16.   Applications and implications
Plan and document a final project that integrates a range of units covered at the bottom of this page


Description of the project
Midterm I decided to leave my initial plan of building a self-contained biological growing unit to instead work on creating a pair of shoes that will have embedded electronics that will output sound to the step of a person's foot. The premise of the project is to investigate how digital technologies can facilitate in the creation of personalized and customized footwear.

What will it do?
Shoes have always been considered a reflection of personality and identity. These shoes will embody that concept in not only the physical interaction with the user, but also in the process of fabrication. These playful shoes will be molded to the sole of the feet of the user to create customized insoles for comfort. The shoe will be molded and cast with electronics embedded within the system that will facilitate auditory responses. The interaction between the foot and the ground surfaces will create a tangible auditory response and will serve as a new interface for musical expression. There will also be a processing interface that will allow the user to customize the auditory output in terms of type of sound and intensity, reinterpreting interaction.

Who has done what beforehand?
There have been several projects where auditory output has been embedded within a pair of shoes. These references have greatly helped me in developing my idea:
Nike's Free Run+ Shoes
Adidas Megalizer
Code M
Musical MIDI Shoes
Shoes Sequenz

What materials and components will be required?

Materials:
Smooth-On PMC-770 Urethane Rubber
1 meter of leather
PLA filament for the Makerbot
A kinect scanner

Electronics:
6 Force sensitive sensors (3 per each shoe)
2 Barduino (1 per each shoe)
2 Shield for the sensors (1 per each shoe)

Where will they come from?
All the electronic components can be found in the Fab Lab inventory except for the force sensitive resistors which can be found online at Digikey or Sparkfun. The rest of the materials can be found online or sourced locally.

How much will it cost?
Because this project is replicated twice, the bill of materials is doubled and therefore somewhat costly. Here is the bill of materials for all the components required for both shoes:

Amount

Material/Component

Unit Price   Total Price

1	Smooth-On PMC-770	23.50	23.50
1	Meter of Leather	5.00	5.00
0.5	PLA Filament	10.00	10.00
6	Force Sensitive Resistors	6.04	36.24
2	ATMEGA 328 SMD	2.65	5.30
2	16 MHz Crystal	0.31	0.62
4	10 uf Capacitors	0.31	1.24
6	0.1 uf Capacitors	0.27	1.62
4	18 pf Capacitors	0.13	0.52
8	0 Ohm Resistors	0.08	0.64
6	1K Resistors	0.08	0.48
6	10K Resistors	0.08	0.48
2	Switch Button	0.48	0.96
2	2x3 Pin Header	0.89	1.78
2	Green LED SMD	0.27	0.54
2	Red LED SMD	0.40	0.80
4	Shottky Diode	0.50	2.00
2	5V Regulator	0.97	1.94
2	Power Jacks	1.39	2.78
2	FTDI Header	8.95	17.90
1	Single Sided Circuit Board	0.70	0.70

Total Price:

97.44 €

What parts and systems will be made?
All the parts and systems required for this project will be made. This includes all the electronic boards (2 Barduinos), break out boards (2 for sensors and resistors), the shoes, and the user interface.

What processes will be used?
The project will encompass as many of the skills that I have acquired over the weeks of my Fab Academy course as possible. This includes:
    3D Scanning and Printing
    Computer-Aided Design
    Computer-Controlled Cutting
    Electronics Production and Programming
    Interface and Application Programming

What tasks need to be completed?
I have the process for the construction of the shoe completed. What needs to be accomplished now is to finalize the design and programming of the electronics and to create a user interface that will allow customization of the auditory output. Oh and to start making music!

What questions need to be answered?
1. Will it be possible to embed the force sensors/circuits or should they simply be placed onto the sole of the shoe with a tethered connection to the computer?
2. Should it be a closed circuit within the shoe or should they be tethered to the computer for power/user interaction?
3. Will there be time to make the boards connect wirelessly?
4. How am I going to transform the data into music?

What is the schedule?
Electronic design (2 days)
Coding and debugging (1 day)
Processing interface design (3 days)
Molding and casting of shoe with embedded electronics (1 day)

How will it be evaluated?
The final criteria for the evaluation of my project can be as follows:
1. Do the electronics work correctly?
2. Does the design of the shoe composite with the embedded electronics come out as planned?
3. Can the processing interface recognize different gestures and reflect that in the music?

What is planned for the future?
The next step for this project is to continue experimenting with the network of circuits to make a wireless connection between the shoes and the computer. This way, the user is not restricted in movement with the shoes and is able to freely experiment with gestures and movements.