V1

Electronic textiles have many possible applications, but in order to create them, it is important to know a bit about textile construction.  I intend to teach the skills of basic knitting and crochet.  Knitting and crochet are two techniques that allow the maker to use as little as one single continuous thread to create a project.  This property presents many options for signal transmission and the incorporation of sensors or other devices.  Currently, electronic textiles are in use in the fashion and art worlds, but research is being done into their use for military applications, medical use and personal electronics.  In the past, I have done many traditional knit and crochet projects, as well as some wire crochet and a few experiments using electroluminescent wire, and I hope to pass these skills on to the class.
I intend to begin by teaching crochet, because it is simpler than knitting, and it is much easier to crochet wire than to knit it.  This type of skill is learned hands-on, so I’m hoping to hand out materials and allow everyone to follow along with either a video or a real-time projection of the demonstration.  I’ll also hand out either photos or diagrams showing the techniques for later reference.  Knitting seems to offer more options of stitch types, thread patterns and greater control over the gauge of stitches than crochet so, if time allows, I’ll also give a brief demonstration of basic knitting techniques.
For the one-week assignment, I want to give the class the opportunity to choose a small project.  I’ll collect a few patterns from my books and on-line resources and determine the number of stitches involved so that everyone will have a rough idea of how much time each pattern will take.  Then the following week we can look over the results and discuss any possibilities that came to mind based on the project.
Wearable electronic textiles offer many options for the future, and It’s my hope that knowledge of basic textile construction techniques will add another tool to everyone’s repertoire and expand the possibilities for their projects in the future.

 

V2

Electronic textiles have many possible applications, but in order to create them, it is important to know a bit about textile construction.  I intend to teach knitting and crochet because these techniques allow the maker to use as little as one continuous thread to create a project.  A continuous thread presents many options for signal transmission and the incorporation of sensors or other devices.  Currently, electronic textiles are in use in the fashion and art worlds, and research is being done into their use for military applications, medical use, and personal electronics.  In the past, I have created traditional knit and crochet projects, wire crochet and experiments using electroluminescent wire.  I hope to pass these skills on to the class.
I will begin by teaching crochet.  It is simpler than knitting, and it is much easier to crochet wire.  This skill is learned hands-on, so I will distribute materials and everyone will follow along with the demonstration.  Photos or diagrams showing the techniques will be useful for later reference.  Knitting offers more options of stitch types, thread patterns, and gauge control, than crochet so, if time allows, I’ll also give a demonstration of knitting techniques.
For the one-week assignment, the class will choose a small project.  I’ll provide patterns and a time estimate for each pattern.  The following week we will look over the results and discuss any them.
Wearable electronic textiles offer possibilities for the future.  It’s my hope that knowledge of textile construction techniques will expand the possibilities for their future work.

Original

My Freshman year in high school I started a small one month project to create a wearable costume based off of the popular Halo video game character, Master Chief. Little did I know at the time but, that small weekend project would end up growing into a four year venture consuming much if not all of my free time. Originally, the design only involved simple materials such as; cardboard, hot glue and, spray paint. After completing the first costume however, I became almost addicted to the process of building, and the satisfaction of seeing the final product come out of my sketches and into the real world. I soon began some research on the Internet, investigating professional costume and prop design. On one such occasion I stumbled across Weta, a New Zealand based special effects company known for its work on the sets of notable films such as Lord of the Rings and District 9. Inspired by their work, I began to read through DIY websites and watch countless instructional videos detailing certain materials and processes used by such professionals in the special effects industry. Once I’d experimented with several materials such as fiberglass and foam core, I eventually settled on my favorite, roto-casted polyurethane plastic. This sometimes complicated process has three main steps. The first is to sculpt your part, or original, out of oil based clay, then coat the original in silicone rubber to form the mold. Finally, the original is removed from the mold leaving a negative that two parts of liquid plastic are poured into and allowed to cure. Once the plastic has cured you can remove it, this final plastic part is known as a cast. Over the course of the next few years I built a new version of the original project, and am still in the process of updating all of the fiberglass parts to plastic ones.

(word count: 315)

Edited Version

In high school I started a small one month project to create a wearable costume based off of the video game character, Master Chief. I didn’t know it at the time but, that small weekend project would grow into a four year venture consuming all of my free time. The original design involved simple materials; cardboard, hot glue and spray paint. After completing the first costume I became addicted to the process of building and the satisfaction of seeing the final product out of my sketches and in the real world. I soon began researching professional costume and prop design, reading through DIY websites and watching countless instructional videos detailing materials and processes used by special effect professionals. Once I’d experimented with several materials such as fiberglass and foam core, I settled on my favorite, roto-casted plastic. This material has three main steps. First is to sculpt your part, or original, out of oil clay, then coat the original in silicone rubber to form a mold. Finally, the original is removed from the mold leaving a negative that liquid plastic is poured and allowed to cure in. Once the plastic has cured it is removed, this plastic part is known as a cast. Over the course of the next few years I built a new version of the original project, and am still in the process of updating the fiberglass parts into plastic ones.

(word count 234)

Rewrite (190 Words)

This idea was originally was spawned during a MTI ideas session. It originally described “rocks” that could sense each other’s position and communicate with the user through LEDs. It idea was quickly abandoned due to the difficulty of sensing each “rocks” position. I intend to build upon this idea to create a physical interface for mixing colors. A master node will mix colors displayed on the slave nodes. The user can then change the color mix by moving the slaves with respect to the master. A change in distance represents intensity, whereas, a change in rotation modifies the slaves color.

I intend to build a master and several slaves; approximately 3 inches in diameter and hemispherical in profile. The master will contain a wireless module, an RGB led, a microcontroller, a battery, and a large magnet. The slave will be identical to the master except, the magnet will be replaced by a magnetic orientation sensor. The wireless module will facilitate communication between the modules, as well as, distance sensing through a signal strength reading. The magnetic orientation sensor will provide rotational data by sensing the magnet inside the master node.

 

Original (228)

This idea was originally was spawned during a MTI ideas session. It originally described “rocks” that could sense each other’s position and communicate with the user through LEDs. It idea was quickly abandoned due to the difficulty of sensing each “rocks” position. I intend to build upon this idea to create a physical interface for mixing colors. Each module will be about the size of an egg and be able to sense their rotation as well as distance from each other.

I intend to build 4 modules, one master or mixer node and 3 color or slave nodes. The master will communicate with the slaves and read their color value and display the combination of all 3 slave’s colors. The master node will have an RGB led, a wireless module, a microcontroller, a small LiPo battery, and a large magnet. The salve nodes will each have an RGB led, a wireless module, a microcontroller, a small LiPo battery, and a magnetometer or compass. The master will aggregate the slave’s relative orientation through received signal strength and magnetic orientation. A user can then set each slave’s color by rotating the module and increase or decrease the colors intensity in the final mix by changing its distance with respect the master. Finally, the whole ensemble will be able to connect a computer to send its data for further interface development.

It is recommended that the average adult drink a gallon of water a day in order to maintain healthy body hydration. As an individual who is serious about their health, I am well aware that this goal is hard to achieve without consciously tracking your fluid intake throughout the day. Many health conscious individuals attempt to consume steady servings of water by drinking from disposable water bottles, therefore, allowing them to track their water consumption. This method is dangerous for the environment and produces unnecessary plastic waste. Making a water bottle that both caters to the needs of the athlete as well as to those of the environment is my ultimate design goal.

Through my quest for a satisfying bottle, I have come up with the solution of an interactive water bottle that is both reusable and motivating for the user to drink more fluids. This water bottle, called “H.i.Dr8”, has a monitor inside the bottle that tracks bottle refill, drainage and alerts the user of the amount of water he/she has left to consume for the day. This bottle will be made up entirely by plastic and will use Arduino microcontroller programing and led screens for the display panels. In addition to breaking down progress, the water bottle will have a “count-down” option which will display a timed challenge for the user to drink the contents of the bottle within that given amount of time. This “count-down” option will ensure that the individual’s drinking is paced properly throughout the day for optimal results.

By visually displaying progress on the bottle, users are able to find the reminders and encouragement they need in order to achieve their daily one-gallon goal.

 

Original (256 words):

The concept of a tracking device may conjure the image of a spy movie or police thriller in which an enemy is hunted down and successfully apprehended by the “good guy” by following a red dot on a moving map. However the development of a tracking device is a surprisingly useful tool for every-day applications. Most devices, however, are very expensive and cumbersome. They are sometimes hard to use and can be so large for many applications.

A device has been designed that simplifies the interaction between all necessary components for a tracking device. At its core, the design incorporates a GPS module, a frequency-flexible transmitter and a microcontroller for encoding the location data into a digital packet. The device is outfitted with a small form-factor lithium polymer battery pack and enclosed in a thin protective case. With all the components, the tracker is no larger in dimension than a pager.

In addition to the small form-factor, battery life is optimized by only enabling the device when it is in motion (detected by an onboard accelerometer) and only transmitting at an interval specific to the application. The tracker is frequency agile and can operate in many bands but is primarily designed for the Amateur Radio service 2 meter band on the Amateur Packet Reporting System (APRS). It also could have substantial commercial applications to track corporate vehicles and ease fleet management, monitor the position of air balloons or airplanes or even be used by consumers to track and record their own positions while running or biking.

 

Edited (187 words):

Tracking devices may conjure the image of a police thriller in which an enemy is hunted by following a red dot on a map. However, a tracking device is a useful tool for every-day use. Most devices are expensive and cumbersome. They can be hard to use and too large for certain applications.

A device has been designed that simplifies the interaction between components of a tracking device. At its core, the design incorporates a GPS module, a frequency-flexible transmitter and a microcontroller for encoding the location data into a digital packet. The device is outfitted with a small battery and enclosed in a thin case. With all the components, the tracker is no larger than a pager.

In addition its small size, battery life is optimized by only enabling the device when it is in motion and only transmitting at application-specific intervals. The tracker can operate in many frequency bands but is primarily designed for the 2 meter band. It also could have commercial applications such as tracking fleet vehicles, monitoring air balloons or even be used to track the position of a runner or cyclist.

I learned how to use Solidworks by taking a digital prototyping class here at CMU.  I have used Solidworks greatly over the past year when I studied abroad and the curriculum for some classes was based off of the use of Solidworks.  I was required to create digital models for projects and the actually create them using CNC lathes Routers and 3D printers.  I intend to teach basic use of Solidworks and how to make something to be produced.  Solidworks has a variety of applications and can be easily used by anyone with simple directions.  I intend to only teach basics because of the amount of time allotted to teach the skill.  Through exploration students will be able to navigate and discover new ways of creating forms in solidworks.  Solidworks is very much about experimentation because there is almost always more than one way to make a shape.  I believe that showing students how to navigate around the program and showing basic shapes will cause students to want to know and learn on their own how to create more complex shapes knowing how to add and subtract basic shapes.  I plan to have students create something small, but meaningful to them.  The object can be anything, but has to be a real object and cannot be just shapes.  I would recommend something simple and related to the body that can be worn such as a ring or other jewelry.   After all the files are shown the next week I will let the students decide if they want to actually fabricate the file that they have created.  All the files that have been made can be sent together to an outside 3D printing source called Shapeways, which will print all the files and send them back in approximately 3 weeks.  The cost is rather cheap and if students keep their files relatively small they will be between 3 and 5 dollars to print in white plastic.

by John Gruen

I got it down to 260 from 394…not too shabby.

 

Ver. 3

For Basic Interaction Design, we were asked to explore urban cycling and to propose a design solution involving ubiquitous computing. We began our research with surveys–one for drivers, and one for cyclists–to determine how each group perceived themselves and the other. Our results showed gaps in understanding: cyclists were fearful of drivers, while drivers were often inattentive to cyclists. Furthermore, each group indicated that negotiating space on the road was a persistent concern. We next conducted interviews with both cyclists and drivers and noticed similar patterns.

Once we completed preliminary research, we began ideation around this problem. We examined everything from heads up displays to dynamic billboards to personal RFID technology. We selected six design solutions and drew storyboards for each–one set for drivers and one set for cyclists. We used these storyboards to conduct directed needs validation sessions for users. From these sessions, we focused on one design in particular: the Dynamic Traffic Sensor System.

The DTSS utilizes multi-camera sensors with blob-detecting algorithms at high traffic intersections. These cameras ‘look’ for cyclists and activate LED signage on the boom arm of traffic posts. This solution performs on many levels (1) By integrating simple signage into the drivers visual field, the DTSS normalizes the bicycle as a road-going vehicle. (2) The DTSS sensor suite addresses privacy concerns by tracking blobs, not individuals (3) The DTSS sensors can gather data for local governments about road usage by vehicles and pedestrians. (4) The DTSS display is unobtrusive (5) the DTSS can be used to direct traffic in emergency situations.

words (260)

Ver. 2

For Basic Interaction Design, we were asked to explore urban cycling and to propose a design solution involving ubiquitous computing. We began our research with surveys–one for drivers, and one for cyclists–to determine how each group perceived the other and their own safety on the road. Our results showed clear gaps in understanding: cyclists were fearful of drivers, while drivers were often inattentive to cyclists. We next conducted interviews with both cyclists and drivers and noticed similar patterns. Furthermore, each group indicated that negotiating space on the road was a persistent concern.

Once we completed preliminary research, we began ideation around this problem. We examined everything from heads up displays to dynamic billboards to personal RFID technology. We then selected six design solutions and drew storyboards for each–one set for drivers and one set for cyclists. We used these storyboards to conduct directed interview sessions to test usability and needs validation. From these sessions we zeroed in on one design in particular: the dynamic traffic sensor system.

This system utilizes multi-camera sensors with blob detection algorithms placed at high traffic intersections. These cameras ‘look’ for cyclists and activate LED signage on the boom arm of traffic lights. This solution performed on many levels (1) By integrating simple signage into the drivers visual field, the DTSS normalizes the bicycle as a road going vehicle. (2) The DTSS sensor suite addresses expressed privacy concerns by tracking blobs, not individuals (3) The DTSS sensors can gather data for local governments about road usage by vehicles and pedestrians. (4) The DTSS display is unobtrusive (ie. a binary on/off) and can be used to direct traffic in emergency situations.

words (275)

Ver. 1

Increased interest in cycling has created a new set of challenges for urban dwellers from cyclists to drivers to pedestrians. For Basic Interaction Design, we were asked to explore the problem space of urban cycling and to propose a solution or ameliorative involving ubiquitous computing. In order to do so, we first had to understand the contours of the problem. We sent out two surveys–one for drivers, and one for cyclists–in order to determine how each group perceived the other as well as their own safety on the road. From these surveys we saw a some clear disconnects: cyclists were consistently fearful of drivers, while drivers were often inattentive to cyclists. Both groups seemed to agree that negotiating space on the road was among the most persistent trouble spots. After completing our surveys, we moved on to interview both cyclists and drivers. In our interviewing we noticed similar patterns. Furthermore, we found that many drivers complained about cyclist visibilty, while cyclists were once gained extremely concerned with their safety.

Once we completed preliminary research, we began a process of rapid ideation around the problem. We examined everything from heads up displays to dynamic billboards to personal RFID technology. We then zeroed on six possible design solutions and drew two sets of storyboards for each–one for drivers and one fro cyclists. We used these storyboards to conduct directed interview sessions with user groups to explore issues of usability, implementation and needs validation. From these sessions we zeroed in on one concept in particular: the dynamic traffic sensor system.

This system utilizes multi-camera sensor suites with simple blob detection algorithms placed at high traffic intersections. These cameras ‘look’ for cyclists and activate dynamic LED signage on the boom arm of traffic lights in order to alert drivers to the presence of a cyclist. This solution performed on many levels (1) by integrating simple signage into the drivers visual field, the DTSS normalizes the bicycle as a road going vehicle. (2) The DTSS sensor suite addresses expressed privacy concerns by only tracking blobs, not individuals (3) The DTSS sensor suite can be used to gather data for local governments/city planners about road usage by a variety of vehicles/pedestrians. (4) The DTSS led display is unobtrusive (ie. a binary on/off) but can be used to direct traffic in emergency or special situations (ambulances/funeral processions).

(words: 394)

Two years ago when I was an undergrad in Industrial Design, I had the opportunity to create an interactive machines that create an art piece from Professor Mark Baskinger’s Experimental Form class. The machines were basically little devices that move around the ground like bugs with the help of vibration motors, and they would spread paint from their reservoir to create an abstract art on the surface. A new method of creating abstract art was born at that moment, and from the experience I became more interested in how machines could replicate motor skills that were thought to be available exclusively for human beings.

Furthermore, I wondered if things could become more interesting if the interaction between the machine and myself was constantly engaging throughout the process of making art. As a matter of fact, I am definitely willing to investigate further on how people can enhance the breadth and power their actions through the use of interactive computing devices, and discover the richness that comes from experiencing a new interaction paradigm that is equally beautiful and productive at the same time.

For the project I will investigate sensory inputs as well as existing outputs that could empower human behavior. I am thinking of a device that could create artwork through interesting methods of human input, but the actual outcome may turn out different throughout the semester.

Tangible interaction systems provide virtual and physical structure. Through this prototype, we want to lead audience not only to experience storytelling through the virtual contents on the screen but also to enable communication with each other by interacting with the physical structure. For this, we conceptualized an installation that shows four individual animations related to a real world element, represented by a tree branch that can also be played such that they overlap both temporally and spatially. In this installation, we expect the branch to play the role of the mediator between virtuality and reality, connecting a real world element with our storytelling tool. Through the dead (or dying) branch, audience can see its memory of its lifetime by placing their hands on four the zones, on top of the installation. The four stories are: a girl reading a book under the tree; the growing tree with leaves; a couple of birds which meet each other on the tree and; children who play around the tree. Each is shown through shadow animation and represents the memories of the tree.

In terms of system configuration, we want the audience to connect to our experience meaningfully rather than having them appreciate the technology we used so we tried to conceal all the technical aspects of this process. To accomplish that connection, we used wireless sensors connected to a computer placed inside our kiosk and an LCD screen to display the different stories masked with a wood frame.

Original Version

The increasing rate of metropolitan growth has led to serious issues about how a city can be formalized to minimize waste and transportation costs, maximize sustainable energy and resource efficiency, and self-sufficiency while interacting with nature. We explore a general architecture system model which can be replicated in various site contexts and reacts to different physical environments. In this project, we present Micro-city: an intelligent, independent, sustainable, self-evolved, and self-sufficient living module which understands the activities and conditions inside. A divide-and-conquer concept is utilized to design the micro-city, which intends to divide large-scale urban functions into small-scale ones. Then they are reorganized into an eco-living system, making it much easier to maintain than its large-scale counterpart. It involves four basic functions of a city: leisure, working, housing, and transportation. All of them are managed by a highly evolved artificial intelligence. Each function is modeled by a perceptron in an artificial neural network. The sensor network inside every function is analyzed by a machine learning algorithm to determine its current condition. We tested the model on a Taiwan harbor city. It locates on the boundary of the tropics and subtropics in Asia. The architecture involves a vertical and horizontal water system to regulate the micro-climate, desalinates sea water for the water supply, produce oxygen and hydrogen in fuel cell, generate power by using algae, and cultivate the hydroponic vertical farm. It also has a dynamic green façade system invented to be dynamically adjusted by the data collected from the sensor networks outside and to react to the physical environment.

Edited Version

The increase growth of metropolitan has led to issues such as minimizing costs of waste and transportation and maximizing efficiency of energy and resource. In this project, we present Micro-city: an intelligent, sustainable, self-evolved, and self-sufficient architectural system model. It can be replicated in various site contexts, understand the conditions inside, and react to different physical environments. The concept in the model intends to divide large-scale urban functions into small-scale ones and reorganizes them. This makes the system easier to maintain. By using perceptrons in an artificial neural network, an artificial intelligence manages four city functions: leisure, working, housing, and transportation. A machine learning algorithm analyzes the sensor network in every function to determine its current condition. We tested the model on a Taiwan harbor city on the boundary of the tropics and subtropics in Asia. A water system in the architecture regulates the micro-climate and desalinates sea water. It also produces oxygen and hydrogen, generates power by using algae, and cultivates the hydroponic farm. A green façade system can carry plants and adjust itself dynamically according to the sensor network outside.

Edited Version 2

The increase growth of cities has led to issues such as minimizing costs of waste and transportation and maximizing efficiency of energy and the use of resources. In this project, we present Micro-city: a replicable, intelligent, sustainable, self-evolved, and self-sufficient urban model. The concept in the model divides large-scale urban functions into small-scale ones and reorganizes them. This makes the model easier to maintain. There are four functions in this model: leisure, working, housing, and transportation. We use an artificial intelligence (AI) as the brain of the model to manage these functions. The AI is an artificial neural network build by perceptrons (artificial neurons). Each perceptron represents a function or sub-function of the model. To test it, we designed a skyscraper as a micro-city on a Taiwan harbor city. It locates on the boundary of the tropics and subtropics in Asia. The building has two featured systems: a dynamic green façade system and a vertical water system. The façade system allows people to grow plants on it. It also has a physical environment sensor network on the surface of the skyscraper. A machine learning algorithm analyzes the data in the sensor network to determine its current physical environment condition. Then the façade system can adjust itself dynamically according to the analysis result. The vertical water system in the building regulates the micro-climate and desalinates sea water. It also produces oxygen and hydrogen, generates power by using algae, and cultivates the hydroponic farm.

(Thanks for Mark’s advice.)