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Applications and Implications

May 11th, 2011

Preparation for the final project

Our initial idea was to complete a working version of the Interactive Square project before my internship ended and I had to go back to the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the development of the project took more time then we anticipated and other projects kept popping up and consuming the time of the people who where working on it.

Therefore we changed our plans. At this moment the plan is that we make a working prototype of the Talking Bench to gain the interest of investors. Apart from that, I will write an Advisory Report containing all the information, designs, ideas etc. that we have for the Interactive Square. This document can later be used as a source of information and inspiration when the actual building starts.

You can read some of the information I wrote about the IS project, based on the assignment on this page, below.

Interactive Square

What will it do?
The Interactive Square can be seen as an upgraded version of the traditional playground and will be a place where children can meet and play together. The IS uses distance sensors, LED screens, speakers and buttons to allow a wide arrange of games and entertainment. We want the games to be fun, interactive and most importantly: allow multiple people to play together at the same time.

This first version of the IS will focus on making music and playing more traditional games. More information can be found later in this document.

Who’s done what beforehand?
The idea started with Frosti’s previous Fab Academy project: Musical Orca. This project uses a simple board, speaker and sonar to measure the distance between the user and device. That distance is then translated into a sound.

Sighvatur has come up with some interesting ideas for another part of the IS that can even be sold separately: the Talking Bench [Name is still uncertain]. The benches will be equipped with a method to record and play sound. When the user sits down he presses a button and can tell the bench a story. The bench stores the audio file of the story until a new person comes along. When this person sits down, the bench automatically starts playing the story of the previous user. Another possibility is to link the benches with a radio [if we can find one that is powerful enough]. This way people can talk and interact, even if they are not near each other.

Erwin (me) has been in charge of the visual feedback, games and overall look of the IS. I used the time in the Fab Academy to make multiple electronic boards and thought about which ones we could use. So far I am convinced that we can make our own LED screen but the processors we have been using are not powerful enough for the games we want to implement. Therefore we decided to switch to Arduino boards which enable easy and fast programming. I thought of some games people could play on the IS and wrote them down as detailed as was necessary.

Jens made some very nice designs for some of the parts of the IS. The designs are pleasing to the eye and, with some minor adjustments, can be used in the project. He also taught us a lot about the Arduino boards.

What materials and components will be required?
--warning: short version--

Sonar + speaker combo
Sonar, arduino board uno, fluxamasynth shield, speaker, plexiglass, (stone?) cover.

Talking bench
Bench / chair, button, microphone, speaker, arduino uno, arduino Voice Shield?, arduino storage for shield?, possibly: a radio.

Visual feedback
LED’s (what kind?), board for LED’s, arduino (same as for Sonar), plexiglass or something stronger to cover it all.

Buttons Button, (stone) tile, plexiglass?, wiring to the arduino.

--this part will be extended later with the actual names and ID’s of the necessary parts--

How much will it cost?
This is hard to tell at the moment because we are still deciding which parts we should use. Expect an update soon.

What parts and systems will be made?
Due to the declining availability of manpower for this project, we decided to only built a simple prototype. The prototype will be a crude version of the Talking Bench and it’s primary purpose is to get possible investors excited about the IS project.

The Talking Bench will be made out of an existing bench or chair and we’ll add a button, speaker and the necessary technology to record and play audio. The button can be a simple button like the ones we use in the Fab Lab or, if time allows it, be a pressure pad that activates when the user sits down.

The Arduino Uno will be used in combination with the Voice Shield [and possibly additional storage] to record and play the audio.

The rest of the IS will not be built at this time because my internship ends on June 15th and there are not enough people and time to build and program the entire project. I will, however, write a detailed advisory report with all of the information, designs and ideas we came up with. This document can be a solid foundation for when the actual building will start.

What processes will be used?
For the Talking Bench we will most likely use an existing chair, but we could also make our own. In this case we would use some sturdy wood and cut it with the Shopbot. The designs would probably be made in Inkscape because it allows precise measuring and scaling does not diminish the image quality.

To program the Arduino we would use the Arduino programming software. Buttons and other extensions are easily connected to the Arduino board using regular copper wires or, in the case of speakers, the audio-port in the Voice Shield.

What tasks need to be completed?
There are three things I must do before June 15th:

• Build the Talking Bench prototype
• Write the IS advisory report
• Write my thesis.

What is the schedule?
There is no real schedule. I have less then a month to finish all my tasks and I will work on them whenever I have the time. Right now we have to order the Arduino parts first, so I’ll be working on my thesis and the IS advisory report until they arrive. During the day, at the Fab Lab, I’ll be working on the IS and Bench. In the evenings, I’ll write my thesis.

How will it be evaluated?
In the end the products will be evaluated by Frosti and of course by me while I am working on them. The advisory report should contain enough information so that, when the building actually starts, almost all of the necessary information can be found in the report.

The bench can be simple and ‘un-polished’ (loose wires, visible buttons etc.) but as long as it demonstrates the idea and is fun to use, it has reached it’s goals.