Arduino

The Arduino platform lies somewhere between Technic Lego and the low level geek world of circuit building. It consists of two parts; the hardware and the software, and with these you can build almost anything, from a simple flashing light to a box of tricks that sends you a Twitter message when your houseplants get thirsty.

Our home computers are great at communicating with other computers and (sometimes) with us, but they have no idea what is going on in the world around them. Arduino, on the other hand, is made to be hooked up to sensors which feed it physical information. These can be as simple as pressing a button, or as complex as using ultrasound to detect distance, or in the above example, monitoring the current flowing between two nails in soil: when the soil gets dry, the current drops and the Arduino carries out instructions: In this case it talks to a Zigbee internet-connected radio and posts a Twitter message, but you could just as easily have it talk to a robot which would water the plant for you.

So the Arduino is essentially a simple computer with eyes and ears. Why is it so popular? Because the hardware is cheap, it’s easy to program and there is a huge web community, which means that beginners can find help and download myriad programs for the board.

To start, you need to buy an Arduino. It comes pre-assembled or, for those handy with a soldering iron, in kit form. A fully assembled Diecimila board from the excellent Make costs just $35. The bare-bones, DIY kit is $20 and if you’re feeling fancy, there is a Bluetooth model, which never needs to be hooked up to a computer and can even be controlled by a cellphone.

Now it’s time to have some fun. Download the open-source software from the Arduino site. It runs in Java on Mac OS X, Windows and Linux, and comes pre-loaded with example programs, or “Sketches” . Unless you’re experienced in programming in the Wiring language, on which the Arduino language is based, you’ll want to start with the included examples, which are in the Sketchbook. Then, you simply hook up your Arduino via the USB port. Your code is compiled and sent to the board and it’s ready to go.

Once you get bored of flashing a single, lone LED, you can graduate to the community Playground, where you will find all kinds of advice and code snippets. Here is where you will learn to make the drum machine in the video below, or hook up your new toy to your computer to control it, via Flash or a handful of other software with which the Arduino will happily talk. Off you go! Build a cat feeder or a hack your coffee machine to wake you up with a hot cup of java. Me? I’m off to Ebay to bid on an old DeLorean and a Flux Capacitor.

Source from http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/04/just-what-is-an/

Arduino

So this is a tutorial to teach you how to use potentiometer and servos to combine with arduino, and using some simple codes on arduino, you are able to make the servo rotate in any direction you want. I didn't use arduino on my fyp, but from what i've learnt from my classmates like eugene, diyanah and terry, what they did was using arduino and it's program to do what they want for their concept like terry he uses it as a touch sensor, how he did it was giving informations to the pins and it will transfer to Processing on the computer and finally onto MaxMSP to get the effects he wants. Same goes to diyanah but what she did was using tilt switch and when she lies down the mercury in the tube will go to the direction to switch off the power and when she wokes up it will tilt to the approprate direction and turn on the power to activate the functions she has created in her arduino.

Minority Report OS

http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/14/oblongs-g-speak-the-minority-report-os-brought-to-life/

I saw this article on ucdwiki which was posted by YOU! YES YOU! To be honest i'm really amazed by what they've done, it's simply amazing. This project really made a big step to a more digital world. Which i think there's good and bad, but that's only what i think and the rest can decide.

The good thing is they are able to create such a smart computer interface which are going to be a good use to a lot of designer in the future like us the interactive design students, 3D animators and many more. Wouldn't it be great if you are able to experience designing a web interface or do codings for it by using both your hands? Or even creating a 3D figures, that's going to be really fun for us and really interactive because it's something new and have an experience as if your touching it and create a closer feeling to your work. Isn't that great? So, i will take my hats off for that

The bad part is, we don't need it now, like what you said, people are still not able to accept this as it's too expensive and people are still used to what they are doing now. But i strongly believe in the future people are definitely going to accept it. After all, we are living in a world which is changing all the time, and eventually we are going to step into an evolution of technology if more of this kind of technology is introduced to people. And when that happens our daily lifestyle are going to change rapidly and we will highly rely on technologies and forget our natural instinct of doing things, infact new instincts will be created, but is it a good thing? For me personally is not, if we rely so much on this kind of technology we will get lazy, because too much of anything is not good, and after all we are just human beings, we follow our desire.

Spoon Instrument

This is another interesting one, by using the frequency of the sounds to create different force for the spoon to hit the box and create a more interesting piece of music, i know i have post quite a few interactive things regarding sound. That's because personally i think that sound is always around us where ever we go, and also something we neglect all the time, infact all the things around us are able to create nice music like water.

Omfalos

This is another interactive sound sculpture that is displayed in the park, personally i felt that all these sculpture didn't make the place better but it also stir up people's interest and create conversations. So i think it's not just simply a sculpture that create sound but a sculpture that the artist had put alot of efforts and thoughts to it, also it will not let people lose their natural ability to communicate but creates more communications.

music of the water

Personally i really really love this project, because they simply use concept of the instrument organs and combining it with water to create such beautiful sound, HOW COOL IS THAT?! Displaying this at the park will be great you won't just put a smile on people's faces, You also create a very peaceful environment by using the music of natures and the sound it makes sound great and make people feel good.

This sculpture seems to have such a deep meaning you would like to ask the artist why did he or she created this. It's so poetic, and it's good to display this on places of our daily mundane lifestyles, it changes people's life and put some taste to it.

The singing tree

I think this is a pretty good one, because the place where they put this sculpture is actually a place where people died long time ago, and it's creating sound that sound like ghost weeping, which is kind of scary and creates the right mood.

compared to my later posts music of the water and omfalos which creates beautiful sounds and make the park more interesting and beautiful, this is another kind of mood that will attract audience too, especially people who likes this kind of eerie moments.