Project Brief:
Rapidly prototype an interactive light with a creative lo-fi form and lo-fi input.
Timeline:
2 weeks-Feb 2020
Role:
Prototyping, Industrial Design /Teammate: Winnie Chen
Learning goals
- Gain experience creating a physical computing prototype
- Learn and apply basic circuit concepts (circuit design, voltage, current, resistance, electronic components).
- Learn and apply basic physical computing concepts (input/output)
- Learn and apply specific physical computing tools such as multimeters and the Arduino platform
Early Design Artifact
We wanted to create a small version of the LED matrix so that we are able to control each light individually through arduino. Matrix has a lot of potential to be paired with different sensors to create endless possible range of effects
Light box fabrication
We created laser cutting files in illustrator and created dividers for the box to channel the lights. The top cap consists of 9 ping pong balls sliced in half to diffuse the lights.
Connecting + Debugging
We snipped 9 LED lights individually, mounted 9 individual strips to the base, drilled 4 holes next to the ground (5 volts, data in, and data out), then stripped the insulation off.
Distance Sensor
We used the distance sensor to control if someone is close by the light and it will change to the color of his/her preference. When the person is not in the range, the light will be in its default state.
Final Prototype
We presented Interactive RGB circuit, Lo-fi input, and Lo-fi enclosure to the Prototyping Class and the teaching staff.
Thank you!
View code on Github by my talented teammate, Winnie Chen (She's the best!)
