1. Principles and Practices¶
This week I brainstormed my final project idea, as well as personalized and edited my website. I also started to get used to documenting everything I do.
Research¶
I knew that I wanted to make something interactive, allowing the user learn about something they hadn’t known about before. I also wanted to make something simple in design yet relatively complex in functionality. While brainstorming, I made an idea-spam list of potential final project ideas.
I was not fully content with the projects in my list. I decided on a project after a few days of brainstorming. The idea was an interactive, LED capacitive-touch world map. When a user touches a certain region of the map, a side monitor will show a corresponding video. I wanted to make the project so that the user would be able to change each video for each region. A building at my school wanted a similar project for a new global studies program, and I thought that it was a perfect opportunity to make something that would actually be used years after. My school could add any videos of students in specific countries, and anyone who walks by and wants to learn more about my school’s global studies program and see where students have been can interact with the project.
Project Sketches¶
When I first got the project idea, I first began to sketch out the idea on my iPad using the app Notability. I sketched out the basic parts to the project, including capacitive sensors, LED backlighting, and a monitor on the side.
After a couple days, I found out the dimensions of the wall that the project would be installed on, so I sketched another version of the project. This sketch used a different kind of map, called a Robinson Projection map. I decided to try out this type of world map with the longitudinal and latitudinal lines so that the user could tap on different regions of the world map rather than each country (cutting each country’s shape would take too much time as well). I also included some dimensions for the map and monitor.
After discussing more details with my teacher, Mr. Dubick, I sketched out a version of the project that changed the amount of grids I would use. The only grids visible to the user are those that cover any large amounts of land- this concept will most likely be used in the completed version of the final project. In this sketch, I made more detailed dimensions, as well as the types of materials I would use.
Also, as I wrote on the top left corner of the sketch above, I may change the type of map projection. I have three other options I am currently thinking about. The first and second projection choices are the Mercator and Gall Maps, whose navigational lines are perpendicular and straight. This would make it easier to cut and use. The third option is a map whose navigational lines are similarly curved to the one in the previous sketches. However, the sizes of specific countries change to reflect their true sizes relative to other countries. The sketch below shows this version of the map.
In sketching and designing the project, I took inspiration from a variety of LED world maps, but I particularly liked this one, made by shareahack on Instructables. The design helped me imagine how my project could look on the wall at my school and gave me ideas as to how I could incorporate LEDs into the project.
Project Machine Uses¶
To keep track of my project and how many machines and methods I use, I will be adding ideas to this table:
| Machine | Project Implementation |
|---|---|
| CAD | Project design in Fusion360 |
| Laser/Vinyl Cutting | N/A, maybe accessories and a Latin sticker |
| Electronics Production | Electronics in the box behind the map |
| 3D Printing | N/A, maybe accessories |
| Electronics Design | Designing the electronics/boards for the project |
| CNC | Cutting the wood for the back box and the extrusions |
| Embedded Programming | Program the project so that it plays the video touched |
| Molding and Casting | N/A, maybe accessories like corner caps |
| Input Device | Capacative sensors (copper map) |
| Output Device | LCD Display |
| Applications and Implications | N/A |
| Networking and Communication | N/A, need to learn more about this |
| Mechanical Design | N/A, need to learn more about this |
| Interface and Application Programming | Output to show images |
| Machine Design | N/A, need to learn more about this |
| Wildcard Week | N/A, depends on the wildcard |
Questions, Comments, and Concerns¶
Here are some questions, comments, and concerns I have about my project that I can add to in the future as I work along.
Questions
- How will I join the grid map pieces together? Will I have a back piece of wood joining them all?
- Where will the electronics be stored?
- How will I distinguish each grid for the capacitive sensor?
Comments
Concerns