Weekend Prototypes

The Personal Interaction Design Blog of Kenneth.Guglielmino

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So I finished my first iteration of the Kinect-controlled Light room.

The Idea changed a bit throughout the process but essentially, the Kinect is tracking the distance between users hands and the arduino is responding to that by turning on different light sections and creating related sound.

In January, I'll be iterating this again, adding more light control modes, changing the mapped audio, and changing the fabric on the roof.

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Currently working with 3D Depth mapping on the Kinect. That's me sticking my tongue out.

I'm also reading through Greg Borenstein's book Making Things See and it's making a world of difference. It breaks down using the Kinect with Processing and the SimpleOpenNI library.

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Today's progress:

Got all the hardware wired up in the roof. The lights are just running a simple pattern.

Now it's time to start playing with the Kinect.

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Progress so far:

-Breadboard is wired up and ready for the relays to be added in.

-Christmas lights hung up.

-Extension cords that will control each light zone have relays wired into them.

I'll post a video tomorrow.

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Materials:

240v 5a Relays

2N2222 Transistors

1N4004 Diodes

1K Resistors

Extension Cords

Christmas Lights

Arduino

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Next Project - Starlight Room

So, for my next project, I'm making an interactive starlight room.

-The roof of the gallery will be gridded out into different light sections. -An Xbox Kinect will be tracking people in the room. -The light sections will light up in relation to how people move throughout the room. -Movement will also trigger different ambient tones.

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//A video of the clock project will go here

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When a person applies pressure to the book and stool an overhead spotlight turns on, and classical music begins to play. When the person removes pressure from either of the objects, the light turns off and the classical music stops.

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CODE

/* I referenced the FSR simple testing sketch from Lady ADA

For more information see www.ladyada.net/learn/sensors/fsr.html

------------

PSUEDO CODE

------------

-Get two FSR switches reading

-When both FSR's are pressed turn on Light

-When FSR's are no longer pressed turn off light

------------

*/

int fsrPin = 5;     // the FSR and 10K pulldown are connected to a5

int fsrReading;     // the analog reading from the FSR resistor divider

int fsrPin2 = 4;     // the FSR and 10K pulldown are connected to a4

int fsrReading2;     // the analog reading from the FSR resistor divider

const int ledPin =  3; // relay is triggered which turns on lights

int x = 0; // variable we're using to set lights on/off

void setup(void) {

  // We'll send debugging information via the Serial monitor

  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); // sets lightbulb relay as output

  Serial.begin(9600);   

}

void loop(void) {

  fsrReading = analogRead(fsrPin);

  fsrReading2 = analogRead(fsrPin2);  

//  Serial.print("Analog reading = ");

//  Serial.print(fsrReading);     // the raw analog reading

     if (fsrReading > 50 && fsrReading2 > 25){

    Serial.println("ON");

    x=1; // lights on

  }

  // if both FSR's are recieving more pressure than the given numbers x=1

  else{

   x=0; //lights off

  }

     digitalWrite(ledPin, x); //

     delay(500);

      } 

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Mock up of what the circuit looks like.

The power supply on the lower left corner is symbolic of an extension cord I cut into

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Sketch Idea for the first project.

Essential goal is to have a pressure switch on the top of the podium and on top of the footstool. And when these switches are pressed an overhead spotlight turns on and classical music begins to play