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