Interactions Research

Inspiration for rePLAY interactions come from contemporary DIY craft movements and the refreshing change of attitude within the current economic recession to reusing, mending and sourcing second-hand goods rather than buying new disposable items. The soft sensor designs and circuits are also inspired by wearable technologies, gadget technology hacking, traditional children’s toys and my love of crafts and the environment.

Researching contemporary crafts using yarn and conductive yarn, and conductive fabrics & conductive paints has led to the development of circuits for rePLAY that integrate the wiring plan into the physical design. The wiring becomes camouflaged as an end-user decorative feature. To develop the technology needed, I have researched the use of existing soft circuits and DIY low tech sensors in multimedia exhibitions. Along with looking into the current use of craft based interactions in post-graduate multimedia projects.

As interactions designer I will create a variety of soft circuits handmade from craft material, fabric and yarn. From a play perspective the texture of soft material seems interesting to touch and explore. I like this for rePLAY because sensors hidden in fabric are very different to everyday technology input-devices that adults use.

Sensors using conductive materials are also interesting and attractive to look at. Soft circuits are to technology, what soft furnishings are to a home; they make it more personal, warm and comfortable.

Below are examples of existing projects I found online. Click the links to view short video clips of each project in action.

(the silver yarn is conductive, touching the metal beads completes the circuit)
Crochet tilt sensor	Crochet potentiometer
http://bit.ly/fpfXuZ

conductive pompom tilt sensor http://bit.ly/adSvHo	conductive yarn inflation sensor http://bit.ly/gRJbpP

paper piano http://bit.ly/g34Cyf	knitted stretch sensor http://bit.ly/gqWSpR

Annie.

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Interactions Colour & Texture

So far these are the colours and textures put together for rePLAY interactions. There are plenty of woodland colours available this time of year ...and better still, they will soon be in the bargain baskets.

...and some sample crochet pieces I made...

Annie.

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Programming Objective

rePLAY is using the Adobe Flash platform to display a series of interactive animations, that collectively form a forest scene. The scene will be projected onto a wall in an exhibition space. The level of activity in the scene at any one time depends on the end-user. Several elements in the exhibition space will allow a user to control and launch animations. The animations, made in Adobe After Effects, will be imported to Flash and executed via ActionScript 3.0 when triggered by a physical sensor. Animations will sometimes overlap or run simultaneously.

Coding will involve if statements to make decisions based on user activity, for loops to manipulate the animations and audio, timer class code to delay animations and to run them at timed intervals, microphone activity detection and more.

Annie.

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ActionScript Microphone Activity

We followed this online tutorial today to interact with a microphone using ActionScript 2.0 and it is working fine.

Hiccup: iMac will not detect sound input from a microphone unless the mic is connected via USB. We tried using a Sennheiser mic, with a ¼" to 3.5mm jack converter, connected to the iMac's audio-out port.

The solution offered in relevant online forums is the iMic. In the meantime, for test purposes, we will use my Wii Band Hero microphone.

For this project we are using ActionScript 3.0 in Flash CS4. As a programming foundation to detect microphone activity, we will use source code from Adobe ActionScript 3.0 help files.

Annie.

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Shopping List

rePLAY will feature unique and fun handcrafted soft circuits.

These circuits are a range of designs, in fabric and yarn, custom-made to cover various types of sensors such as pressure sensors, stoke, stretch and tilt potentiometer. A microphone and a toy paper windmill will be used as sensors that a user blows into.

Designs will take the form of organic matter found in a forest environment, for example origami flowers or conductive play-dough rocks. In addition, rePLAY may have hand-drawn circuits; using paper and conductive paint.

Shopping around for ideas; we may or may not use some or all of these.

Conductive Materials

Conductive Fabric

Conductive Yarn (pictured)

Fabric Paint

Fabric Spray

Electrically Conductive Silver Paint




Components

Screw Shield (Terminal Strip) Kit for Arduino

Arduino | LilyPad Arduino


places to shop online for components and kits...

.:oomlout:., Cool Components, Technobots, SKPang Electronics


Interaction Inspiration
examples of existing soft-circuit sensors

Squishy Circuits

Circular Knit Inflation Sensor

Knitted Stretch Sensor

Conductive Pom Pom

Crochet Tilt Potentimeter

Flexible Fabric Pressure Sensor

Zip Switch / Zip Slider

Tilt Sensor


Annie.

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