Making Toys

Updates from April, 2009 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Yury Gitman 3:14 pm on April 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  SOBEaR :: 85% finished 

   

  Here's SOBEaR, so close to being done::

  http://jmsaavedra.com/weblog/?p=558

  Today I will add a coaster for the user's cup to sit on.  The final step will be to properly calibrate the angles of turning for the pour, but this is just simple changing of numbers in the code.

  of course, SOBEaR uses a MapDuino, the bare-bones version of the ATmega circuit from HackDuino, soldered on a PCB.

  http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4390451&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
  SOBEaR prototype v02 from j saavedra on Vimeo.

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  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.

  

  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.

  

  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…

  

  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.

  

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  Yury Gitman 2:18 pm on April 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Morning Monster Showing Some Skin 

  I got to sewing this weekend and now the Morning Monster's skin is complete.

  

  In addition, I also created a skeleton for him. The front of the device is hard and flat, but the sides and back have room for stuffing, so they should be softer, to a point.

  

  I decided to go with a full Arduino for the skeleton because I think that wireless may take a while and I will need to be able to leave in the programmer, for efficiency. So I have to add the sensors in his arms and get the shades open next.

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  Yury Gitman 12:32 pm on April 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  More prototyping – Constellation Skirt 

  This green circle is to be the electrical layer of the skirt:

   

  Here is a map of how the 3 constellations will appear: 

  
  
  

  When they are connected:
  

   

  Casseiopeia:

   

  next steps

  – add more breaks in the constellation circuits

  – add Li+

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  Yury Gitman 8:44 pm on April 26, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Candles on Tinker it now 

  

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  Yury Gitman 3:00 pm on April 24, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Jnx prototypes 

  Look and feel

  

  Materials:

  

  Implementation

  4 Flex sensors, a force sensor and an RGB LED. The LED changes color depending on how much pressure is applied to the force sensor or how much the flex sensors are bent – I still need to work this out in the code. Currently, the mp3's are triggered from the computer using Processing but eventually they will be triggered from the SD card on the Wave Shield.

  http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4315583&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00adef&fullscreen=1

  

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  Yury Gitman 2:59 pm on April 24, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  :::Colony prototypes:::2 

  :::User Interaction:::

  In my attempt to enhance users experience when they interact with Nicos, I feel as though there needs to be to the Nicos behavior than just getting grumpy when they get picked and happy when they are back with their pals.
  I have come up with different way in which Nicos can interact with the user that could result in a more meaningful interaction:

  :Feeding:

  Through the use of reed switches positioned bellow the surface of the mouth area, as a cupcake (favorite Nico's food) containing a magnet gets closer to that area flips the switch. This will trigger a "happy" reaction of the Nico. I am still trying to fgure out what that may look and sound like.

  :Tickle:

  Nicos love to be tickled. Throught the use of conductive thread located some where in the Nico's body, if touched for a period of time, the Nico will start to purring.

  :Purring:

  If the Nico is tickled in the right spot, it will start to purr, through the turning on of a motor insde the Nico that will create a subtle vibration.

  :::Implementation:::

  The following are the aspects of the implementation that I stll need to figure out.

  :IR emitter and receiver pair:

  I am still trying to figure out in a simple and inexpensive way the Nicos can communicate to each other at a short distance. I have been looking at IR emitter and receiver pairs. For what I want to do the seam the most suitable, but I still need to figure out exactly they function.

  :Testing Piezo vibration sensor:

  Need to look at how I can make the reading of the Piezo make sense. I may just replace it all together by the capacitance sensor.

  :Timing and exiting a loop in code:

  a. Need to figure out how read for how long a button has been pressed.
  b. Be able to exit a loop when a switch is set to high

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  Yury Gitman 2:35 pm on April 24, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Alarm Clock Test with LCD Screen 

  For this test, I have the LCD screen hooked up and all of the numbers are created out of custom characters so that they can span two rows. The little guy on the right denotes whether the alarm clock is on, and I need a way to show when you are setting the alarm clock and when you are setting the time clock.

  http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4315200&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ff9933&fullscreen=1
  Alarm Clock with LCD Screen Test from Nick Hardeman on Vimeo.

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  Yury Gitman 1:51 pm on April 24, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  latest prototypes 

  The following photograph is the latest look and feel prototype (apologies for the crap grainyness of the photo). As planned, I went with a classic dirndl shape with a slightly sheer navy silk material, which ended up being a bit difficult to work with because of its slippery texture.

  

  As for implementation prototype, I am toying with the idea of exploiting a weak connection between the LEDs and the power source, creating a twinkling effect when the intermittent connection is made and the circuit is completed. Here is the code for one instance in which the LEDs are programmed to "breathe" softly on and off. Here is the code for another instance, in which each of the three constellations is attached to a capacitance sensing star charm, and touching each triggers the illumination of a separate constellation.

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  Yury Gitman 11:15 am on April 24, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Myriam – Balloon Girl prototypes 

  In the time frame we have, I don't have time to properly set up the microphones for the performance.

  When I started prototyping the microphones, I realized it was much more complicated than I thought to have live sound with arduino.

  That's why I decided to concentrate on the Balloon Girl.

  As I said before, Michelle, the dancer, has a structure over her head. This structure will be covered with white fabric, and a diffused light will glow inside of it.

  The balloon girl is the representation of a mood, a visualization of a dance. She is given life by the dance and the lights shining within her.

  I want to experience how her dance and how dancing with Zack will evolve depending on the lights.

  Michelle will have on her corset three conductive fabrics, put on strategic dancing spots. Each fabric will trigger a different light color when it is pressed.

  

  

  

  

  

  The balloon Girl will be an additional part of the performance already existing. The show is an evolving piece, and the dancers are interested in adding technology to give more expression and finding a new way of dancing.

  I started working on the code to see how the capacitance sensing was working. 

  Here is a video of the sensing wires lighting three different lights.

  http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4312220&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
  Leds with capacitance sensing from maryam aboukhater on Vimeo.

  here is the code

  Next steps:

  – build the balloon structure.

  – test the leds inside to see how many is needed and how to make them glow with a sense of life

  – find conductive fabric and sew it on the corset.

  – start experiencing with dancers

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  Yury Gitman 11:40 am on April 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  The Spine of Scapula / Arduino Show 

  

  The link_>>

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  Yury Gitman 4:52 pm on April 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Plush Beats: Outer Design 

  Here's the layout for my project that I want to get printed on material ASAP but I have to figure out how to make it work as a pattern for sewing!

  

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  Yury Gitman 4:46 pm on April 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Sales sheet light clock 

  [Aries the bright night clock] projects time on walls using low cost,
  yet brillaint LED lights.  Typical clocks are hung on walls, solid, and
  2 tone usually black and white.  The concept here is to create a clock
  that animates time through successive animations on bedroom ceilings
  and walls. As this time artifact is made for children 6-12 years old,
  flexibility of imagination and flexibility was an important factor.  The clock can be
  turned sideways and act as a shadow puppetry theater projected on to
  walls.  The concept is to allow users to interact with the artifact
  through personal narratives and fantasy.  The experience can be
  individual or group (family, friends).  The creator's concept in general
  is to create objects that do no limit the users creativity – offering multiple modes and possibilities of usage.
  
  

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  Yury Gitman 2:58 pm on April 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  SOBEaR :: 3 prototypes 

  Implementation:

  http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4255160&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
  SOBEaR prototype v01 from j saavedra on Vimeo.

  Role:
  
  SOBEar is for anyone who doesn't know their limits while drinking, or has problems controlling their consumption.  This robots measures your current level of consumption, shows you your level, and then pours a drink based on this.  If you are heavily inebriated, it will pour a very small amount of liquor, or possibly none at all. If you are on the sober-side, you will receive a stiff drink so that you can have an enjoyable, but safe evening.

  Look/Feel:

  SOBEaR

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  Yury Gitman 2:29 pm on April 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Morning Monster Prototypes 

  Implementation:

  http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4262965&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ff9933&fullscreen=1
  Alarm Clock Test from Nick Hardeman on Vimeo.

  Role:

  Morning Monster is an electric alarm clock that helps you wake up with the most powerful energy source, the sun. He opens your blinds 20 minutes prior to your alarm setting. And if that is not enough, an annoying buzzer will go off. Of course this little monster has all of the standard features, snooze, set time, set alarm time, clock, etc. This little guy is optimal for people who wake up when the sun is out or coming up and who have a window(s) for sunlight to flow into their room.

  Look and Feel:

  I believe that some off-white canvas for the body and teeth would look nice. For the lips, I will use the red cloth that we received in class and black cotton cloth for the inside of the mouth. I purchased a cube like Tweetlite for support of the innards. I also purchased an lcd screen from sparkfun with a black background and white lettering.

  

  

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

  :: My First Robot on the Internet :: 

  

  :: LINK ::

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  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 
  

   Look & Feel 
   
  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. 

  

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

   Blog Submissions 
  Daily Candy
  Swiss-Miss
  Engadget

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  Yury Gitman 2:18 pm on April 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Myriam – The sound of dancing – Prototypes 

  1. Role
  The sound of dancing is an experiment to enhance the sounds of dancers as they are performing. The sounds become the music of the show, and a perpetual dialogue is built in live while the dancers dance on their own sounds.

  2. Look+Feel
  I will be transforming the existing costumes of the performance to integrate the hardware in it.

  For Michelle, I will add fabric on top of the head structure as it was originally planned, and diffuse light in it. The light will fade in and out with the sound of her breathing, creating an organic balloon character for the play. The balloon will visualize her current state.

  

  Some conductive paper will be added to her corset and to Zack's jacket, to be used as switches to turn the microphones on and off. They will be triggered by the dancing, and the performance would evolve around them.

  The look+feel part is subject to change depending on the Role.
  The microphones need to be tested out to figure out the most interesting part of the body to put them on.

  3. Role

  I didn't figure out the role yet.
  I want each dancer to have one arduino and two microphones.
  Only Michelle will have and Led.

  Playing sound with arduino is harder than I thought it would be.

  I found three solutions to make my project:

                  1. I can hook up a multiplexer, connected to amplifiers and microphones to have a good and loud sound. The multiplexer will turn microphones on or off depending on the value of the capacitive sensing.
  I will use the mini amplifier LM386, but I don't know which multiplexer to use yet.

                  2. I can use the Arduino Voice Shield, but it is mainly to record and play back sounds. It also has only one mic input. I could use a splitter but it will play both microphones at the same time. I need each microphone to be triggered seperately, with different switches.

                  3. I could make a switch system to be opened or closed depending on the value of the capacitive sensing. The microphones would be directly connected to the speakers, responding to the switch state.

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