Michan Fukushima

Learning, Making, Breaking

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Digmyidea - Proof of concept

Part of my entry for the 2018 Digmyidea Design and innovation competition,

Working on an entry for the 2018 Digmyidea competition and I have decided that putting together a short process of development will be a good idea, Included is a link of my first prototype for proof of concept purposes for my idea,  More details shortly 

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I just want to drink tea, create stuff and 😴. (at Auckland, New Zealand)

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Train Time! (at Shimo-kitazawa Station)

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Auckland transport needs to step up their game #aucklandtransport #tokyo #akihabara (at 秋葉原駅 Akihabara Station)

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Views from Edo Tokyo Museum (at 東京都江戸東京博物館)

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https://soundcloud.com/michuko/michuko-tanuki

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My process of development took me through looking into the use of universal language and how using the Social robot Lexiprompucon (name I came up with for my social robot) we could create a universal language which all cultures and robots would be able to understand. This came from how I looked into the language Esperanto and how it was constructed and made easily understandable.

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My smart object made from recycled smartphones,

This was made for the Intelligent agents paper and took me a long time to put together as I needed to take apart all of the smartphones and then screw them together,

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Images of my Smart Object for Intelligent Agents made from mobile phones

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Setting up the enclosure for the tesla coil, using acrylic Perspex to create a transparent casing for the coil, this will house both the coil and inner components used in the wireless tesla exchange

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Contextual Statement: Unstable Tanuki - Michan Fukushima

Unstable Tanuki is about the trickster and how unpredictable the trickster can become, as tricksters are known for using deceptive techniques to deceive audiences through the use of energy manipulation.

My idea is derived from the late 18th century of Japan where the Tanuki (Racoon Dog) was renowned as mischievous shape-shifters haunting and possessing humans and then later on towards the 20th century being famous for promoting prosperity and fortune. The Tanuki is a trickster who doesn't behave as it should - using illusions to trick audiences turning leaves into currency to satisfy its own selfish cravings, the currency then returning to its worthless form when the trickster vacates the scene. By Soga Shōhaku 曽我蕭白 (1730 - 1781). (n.d.). Tanuki - Japanese Trickster & Spook, Originally Evil, Now Icon of Generosity & Prosperity. Retrieved November 01 2016, from http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tanuki.shtml#origins

My work embodies this deception by encouraging people to expend their own kinetic energy on the device and playing on the audiences misconceptions of how the device in the project will act when the on switch is pressed expecting a reward when pressed however left receiving nothing in return. By reducing the size of the displacement. (n.d.). CHAPTER 7. Retrieved November 01, 2016, from http://teacher.pas.rochester.edu/phy121/LectureNotes/Chapter07/Chapter7.html

Influenced by the documentary film Waking Life this opened up many paths of exploration for me. I found Waking Life vital to understanding the many forms and mediums the Trickster envelops. One of the mediums used that stood out to me was the use of portals, in my display it is setup in an enclosed walled space with walls white and empty symbolising the entry from one form of reality into another using death as a portal. Linklater, R. (Director). (n.d.). Waking life [Video file].

I met a man named Shahram whilst working who had been a shopkeeper in Iran when the war started, he had gone  from honest merchant to illegal black market dealer moving to New Zealand and became a chef, Shahram’s story felt so similar to the Tanuki I decided to listen further, After becoming a prosperous chef and working many long years he told me at one point whilst working he dropped, dead, for 20 minutes, he described what death was like to me, he told me “Death was like a white portal.” Because of this story I decided to use white as the wall color. Fukushima, M. (2016, November 01). Shahram's Story. Speech presented at Story of a shopkeeper in Eastridge Mall, Auckland City.

Shahram's Story as told to Michan

Because I had decided to look into a energy based theme. I thought it necessary to understand the ideas involved with energy manipulation and how it influences my project. Dealing with energy moving from one form to another I decided that Transmutation would be important to understand. Plainly Transmutation is the action of changing or the state of being changed into another form.(n.d.). Retrieved 2016, November 01, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmutation Transmutation. (n.d.). Retrieved 2016, November 01, from http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Te-Va/Transmutation.html  Other forms of Transmutation include Dimensional, Nuclear, Biological and Species. I decided to focus on the Nuclear because it deals with energy manipulation. Reading through Charles Darwins Journals on Transmutation discussed Biological and Species Transmutation although it was not closely related to my theme I believe it necessary to understand the meaning through multiple perspectives.(n.d.). Retrieved 2016, November 01, from http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=CUL-DAR121.- Transmutation. Today’s alchemy known as Modern Alchemy. Takes Uranium and transmutes it into valuable elements such as Plutonium, Xenon, Kryptone and Strontium these are a few of the materials however leaves behind harmful radioactive waste once the elements are acquired. This shows relation to how the Tanuki deceive people with leaves disguised as gold turning into useless waste just like radioactive waste once the Tanuki is no longer around.Modern Alchemy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 01, 2016, from http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2002/crabb/modern.html

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Had put together a finalised induction tesla coil with a fully refined coil, because the could has been fully refined this will enable me to create a wireless energy strong enough to power very low wattage light bulb sticks.

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BCT Update: I have been unable to come into class recently as I have recently been robbed having a large amount of my possessions totalling to a total of $10000, this was also including my laptop and tablet which had all of my images and data files and also my bag which had all of my notes and drawings inside have been taken. I did have the images saved on my dslr camera however the memory card has become corrupted since then, Due to these circumstances I have had to remain at home and unable to make lectures as the people who have robbed my house have returned a few times luckily with someone home, Because of the loss of data this means my future updates and blog posts will be lacking in both images and video with more emphasis on writing.

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Soldering the appropriate components needed to allow the induction transfer process to work. Using the soldering equipment I had bought from JayCar I was able to work through late at night to solder together the induction coil

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This Post is about the Conceptual Ideas of the Tanuki and how it ties into my project

Overview

The Tanuki is a Fox like trickster from Japanese folklore around the edo era of Japan (18th-19th century). They are depicted in Japanese Folklore as a Shape-shifting manipulator with mischievous tendencies and supernatural powers. Originally they were known to possess humans and haunt them and were considered symbols of bad luck. Key features of a Tanuki are its overly sized scrotum, the massive scrotum represents luck with money and have been known to use its scrotum to make gold leaf in the metal works around the 19th century. One of the main reasons the Tanuki became a renowned Japanese trickster is using its shape shifting skills to create the illusions of wealth from leaves to trick merchants out of goods, once leaving the wealth returning to its original leaf form this is the main area of focus for my project which is shape shifting illusions.

How I will embody the trickster in my work

The Tanuki was famous for using illusions and shape shifting for personal gain, I will be taking the tricksters trait of shape shifting to move one form of energy into another and create the illusion that they are getting something out of the experience when in reality they arent.

What is the Trick?

The trick I will be incorporating will be giving the participant a task which requires energy to be expended to gain a reward, however instead of gaining the reward they will be left with nothing. I will continue with this basic style of trick and build on this as the trickster was not known for any complex tricks

References:

By Soga Shōhaku 曽我蕭白 (1730 - 1781). (n.d.). Tanuki - Japanese Trickster & Spook, Originally Evil, Now Icon of Generosity & Prosperity. Retrieved September 30, 2016, from http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tanuki.shtml#origins

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During my presentation session, An important area of concern was the hazards involved in this project, as my project deals with the use of wireless energy I agreed that this was an important aspect to look at, Shown above is the use of a hazard assessment form, taken from there hazard assessment pdf on the NZ government site, to outline what could go wrong and how we can both avoid and treat the hazard if it did occur, my main concern is the wiring of the project as I predict on open night there will be lots of tampering with the project and I need to make it as tamper friendly as possible. So I will be creating an enclosure to house the wireless electronics inside. With the housing I aim to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible for potential employers and the public to see. With the voltage it is being kept at a low voltage to avoid possible electrocution, I will be keeping the voltage within a safe range 10 - 12 volts

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Here's my self made Wireless Energy Exchange module, in order to achieve a wireless exchange I will need to make a magnetic coil, where the energy can be moved from one module to another