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BRIEF 13: invent and build a new interactive product. FINAL POST

An object that is beneficial to the body and mind of anyone working at a desk.

I made this robotic bird for an interactive products class. The task was to make something new and interactive.

The reason behind this project is to remind you of making short breaks from studying/gaming/work etc. By making you feel sorry for the object, or just slightly annoyed by the sounds of the servo, it makes you stretch your legs and clear your mind with some play.

he "iron man-like" shape might suggest the product is not meant for everybody. So the next step in the process would be to soften it up in the edges a bit, maybe wood, with a softer, cuter feel and look.

This arduino controlled bird has one input and one output. a photocell and a 360 degree servo. it's task is to make you aware of it's presence every 10 minutes and then at the one hour mark, signal it wants to fly by flapping its wings at a high rate. when lifted up in the air the wings starts flapping more relaxed. depending on the lighting conditions in the room the bird will act differently by various flapping speeds(for instance the Icarus mode, that activates close to extreme light like the sun or fireplace).

Here's my video trying to capture the product in use:

BIRD from Gard Hagen on Vimeo.

This is it. The end of a great semester.

#brief 13 #aho #interactive #design #servo #photocell

Code for 3 minute cycle

//V.4.2

#include <Servo.h>

//servo Servo myservo; int pos = 0;

const int sensorPin = A0; //Photocelle unsigned long previousTime = 0; //Lagrer sist oppdatering int switchState = 0; // current switch state int prevSwitchState = 0; // forrige switch state

//------------------------------------------------------

void setup(){ myservo.attach(9); //unsigned long time; //time = millis(); Serial.begin(9600); //** pinMode(sensorPin, INPUT) ; //** myservo.write(91); //delay (10000);

myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (100); myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (100); myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (100); myservo.write(91); myservo.write(91); delay (30000);

myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (100); myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (100); myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (200); myservo.write(91); myservo.write(91); delay (30000);

myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (100); myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (100); myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (300); myservo.write(91); myservo.write(91); delay (30000);

myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (100); myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (100); myservo.write(179); delay (100); myservo.write(0); delay (400); myservo.write(91); myservo.write(91); delay (30000);

}

//------------------------------------------------------

void loop(){ // part 1 - input int val = analogRead(sensorPin); Serial.println(val);

Serial.println(time); //------------------------------------------------------ // les sensoren const int sensorMin = 0; // sensor minimum const int sensorMax = 600;

int sensorReading = analogRead(A0); // photocelle mapping int range = map(sensorReading, sensorMin, sensorMax, 0, 3);

// Verdiutslag switch (range) { case 0: // bli gal Serial.println("dark"); myservo.write(179); delay (110); myservo.write(0); delay (100); break; case 1: // fly Serial.println("dim"); myservo.write(160); break; case 2: // fly Serial.println("medium"); myservo.write(170); break; case 3: // ikaros mode Serial.println("bright"); myservo.write(179); break; } delay(1); // for stabilitet

}

GETTING IT TOGETHER:

the pieces are finally coming together. The video is in post production, instructional graphic and poster is made, and it seems that only a great misfortune can get in the way of the exhibition

#brief 13

FRIDAY UPDATE:

(LONG POST)

This has been a week of failures and successes.

Let's start from the top; I bought some thin sheets of aluminium to cover up the plastic skeleton of a body, and at the same time strengthen the construction. It was a hard job to cut, because they were to thin for a saw. I was recommended to cut them with a knife. It threw me off the schedule by quite a few hours. The tail "feathers" I cut out did't turn out very well, so I cut them right off. The new much more simplistic one suits the design alot better.

I have made a stand for the bird that not only holds the bird in place, but it also toggles the reset switch as the bird is placed, and cloaking the photocell when it's placed.

As for the code, Anders couldn't figure out how to make it do what I wanted it to, so I figured out a mechanical way. It's pretty essential to the whole concept that this works so I had to find a way around it. The whole code itself has really become much simpler than it was in the beginning. Never the less, it does exactly the same as the more complicated one, only more accurate, responsive and editable than before.

What I have done to make code and mechanics work together:

I have put the 1 hour cycle code in the setup, so it only runs once. When the cycle is over the bird starts flapping it's wings like crazy, and it will do so, until the bird is lifted up so the photocell gets a little bit of light. then the wings will start flapping slower and more relaxed. You can now fly around for as long as you'd like. When you decide the flight has been sufficient, the bird is placed back on to its stand. when you slide the bird on the stand, a little switch is pressed and released. This is the reset button, that will reset the arduino, and the 1 hour cycle will start over. (I'll probably make a short video or a gif explaining how the reset function works)

#brief 13

In the last couple of days I've been working mainly on the code, and found out that the easier you make it the better it runs(at least that's true in my case). I've gotten fairly familiar with arduino code after a 15 hour session last Sunday.

I do have some problems with the code, that no one really is able to figure out. It sounds so simple, but it is so hard. I want my code to do two different things with the exact same sensor reading, only depending on the order the readings occur. (pre flight/post flight). My solution is that i build in a mechanical switch that momentarily cuts the arduinos power and reboots it. in this way, the bird will rest, and a new 1 hour cycle begins.

Today I have greatly strengthened the wing mechanism with nuts n' bolts, instead of a copper wire glued inside the bearing.

I have also made a template for which will aid me in cutting out an aluminum body, to be placed outside the "skeleton"

#brief 13

FRIDAY UPDATE:

I have made a skeleton/frame from a single sheet of plastic, to make it both durable and flexible. It had to be done ASAP for the electronics to be mounted properly. I also swapped the piezo sensor to a photo resistor. This makes it possible to continuously check if the bird is either "flying" or "resting".

I have figured out some of the essential aspects of the concept.

1. It will be placed on a small platform set on a flat surface

2. When it is turned on, it will have a cycle of 60 minutes, making small movements every 10 minutes to make it seem "alive"

3. when 60 minutes have passed, it will begin flapping its wings at a fast rate "trying to fly". The only way to make it stop is to lift it up and taking it for a flight. I aim for the user to take hourly breaks form work and stretch their legs. (Hopefully the user will feel a bit connected to the autonomous being, and actually want to help it fly.) It is a fine line between annoying and refreshing. I really hope people will find it some sort of delightful.

4. After a short flight, the bird is put back and the 60 minute cycle starts over.

TO DO LIST:

- Write and test the code.

- Making sure the code to runs smoothly into life like movements.

- Build a stand for the bird.

- Make light weight wings and a good looking exterior for the whole thing.

- build a shape for the back piece, that is instantly recognizable as a gripping surface.

- Storyboard the video and film/edit it

- Keynote presentation

#brief 13 #arduino #bird #interactive #servo

WINGS: After testing different mechanical principles i landed on the "outboard wing hinge", which only need one motor to function. I speculated if it would be better with one servo per wing, or different geared options, but this seems to work just the way I need it.

I've finally figured out what to do. I aim to make a bird that can't fly. The bird will be in your home or office, suddenly starting to flap it's wings. This means it wants to fly, so you will have to help it fly, by lifting it into the air and around. Then when you put it back down, it will be satisfied and go to rest. This will help you not forget to take breaks from working, and walk around once in a while. NEXT UP: FIGURING OUT THE MECHANICS

I'm officially stuck: After spending the last few days on something as boring as moving out of an infested apartment, I've lost track of the project. I really don't know what to do next at this point. I have limited myself to working with a 360 degree servo and a piezo, and I love the idea of my concept. The difficulty lays in what to make of it. I tried sketching out some shapes that I have had on my mind: The upside down hourglass, the flag, the plant, the cylinder, the piggy bank frog, and other strange things. I truly hope I get the spark I need to get myself together and get some good work done by tomorrow.

Doing something when you don't know what to do next: Mechanics test of a potential concept

My first successful attempt at running a 360 degree servo with a gentle swift at a piezo. This turned out to be more difficult than i ever imagined, due to the fact that i had to put two different codes into one, and tweak them accordingly. Luckily I attended Einar’s talk on how to do exactly that.

Behold: With the arduino uno you can do this AMAZING THING!

I was told to just make something and got super stuck. But soon realized this was a "great time to try out some of the stuff I wanted the main project to do." So I hooked up the piezo and servo and wrote some code that would resemble what I need. Once the "object" is placed on the table, the piezo sensor know. Then the servo is rotating about 360 degrees and stays for a couple of seconds, until it "rewinds" back to where it was. This was achieved by balancing the servo's speed and delays.

Here is the code:

SERVO & PIEZO v1.1

#include <Servo.h>

//servo

Servo myservo;

//piezo

int sensorPin =0;

int threshold = 200;

void setup(){

myservo.attach(9);

Serial.begin(9600);

}

void loop(){

int val= analogRead(sensorPin);

if (val >= threshold){

myservo.write(70);

delay(1540);

myservo.write(91);

delay(5000);

myservo.write(170);

delay(1340);

Serial.println(val);

}

else{

myservo.write(91);

Serial.println("gard");

}

#interactive products #arduino #servo #piezo #grandiosa

After a hard day of thinking, the mechanical plant concept has become more of a symbol than an object.

The Idea as of right now is an object that wants to be moved around and get attention. this is to make awareness of the surroundings in your own home.

I tested a theory on how to get the inner strain of the spring to go up at the top, and lower before the rest. this was achieved mechanically, and will allow for the strain to sprout out a flower or leaves.

#brief 13 #mechanics

materializing ideas to get a better grip of the actual sequence.

My 3 favorite concepts drawn out. I have thought of ways to make them all work, but some might be so difficult that all the time spent on the project would be on the mechanics in CAD work... so much cool can be done, and also be not too difficult to build. Let the prototyping begin!

Concept 2: Have you ever been to the zoo, standing, and watching at a presumably empty cage. Just waiting for the animal to appear, and you're not sure if the animal is even there? How about a mythical being living in your house, but you can at the most, catch a glimpse of it. With a motion detector it will know if someone is lurking nearby, and hide away behind/inside a book on the shelf. if one were to find a path outside of its vision, they could see it with their own eyes. I love how this too can make technology into something mysterious.

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