Updates from May, 2009 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Yury Gitman 10:18 pm on May 15, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    :: Final Deliverables :: 

    :: The Shy Turtle ::

    Turtle

    The Shy Turtle is intended to be used by a young toddler – ages 1-3. It
    is an interactive plush toy that uses the Arduino to output movement.
    The Shy Turtle is an educational tool intended to teach children how to
    be kind to animals and respectful of emotions. The turtle acts as an
    impetus for parents to talk to their children about emotions – both the
    turtle’s emotions (in this case “fear”), the child’s emotions, and the
    emotions of the people around them.

    :: My First Robot ::
    Robot
    My First Robot is a “book” for young children (ages 1 – 3), intended as
    an introduction to sensory input and output. Designer, Kirsten
    Halterman created this book to excite children about small electronics
    and robots. This book gives parents a platform to discuss depth, sound,
    and touch.

    :: The Sea Light ::

    Sea Light

    The Sea Light is an artistic light source meant to inspire creativity
    and imagination. Designer, Kirsten Halterman, employed the arduino,
    several green and blue LEDs, and cover velum paper to achieve the soft
    diffusion of light. When turned on, the Sea Light is blue. As time passes, the green and
    blue lights fade in and out simulating tidal changes. The soft fading
    of green and blue lights emulate low tide while the fast paced blinking
    lights are meant to emulate high tide.

    6a00d834518e7a69e2010536fbd807970b-pi

    Events I plan to submit to…

    Maker Faire
    Transmediale
    Artists Wanted

     
  • Yury Gitman 2:00 pm on May 5, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    ~ Events ~ 

    Maker Faire

    The Ingenuity Festival

    01SJ

    Edinburgh Interactive Festival

    Delaware Book Festival

    Made me smile

     
  • Yury Gitman 2:39 pm on May 1, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    :: The Shy Turtle :: (*Final… part 1) 

    TurtleFinalWEB
     
  • Yury Gitman 2:54 pm on April 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    :: The Shy Turtle :: (another prototype) 

    The Arduino, Servo Motor, and plexi-glass holder will all fit inside. It will be a tight fit with the power supply and the speaker but it should be doable. The Arduino and Servo will need to be secured inside of the box.

    Picture1

    Ran into "trouble"… discovered I will need to have some sort of a way to push the head back out when the servo turns – fabric alone will not push head back out. Servo will be attached to a dowel which will be attached to a ball inside the head. The head will probably need to go inside of a "cup" of some sort so the fabric doesn't "stick" to the body fabric.

    Picture2

    Wrote several iterations of melody code. Started with "Under the Sea" from the Little Mermaid. This didn't work at all! The melody didn't sound remotly like the tune from the movie. I figured that this may be because the melody uses a wide range of scales so I decided to try a different melody…

    Picture 2

    The sedond melody I chose, "Row Row Row Your Boat," was also a big fat fail. Eventhough this song is quite simple, it also uses a wider range than I was capable of achieving. I'm thinking I may need to use "Mary Had a Little Lamb" because that works and I need to work on the code / technical part of the head.

    Picture 3

     
  • Yury Gitman 2:26 pm on April 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    :: My First Robot on the Internet :: 

    Picture 1

    :: LINK ::

     
  • Yury Gitman 2:20 pm on April 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    :: Prototyping – Final Project :: 

     Implementation 
    http://a.parsons.edu/~haltk572/computation/homework/0421_Prototype1
    (click on the link above to see the code)
    I experimented with the servo motor a bit. I need to figure out how to control the servo motor so it acts more like how a turtle would respond to danger – fast reaction, slow release.

     Role 
    Role

     Look & Feel 
    Turtle 
    Made by GUND, Inc.
    Contents: Polyester fibers (Minky), plastic pellets

    The technical parts will fit well into the shell of the turtle –
    the arduino, breadboard, survo motor, and speaker. 

    LookAndFeel

    •+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•

     Blog Submissions 
    Daily Candy
    Swiss-Miss
    Engadget

     
  • Yury Gitman 3:23 pm on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Free Writing 

    :: What unexpected things happened when you created your design files? ::

    My design files were pretty well thought out last Tuesday, 14th. I knew I wanted to create a plush sea animal or creature that involved sound, buttons, movement, and a sensor. After presenting to the class, I decided to create the "Shy Turtle" who ducks into his shell when someone or something gets too close. Yury said it would be alright to focus on the technical side of my project by using a pre-made plush toy. I found a GUND stuffed turtle that I believe will work quite well for this project.

    One major design hurdle will be figuring out how to connect the head to the body so that it pulls back into its body. I think I'll need to create a hard plastic neck and entrance to the body but overall, I think it will be doable. I enjoy sewing and craft making but I would really like to focus on the technical aspects of this project as they are still somewhat new and difficult for me.

     
  • Yury Gitman 3:03 am on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    :: The Shy Turtle :: (part 2) 

    Second round of blog submissions for My First Robot:
    Apartment Therapy
    Boing Boing
    Colette


    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    ShyTurtle2.1

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    ShyTurtle2.2  

    (I'm not sure yet what I'll use for the plastic neck and entrance for the body.)

     
  • Yury Gitman 2:41 pm on April 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Concept Proposals for Final Project ~ Plush Toy 

    For my final project, I'd like to create a plush toy with an "under water" theme.  See details below…

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    ShyTurtle

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    *
    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    SeaCreature

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    MrCrabby

     
  • Yury Gitman 4:28 pm on April 10, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    :: Dissection of the Cadbury Bunny :: 

    The Whole Bunny
    WholeBunny

    The Button and Speaker Box Intact
    Button 
    Pelt
    Button and Speaker Box Closed and Opened
    InTact             BoxInside1
    Battery2                  Batteries

    The Speaker Box and Chip Close-up
    ChipSpeakerButton  Macro1

    :: Video ::

     
  • Yury Gitman 5:51 pm on April 7, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    HOMEWORK – 04/10 :: 3 Blogs, 3 Events, 3 Proposals :: 

    Blogs
    1. Engadget
    2. Boing Boing
    3. make money not art

    Events / Conferences
    1. Canstruction
    2. NAEYC
    3. OH BABY! FAMILY EXPO

    Call for Proposals
    1.
    10 Speed Press - Competition
    2. Interactive Competition – Communication Arts
    3. Book Design Competition – Marquand Books

     
  • Yury Gitman 2:46 pm on April 7, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    :: My First Robot :: 

    My First Robot is a “book” for young children (ages 1 – 3), intended as an introduction to sensory input and output. Designer, Kirsten Halterman created this book to excite children about small electronics and robots. This book gives parents a platform to discuss depth, sound, and touch.

    MyFirstRobot

    :: My Video ::
    http://vimeo.com/4048110

     
  • Yury Gitman 8:01 pm on April 3, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    :(… 

    :: Interesting Article ::

    11-6-07-pleo
     
  • Yury Gitman 2:45 pm on April 3, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Theremin-Like Project – Kirsten 

    For this homework assignment, I played around with buttons, speakers, and sensors. I tried using the Max-Sonar sensor but I feel that I get more accurate results from the IR sensor. I have three buttons that each play a specific melody to their own speaker. The IR sensor detects the distance of the user and adjusts the speed of the melody accordingly. If the user is very close to the sensor, the melody is played very slowly. If there is nothing in front of the sensor, the melody is runs through rapidly.

    Board

    +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

    One of my ideas is to create a music box. I would place the board at the bottom of the box and run wires up to the speaker and sensor near the "ballerina." Depending on how close the user is to the sensor, the box will play different tunes.

    Box

    +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

    Another idea is to create a mini toy modeled after an "Ugly Doll." This toy would have a sensor in it's eye and play creepy tunes (like the Theremin) out of it's mouth. The sensor will detect the user's distance and adjust the speed of the music accordingly. The closer the user is to the toy, the slower (and more scary) the monster's sound will be.

    Monster

    +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

    My third idea is to create a book that shows the parts of a "mini robot." The robot's head will be the IR sensor, the body will be the speaker, the hands will be buttons that will play two different tunes, and the arms/legs will be ribbon or drawn on the book for decoration. The sensor will control the speed of the tunes – the closer you are to the robot the louder he'll be.

    Robot

    :: CODE ::

     
  • Yury Gitman 3:43 pm on March 31, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Controlling the fading speed & frequency of an LED via an IR Sensor 

    Homework – March 31st

    Off
    On

    :: Code ::

     
  • Yury Gitman 11:11 am on March 27, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Potentiometer Homework – March 27th 

    This project board controls the fading speed and frequency of the green LED (PWM 11) and the blinking speed of the blue LED (pin 13) though the potentiometer.

     
  • Yury Gitman 10:59 pm on March 26, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    ::: IR sensor::: 

    Picture 10 


    :::Click here to see lecture on IR Sensors:::

    :::Code demonstrated during lecture:::

    1. Mapping: dividing

    2. Mapping: using the map function and Calibration

    3. Smoothing: simple

    4. Smoothing: RGB blending


    :::Great link for information on IR Sensors:::


     
    • Surveillance Solutions 6:48 am on March 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      I’ve being researching about IR Devices and reading your blog, I found your post very helpful :) . I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading.

  • Yury Gitman 2:15 pm on March 13, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Sea Light – Final Prototype 

    SeaLightComputation
     
  • Yury Gitman 2:37 pm on March 10, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Organic Sea Lite 

    My objective for the second to last Passage of Time Prototype was to clearly demonstrate the physicality as well as the look & feel of the Sea Lite. Ultimately (by the end of the semester), I would like to make the Sea Lite out of plexi glass. I like the look of the velum but the end result feels flimsy and it was quite difficult to work with. Also, the Arduino and breadboard would have more support within a plexi glass container. After working on this prototype, I decided that I'm not loving the multi colored paper strips lying on the bottom. For Friday's "finished" prototype, I may decided to remove the colored paper and use plastic wrap to give the Arduino and breadboard support. For Friday's "final" prototype I'd like to focus more on the implementation – particularly the code.


    • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

    look & feel

    Look_feel2Look_feel1

    • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
    implementation

    :: CODE ::

    Implementation


    • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
    role

    Role
     
  • Yury Gitman 2:50 pm on March 6, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Prototyping, User Feedback, & Target User Descriptions 

    PrototypeReal

    Physical Prototype (right): This prototype demonstrates the sequence of tides – going from low to high tide. Using PWMs the LEDs fade on slowly for "low tide," somewhat faster for "mid-tide," and very quickly three times for "high tide."

    Illustrated "Final" Prototype (below): Construction includes plexi glass, fabric / paper and LEDs.

    Prototype2

    Target User Descriptions:
    User 1: Terry, a thirty-one year old elementary school teacher, has been teaching second grade for the past seven years. She has eclectic tastes and likes her classroom décor to fit in with her personality. Her favorite subjects to teach are art and science. She came across the Sea Lite in a small boutique while visiting New York City. Because the Sea Lite touches on science – sea life and tidal changes – and has a unique aesthetic, it’s a must have for Terry.

    User 2: Timmy, a five-year-old inquisitive youngster, loves to play outdoors and ask questions of his parents. Timmy loves fire-trucks and the ocean. For his birthday, his grandparents decided to splurge on an interesting light for Timmy’s room – the Sea Lite. Timmy loves to turn the knob and imagine he is underwater dancing with the fish, while watch the lights dance about his head.

    User 3: Claire is a first year biology major at UC Santa Cruz. Her love of nature has always been a central part of her life. While visiting a small boutique with friends in San Francisco, she came across the Sea Lite. Claire is slightly homesick for her friends and family back home in San Luis Obispo. In an attempt to make her dorm room more “homey” she decided to splurge on the Sea Lite because it reminds her of visiting the beach with her dad.


    User Feedback:

    -    The shape of the Sea Lite in the drawings add a lot to the overall aesthetic of the light.
    -    Users liked the slower, tranquil fading of the LEDs – not the “high tide” blinking of the LEDs – they are somewhat obnoxious.
    -    The strings / dangling fabric from the Sea Light don’t add a lot to the over construct of the light. The shape of the Sea Light is far more interesting and the strings could end up being somewhat distracting.
    -    The paper was a nice way to defuse the lights – fabric may fade the light too much.
    -    It might be a good idea to have one constant LED always on (maybe a white one?)
    -    This an interesting idea but it would be much better if the physical Sea Lite was more of a chandelier – not portable, like something found at Spencer’s Gifts
    -    The physical Sea Light should be done in glass or plexi glass

     
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