GMU:Sensor Hacklab/Rachel Smith

Project Overview

In this course I wanted to develop an interactive object for use with the performance platform, the idea being that the tracking system would sense human movement and send this data to the object which, in turn, would respond. Eventually, I want to build a wall/curtain structure which will hang in between two people and act as a medium of communication. I am particularly interested in the small and subconscious movements made by humans while interacting and will concentrate on eye gaze as my sensory input.

The wall will be made up of units, each an origami structure with the ability to move individually in response to the eye movements of the interactors. In this course I have experimented with various ways of achieving this movement and also with various sensory inputs.

Outline of installation in performance platform (12 cameras surrounding for tracking) One continuous origami structure

Units of origami

Link to main project

Technical Implementation

For the sensor I have used an eye tracking processing sketch, developed in a previous course and tweaked it to send messages to arduino when your eyes hit certain targets on the screen. Each target sets off a different motor. The communication between the two programmes works using the serial port.

Link to video of eye tracking programme

*Link to processing code 

*Link to Arduino code 

As an alternative sensor, I also made a spaghetti sensor by using the variable resistance inherent in cooked spaghetti as part of a voltage divider. Attached to an analogue Arduino input, I was able to get a motor to respond to my hand moving around in the bowl.

[video here]

I then used the spaghetti sensor in another project [see here], using OSC to send these analogue signals to max msp and Unity.

Protoyping Experiments

spaghetti muscle wire motors

Experimenting with spaghetti as a sensor using variable resistance in a voltage divider circuit to send values to the arduino analogue input pin.

Here is an experiment with 'Muscle Wire' which shrinks when certain currents are applied. I tried sewing it into the paper to see what kinds of movement could happen. It resulted in subtle, slow movements which were too slight for this project so I looked again at servo motors.