user test 1

What I learned:

The switches were too thick and were forced encounters, therefore the material needs to be thin.

The placement was not exactly as needed to be.

I need to find a way to make a third soft circuit switch when the two exchange contact between their thighs.

I need to incorporate a better sound system so that you can actually hear the sound output.

I need to study the leg movements a bit more to understand where the placement of the accelerometer beongs…

[click to view images and video of user testing]

Joey and JoAnne’s survey results

• Name the steps that you performed/will perform in the Vienna opera ball.

There were a number of “unconventional” aka non-syllabus steps, like
many performance pieces.

no shiftin in arduino… what the truck?!

So, I am trying to get digital binary numbers from a compass sensor to read into Arduino, except there IS NO SHIFTIN FUNCTION, so I have to create my own function for this. Almost there. Today in Adv. Physical Computing, I figured out how to do this with a Piso Shift Register. SOON! I promise, SOON! I will be getting to the point where the compass sensor can talk to Max to create an interesting output.

In the meantime, enjoy the code. Use it, abuse it, live it, love it:

wearable sketches/design

I’m falling in love! Here is what it looks/sounds/feels like.

Joe’s coffee is love.

building soft circuit switches

1. I started off with the following materials to build the soft circuit switch: two strips of Conductive fabric, two pieces of felt, and shoulder pad with a hole cut in the center.

sketches

Sensor Placements

Explanations

Visual of all joints/stories represented

Materials purchased/needed for final iterations:

PHYSICAL COMPUTING COMPONENTS:
1. 3 sharp IR proximity sensors (GP2D120XJ00F)— to measure the proximity of the female dancer from the male
2. 2 compass sensors (Hitachi HM55B) — to measure the direction that the female spins
3. conductive fabric — to act as digital soft circuit switches in shoulder pad
3. 4 ply conductive thread — to act as wires that connect to the Lilypad
4. Lilypad for Arduino main board– circuit board for wearable circuitry
5. Series 1 XBee — device for wireless communication (*note:I got the one with the chip antenna, also heard this is easier than Bluetooth and XBee series 2 from Hannah of kobakant)
6. FTDI Basic breakout board 3.3 V– for USB wireless communication
7. Breakout Board for XBee Module — board for connecting pins to inputs on Lilypad

FOR PROTOTYPING:
8. rainbow wire— to act as cables
9. jumper wires (f/f)– perfect for prototyping on Arduino board

All of these materials are available at: sparkfun.com, parallax.com, and trossenrobotics.com, for fairly reasonable prices.

WEARABLE COMPONENTS FOR PROTOTYPING:
1. a shoulder pad to hack into
2. tuxedo vest
3. tuxedo penguin tail suit coat
4. ball gown
5. cardboard to size the sharp IR into its button-like form
6. cotton for stuffing the button

SANITY:
1. one jar of Nutella
2. Buenos Aires on speed dial.