Looking for different materials to use, I decided to take a look through my fridge. There were a number of things that weren't conductive, but I found that the juice, water and milk were. Thinking about what would be possible to do with such materials, I decided the most interesting way to use them would be to vary the voltage through part of a circuit in an interesting manner. I was thinking that the user could pour different amounts of each liquid, which would change the voltage across, say, some LEDs, changing their brightness.
So, finally I came up with the idea of using milk as a switch. At first I was hoping to use a variety of liquids, but came to the conclusion that, since their resistances were variable, I would run a greater chance of blowing the LED if I did so. It would be preferable to have a constant resistance. Below is an image of the project.
The device works using three AA batteries, totalling approximately 4.5 volts accross the circuit. The three batteries were taped in such a way that their weight was distributed to prevent the toppling of the cup when it is set down. They were also placed in such a way that they don't get in the way when someone tries to use it, as seen below.
Well, the batteries are linked together, with a blue LED placed in such a way that it just barely clears the top of the cup at the negative end of the series of batteries as in the image below.
Following the LED in the circuit is a wire which goes over the top of the cup and inside it. On the other side is a wire which hangs over the edge of the cup in similar fashion. After it crosses the rim of the cup, it is connected, via another short wire, to the positive end of the series of batteries.
After a few minutes of testing it became apparent that some of the wires didn't hold together very well. Consequently, quite a bit of duct tape was used to ensure that all insulated parts of the device were firmly attached to the cup. Extra electrical tape was added to any parts that were potentially, or actually, uninsulated. Due to its stretchiness, electrical tape was also used to strongly bind all the batteries together and firmly against the cup.
Finally, the device is used simply by pouring milk into the cup. As the level of the milk rises to cover both exposed wires inside it, the circuit is completed and the LED lights. Due to the resistance of the milk, the voltage is distributed in such a way that less than 4 volts pass through the LED. The MilkMaster v1.0 could be both amusing and practical. Of course it could be somewhat entertaining in the morning to watch the LED turn on/off depending on the level of the milk, but it could also be useful if one is pouring a glass of milk in the dark (late night snack with milk?) and cannot tell how full the cup is.
I was thinking that, to extend the project, it could be interesting to add some stuff to it. Of course this "stuff" is currently too elaborate for me to implement, but it would involve a sensor to monitor the time between the cup being filled to the point when it is empty. Adding LEDs, each one lighting up for different types of liquid (determined by the resistance). Possibly Embedding the first cup in another casing of some sort to improve its aesthetic. Maybe adding a small screen displaying how full the cup is rather than simply filling it past one particular level or other similar add-ons.
I found a company that makes thermochromic plastics. They create products, but can also supply "master batches" that can be purchased and used to create custom products. I thought it might be interesting if there were a sort of panel made from these plastics. The user would touch the panel, cuasing the colour to change. Behind the panel, there would be some sort of light sensor which would detect how much of the panel had changed colour and alter the atmosphere of the room in some way or other. I was thinking maybe something along the lines of altering the pitch of a music track which would be playing in the background.
Programmable Matter -
As somebody who does a lot of 3d animation, my first thought when considering these "catoms" is the potential to create 3d animations and having a physical output of sorts. At the moment, the closest possible alternative might be to create models using rapid prototyping and animate it using animatronics, but this has a lot of limitations. Obviously there is also the idea of interactivity. One might also consider a sort of actual real-life video game. It would be quite interesting to see the extent to which this technology advances. If it does advance considerably, i feel that a life size animation in which the viewer could be a part would be incredibly fun, especially since this technology could potentially allow the user/viewer to alter its course through some sort of interaction.
Hacking Matter-
This reading is definitely more difficult to get through, on a couple levels. It is full of information, but not all pertinent and much of it is simply science, some of which isn't even explaining particularly interesting concepts. It seems like it's really written for people with at least some background with science. It's also incredibly long. The beginning is quite interesting in it's explanation of the birth of "technology". Later on, it's also interesting to read about the "carbon atoms" created by the quantum dots, but it's still... difficult to get through. I guess the most interesting idea behind the text is how scientists manage to play with matter, alter it and such, with technology.
I had a tough time coming up with an idea for this, especially with the amount of stuff i have to do these days, so I decided to come up with something simple and potentially interesting.
The idea of random (somewhat) data seems partly in line with the movement/life of a city. This may not be true about the "organization" which is brought about by local government and its subsections, but it is in terms of sound and light, in that it can be difficult to discern any patterns during any single brief period of time. This seemed obvious when I took a look at the lights of cars passing by on a street visible from my balcony. I also enjoyed the fading of these lights as they drew off into the distance. Of course, there were others which flickered rather than faded, but I didn't like their aesthetic as much. The same is true with sound. They mix, they fade, they disappear. Often they are harsher than what I am replicating, but I find that my project, even though it in no way sounds LIKE a city, is a good representation in terms of its randomness.
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I find the idea of webs of tiny computers super interesting. I recently have been fascinated by the theme of idea collection. This involves ideas as voiced by people, but also their subconscious expression. If one were able to monitor data regarding the emotional/physical state of a person as well as what they see and do, just for a couple hours a day, it could a. lead to a better understanding of the dynamics of the human population b. be an incredibly interesting source of inspiration. Of course there are also the applications which they speak of in the article, which could definitely be useful on a number of levels.
First! A link to the documentation: click me!
Now... A few thoughts. I really like the idea for the machine. It is both something that is fun as an object, interesting conceptually and to build, and useful.
I think that the statement it makes isn't as strong as it could be, in part because it was already difficult enough to make that we couldn't complicate it much more. I do, however, find that the concept is strong. It touches on the ideas behind simpler technologies. The sort that people find on cheap TV advertisements. Things that seem potentially useful, but in fact complicate life.
In terms of visuals, I think we did a good job. The idea was to build a machine that would be very "steampunk" and I believe that came out quite well.
Overall, I just really enjoyed making this machine. The maquette lab was really fun to work in and doing that much fabrication makes it even more worth it to see a working final product. I also learned a lot from the project, in terms of programming and circuitry and fabrication.