Cube Project 2009
Hey, what can I say, some days you wake up with a silly idea and then all of a sudden you realize that you are going to have to buy all the components and make the damn thing. Ah, prototyping by fire. I present, Cube Project 2009, to show up May 15th at Columbia College Chicago . . . bite . . . chewing . . . too much!
With students Laura Thompson (I want to build things . . .) and Gary Krupcek (I am really wanting to look into this Pure Data thing) we are building 3 to 6 three-dimensional objects, presently mainly cubes, roughly 5 x 5 x 5 inches . . . or about the size of a CD case, but cubed . . . get it. The cubes are equipped with tilt switches and an on-board PIC microcontroller (very small computer), so the cube 'knows' what side it is on at any given time. For this project we are using the Arduino model of chip (specifically, the Arduino Pro).
The switch information (the orientation of the cube) is being sent via wireless (XBee Radio) to a computer running Pure Data. In turn, Pure Data orchestrates an ever-changing sound design enveloping a table where these cubes sit.
As 'interactors' change the orientation of the cubes, the sound design changes. Also, the cubes provide a visual feedback by glowing and pulsing at different rates and colors (in tandem with the sound design) as they are being manipulated. Right?
Here are some pictures of the third prototype (this one done in pizza box cardboard, it's free):
First, we take a side of the cube and secure four tilt switches. The switches are placed at 45° angles so they are forced to be either tilted ON or OFF. If they were lying flat, the little bearing inside might just get stuck in a horizontal position and not read correctly (especially if all four are oriented on the bottom. So the little pitch forces an either ON or OFF orientation.
Next, we put in a ground loop for all four sensors.
In that little section of cardboard are four resistors, attached to the incoming +5 volt, uh . . . voltage. The resistors are needed to control the voltage, so the microcontroller can read it as either ON (+5, High) or OFF (+0, Low).
Here, the resistors have been hooked up to the other lead of the sensors, and then a separate wire will come off the sensors and go into the digital input pins of the microcontroller. Why did we not take a photo of this last step, I have no idea.
And here is the final Protoype #3. See, we have two sensor arrays, and I have just realized, we only need one sensor array to make this work. Yippie, less fabrication!
So, next week, wireless modem programming and PCB etching. Look, I made a smaller (2 x 2 inch board) for the sensors.
We will make them this week . . . etching copper with acid, fun. We will let you know how things work out. Thanks to Laura for the photos.
jg
With students Laura Thompson (I want to build things . . .) and Gary Krupcek (I am really wanting to look into this Pure Data thing) we are building 3 to 6 three-dimensional objects, presently mainly cubes, roughly 5 x 5 x 5 inches . . . or about the size of a CD case, but cubed . . . get it. The cubes are equipped with tilt switches and an on-board PIC microcontroller (very small computer), so the cube 'knows' what side it is on at any given time. For this project we are using the Arduino model of chip (specifically, the Arduino Pro).
The switch information (the orientation of the cube) is being sent via wireless (XBee Radio) to a computer running Pure Data. In turn, Pure Data orchestrates an ever-changing sound design enveloping a table where these cubes sit.
As 'interactors' change the orientation of the cubes, the sound design changes. Also, the cubes provide a visual feedback by glowing and pulsing at different rates and colors (in tandem with the sound design) as they are being manipulated. Right?
Here are some pictures of the third prototype (this one done in pizza box cardboard, it's free):
First, we take a side of the cube and secure four tilt switches. The switches are placed at 45° angles so they are forced to be either tilted ON or OFF. If they were lying flat, the little bearing inside might just get stuck in a horizontal position and not read correctly (especially if all four are oriented on the bottom. So the little pitch forces an either ON or OFF orientation.
Next, we put in a ground loop for all four sensors.
In that little section of cardboard are four resistors, attached to the incoming +5 volt, uh . . . voltage. The resistors are needed to control the voltage, so the microcontroller can read it as either ON (+5, High) or OFF (+0, Low).
Here, the resistors have been hooked up to the other lead of the sensors, and then a separate wire will come off the sensors and go into the digital input pins of the microcontroller. Why did we not take a photo of this last step, I have no idea.
And here is the final Protoype #3. See, we have two sensor arrays, and I have just realized, we only need one sensor array to make this work. Yippie, less fabrication!
So, next week, wireless modem programming and PCB etching. Look, I made a smaller (2 x 2 inch board) for the sensors.
We will make them this week . . . etching copper with acid, fun. We will let you know how things work out. Thanks to Laura for the photos.
jg
posted by geistweidt at 4:17:00 PM
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