INTERACTIVE OPTICAL COLOR MIXER
Modulo is an interactive optical mixer that uses electronic inputs and actuators embedded into wooden blocks. When assembled, the connection between the blocks complete the circuit and therefore build Modulo.
a link to the final paper
3 different breadboards… finally it worked but still having issues powering the mini arduino pro, for some reason it works with the USB connected but not with the power source.. will try a different battery today,, but Modulo and I have spent some long time together in the last couple of days…
in the other hand, I bought the paint and Im waiting (still) for the magnet so I can make the disks. Hoping to “finish” this weekend
After trying out twice to cut hardwood lids for the blocks and having an unsuccessful precise cut (needed for the connections) I decided to use plywood in the laser cutter. Not a big deal but since it would have been nice to make the entire product in Mahogany I was trying to cut it by hand which made me waste some time and material. Next step is to assemble everything which is now a matter of a couple of hours. I am planning to build Modulo and make the video for kickstarter this week.
Color Test and Logo
Quick Rendering of the final product
Schedule
Monday 04/18 : Prototype different connections (Copper tape, Pins, and furniture connectors)
Tuesday 04/19: cut color disks/write for paper
Wednesday 04/20: Start building
Thursday 04/21: building, presentation
Friday 05/22: Building
Saturday 06/23: building
Sunday 04/24: Building/ finish and paint
Monday 05/26: bring disks to class and select the best ones
Very nice logo Alva!
Looking good, Alvaro! Here’s something I ran across that reminds me of your project:
Keep it up, yo!
Thanks for this Thom. Is really good reference (prior art). I’m working mostly on making those connections right!!
Alvaro Soto MFA candidate Design + technology Parsons The New School http://www.asotodesign.com
Sent from my iPhone
I am in a pretty good track with the schedule, since tuesday I got all my drawings together and went to the woodshop to cut the blocks
Also Im trying to find the best connection for the blocks (electrical connection), so Ive been testing with nails, bolts and header pins.
Next steps are to get the right connections, cut the remaining pieces in the laser cutter and assemble. For monday I expect to have most of this done.
for more info and photos visit my blog
Great progress, in regards to a connection have you thought about something simple like conductive tape? Although it won’t allow for you to have the blocks stick together, it would pass the conductivity and you can solder too it. I may be a good source for you to add to the sides of your blocks and get solid connections.
After Prototyping both circuits and look and feel for Modulos (finally it has a name), I started re-thinking what the project was about, finding the soul of my main idea and what differentiates my project from cubelets, Braun electron or Olars. I always been very interested in my role as a product designer in a program where interaction in screen based applications is the main area of research. For my thesis id like to work on techniques and development of materials and manufacture processes for product development. Thinking on technology as a way to enhance aesthetics, performance etc.
Modulus to me is the starting poing of this research where fabrication is as important as the technology. Id like to document the process starting from wood scraps and the use of laser cutter technology. so to explain in an elevator pitch what Modolus is:
Modulos is a modular optical color mixer that uses electronics (inputs and actuators) embedded in wooden blocks.
Modulos is designed to show the product design process of an object with computing electronics from start to end as a way to experiment and research on material properties, physical interactions and production methods.
All the circuits and code are working
Wow, it’s an ambitious project and it’s already so far along!
The documentation is really good. We can definitely see your design process here. You have the circuit and code working which is nice, but things will change when you take the parts out and put them on their own containers. I think you should prototype the implementation on paper cubes, just to see what happens when you take apart that circuit. You can replace the paper cubes with the actual wood ones whenever they are ready and whenever you’re sure your circuits are working perfectly.
I really like this project and admire the way it develops.
I really like the name alvaro and looks like you’re making some great prototypes. Already, just from your photos, you can really see that the blocks are going to have a sense of heft, of actual, “block”-y weight. I wouldn’t worry too much about differentiating yourself from the prior art you cite, your project is unique in its very handmade/piece-of-craft nature, though those are great inspiration (and I want to play with all of them)
Not to reiterate what everybody else said, but this project is really interesting and looks like it’s shaping up to be something really cool and sleek.
One thing, though, is that your elevator pitch is kind of confusing, at least for me. It has a lot going on, and I wasn’t clear if the project was the final object or the process and its documentation. Just something to think about when explaining what the project is.
This has always been one of my favorite projects in the class, especially since we have been focusing so much on toys this semester. Bridging the analog and digital gap is tricky, especially in a novel way, and the real winners in the area manage to make you forget that you are dealing with either.
It’s hard to get a very specific sense of your implementation from just the sketches alone, although you have done plenty of work on them and perhaps they are perfect to help you guide your thoughts. It is great to see you trying out various forms in your drawings, and you should push it, but I hope you don’t lose track of your target audience. Simplicity in design can be a major strength when the underlying principles may be harder to grasp.
That said, I totally think you are right about the materials being a key part of your project. These things are completely tactile, and so even if a user had no idea what these blocks could do, they should be a pleasure to touch and hold on their own.
As for role and differentiating yourself from the precendents you showed, I would think about how you could make it more intuitive to work with, where there is essentially no ‘wrong’ way to do it. Find ways of introducing relationships between ALL the blocks, so that any two blocks can make something happen. If this is for kids, it should be fun right out the gate.
Also, I ran across this a while back, and I just thought about it in relation to your project. http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=365
Good luck, man!
This short video from Noam Toran is brilliant. These objects would not be the same if they were just shown as an exhibit display.
more videos from Toran in his vimeo account
And his website that contains many screenshots of his videos that are not published on vimeo
Thanks for posting this (on both blogs!). Makes me wonder what medium our mini-thesis for “computation” can really be.
you thought about that already… just make it real “flush” it out. The good part is that in a video you can fake anything!!! 🙂
The most difficult part about this prototyping face was generating ideas and iterations. since its a new concept and idea, grounding the possibilities in the amount of tim given was challenging.
The easiest part was the actual execution of the ideas
As a product designer I am very interested in the intersection of both Technology an objects. for my 6 ideas I gravitated into 6 domains:
So my Xbees had trouble for a change, and after long hours trying to troubleshoot I decided it was time to move on and record data wired to an arduino. Not as efficient but I wanted to spend some time learning how to access this data in Open Frameworks and visualizing it.
You can access the OF code here
First time
The first time anyone presses the button a green light turns On and plays a nice melody. This way the user will know the bell worked.
Second Time
Usually the bell is pressed twice after sometime waiting, this is Ok and the Doorbell will tell the user that it worked, but a warning color and tone will be given to the user.
Third Time
This is the final notice, the user will now have to wait 5 minutes until he/she can press the button and get a signal. (a warning red color and angry tone will be given to the user).
We will go through this process in class just make sure your breakout board is ready to go!
CODE FOR THE BUTTON (Ring the Bell)
Evander Batson
xinhe feng
FluffyLeecy
frankiezek
gaboratparsons
giang063
gracegotlost
lauriewaxman
Siwen Li
Tim Xiaofeng Lin
Yury Gitman
mar28th
Max(TONG WEN)
Soohyun
sabotai
Susan Lin
Thom Hines, and 
hilalkoyuncu are discussing. 
Chris Piuggi are discussing. 
scottpeterman, and 2 others are discussing. 
/*
doorbell basic BUTTON!!
by Rob Faludi faluudi.com
*/
#define VERSION "1.00a0"
int BUTTON = 2;
void setup(){
pinMode(BUTTON, INPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop(){
//send a capital D over the serial port if the button is pressed
if (digitalRead(BUTTON) == HIGH){
Serial.print('D');
delay(10); //prevents overwhelming the serial port
}
}
CODE FOR THE BELL (Ring my bell)
*
doorbell basic DINGY!!
by Rob Faludi faluudi.com
*/
#define VERSION "1.00a0"
int BELL = 4;
void setup(){
pinMode(BELL, OUTPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop(){
//look for a capital D over the serial port and ring the bell if found
if (Serial.available() > 0){
if (Serial.read() == 'D') {
//ring bell briefly
digitalWrite(BELL, HIGH);
delay(10);
digitalWrite(BELL, LOW);
}
}
}
CODE TO CONFIRM FEEDBACK (BELLS)
/*
doorbell feedback dingy!!
by Rob Faludi faluudi.com
*/
#define VERSION "1.00a0"
int BELL = 4;
void setup(){
pinMode(BELL, OUTPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop(){
//look for a capital D over the serial port and ring the bell if found
if (Serial.available() > 0){
if (Serial.read() == 'D') {
//send feedback that the message was received
Serial.print('K');
//ring bell briefly
digitalWrite(BELL, HIGH);
delay(10);
digitalWrite(BELL, LOW);
}
}
}
CODE TO CONFIRM FEEDBACK (BUTTONS)
/*
doorbell feedback BUTTON!!
by Rob Faludi faluudi.com
*/
#define VERSION "1.00a0"
int BUTTON = 2;
int LED = 11;
void setup(){
pinMode (BUTTON, INPUT);
pinMode (LED, OUTPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop(){
//send a capital D over the serial port if the button is pressed
if (digitalRead(BUTTON) == HIGH){
Serial.print('D');
delay(10); //prevents overwhelming the serial port
}
// if a capital K is received back, light the feedback LED
if (Serial.available() > 0){
if (Serial.read() == 'K'){
digitalWrite(LED, HIGH);
}
}
// when the button is released, turn off the
if ( digitalRead(BUTTON) == LOW){
digitalWrite(LED, LOW);
}
}
LoveCoach is a Relationship simulator targeted for young adults and above . It mimics the balance one must have when meeting somebody and after a relationship starts. “too much of something is never good”. It reacts to a light a sensor as light is is what nurtures the relationship, and reacts with sound and messages displayed on an LCD screen.
A video and final photos will be posted soon…
for more about the process of making the enclosure go to my blog
You can download the Code here
Very cool visit to the Toy fair, my Favorite things I have to be honest, considering we are working with technology, are the wooden toys, but is not because they don’t have any technology. I like is the simplicity and detail in design. yet, these toys manage to have a very appealing look for children. I Think a very cool project would be to reconsider these wooden toys embedding technology playing with the contrast between the design detail and the fascination of technology in toys.
Here are some of my favorite toys:
My other favorite is this Chamaleon by Think Geek. I find it very fun to use, but I like the idea of the many possibilities one could do with the same technology.
I also like them because they gave me one….
Finally the floating fishes are so cool they have this kinetic movement on them that attracks people. Besides they are flying making no noise and are fishes on the air of course
Last but not least a picture of Naz as a Kauzebot
Making Toys 
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