0; // dim
} else if ( (tempReading >= tempMin) && (tempReading < tempMax) ) {
currentState = 1; // mid
} else {
currentState = 2; // full on
}
Serial.print(tempReading);
Serial.print(“\t”);
Serial.println(currentState);
switch (currentState) {
case 0: // dim
analogWrite(led1Pin, ledDim);
analogWrite(led2Pin, ledDim);
analogWrite(led3Pin, ledDim);
break;
case 1: // mid
analogWrite(led1Pin, ledMid);
analogWrite(led2Pin, ledMid);
analogWrite(led3Pin, ledMid);
break;
case 2: // full on
analogWrite(led1Pin, ledFull);
analogWrite(led2Pin, ledFull);
analogWrite(led3Pin, ledFull);
break;
}
}
Midterm Prototypes
Paper prototypes:
Here I tried to make open close switches with macrame knots and conductive thread. This ties into the idea of pulling the hanging planter down in order to light or turn off the LEDs (think lamp cord).
Concept:
I’m designing a lamp that feels kind of magical. I drew out some sketches and the macrame one stood out for me. That’s what I made my (somewhat unsuccessful) macrame switch prototypes. Mainly this falls into a funny subsection of aesthetics I fondly call witchster, one part witchy one part hipster. It’s huge in Bushwick ;).
Materials list:
Precedents / Style:
I’m a maker, designer, researcher, and a craftsperson.
I choose these words to describe my practice because they reflect how I approach creative expression. My research, daydreaming and desire to get my hands dirty influence my work. As a maker I get curious about how to do anything from make kimchi to knit socks or fix a bike chain. As a designer I like to think about why people choose what they do and how to build affordances into object and experience design. As a researcher I get lost in the pursuit of knowledge. As a crafts person I have a steady hand for structure and tend to obsess over clean lines and materiality.
My favorite tool would be a hot glue gun. I’ve been using them since I was a kid. Pretty sure there is no limit to their usefulness.
I really enjoyed trying out learning to weld in the metal shop. I would recommend it to others and hop I have a chance to use it again soon.
The Straw Tilt Switch
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How does it work?
This swatch works as an enlarged version of a typical tilt switch. When tilted up the metal balls inside complete the circuit.
Materials
Technique
I sewed two lead legs into opposing sides of the straw leaving a knot inside which the balls would connect. I then capped one end with hot glue, filled with a few balls and closed up the other end with hot glue. I mounted this to a piece of fabric and then sewed leads for the alligator clips to connect to the straw negative and positive leads.
References
I’ve seen this before in my Arduino days. I like the tactile nature of the switch, and that’s why I wanted to try my hand at it, that and a surplus of small metal balls from a previous project.
I made a few sketches. Ideas for later too!
I had hoped to do silly strings in the beginning but my metal balls were too large for the straw and got stuck. Would have been a fun switch though. There’s always next time!
In Class
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Illustration project
“It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. I was so preposterously serious in those days, such a humorless little prig. Lightly, lightly – it’s the best advice ever given me. When it comes to dying even. Nothing ponderous, or portentous, or emphatic.No rhetoric, no tremolos,no self conscious persona putting on its celebrated imitation of Christ or Little Nell. And of course, no theology, no metaphysics. Just the fact of dying and the fact of the clear light. So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet,trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly my darling,on tiptoes and no luggage,not even a sponge bag, completely unencumbered.”
― Aldous Huxley, Island
I adore the book Island by Aldous Huxley. I chose this quote because I though there was something clever about using a quote about living ‘lightly’ in a project with LEDs.
Printed Cardstock
Cutting and gluing the paper to some foam core board.
I made two of these parallel circuits with Chibitronics LED stickers. I carved out a place to enclose the battery and assembled the object, tying it together with a rubber band.
This 2008 Tangible Media Group project (video and further info here) by Cati Vaucelle, Hiroshi Ishii, and Joe Paradiso gives physical wearable feedback for electro-magnetic frequencies. Something about sensing the unseen, feeling how electronics resonate, seems like a superpower to me. I like when technology promotes a widening of the senses. #cyborgLyfe
CONCEPT : I’m fascinated by the duality of technology and pre-computer age objects. It feels magical when an interaction is enhanced or subverted with technology. That is what I wanted to accomplish with this project. My lamp is meant to visually reference hippy/witchy candle mood lighting. Using a capacitive sensor allows an added magical aspect because it is by touching the object’s rim that the candles alight.
AUDIENCE : This is a project for Californians crystal lovers, for hipster-witch combos (witchsters!), and well – me, I love this type of stuff.
INTERACTION : Touching a finger along the rim of this object causes the candles to light. Another touch puts them out.
View my instructable here!