This week was intense. With our team members all having day jobs, we had to meet at night to progress the project to be ready for test day on Saturday.
We broke the project into three parts to split up the tasks for each member to be able to work individually and then bring it together when we met up:
- Sensor Data and Led Triggers – Peggy
- Detect when a person steps on a Pressure point ( read sensors)
- Send it to second laptop with another arduino
- trigger corresponding Led
- Computer Vision and sound Triggers – Shane
- detect when and where skaters pass trigger points
- use data from the sensors
- Logic to trigger the sounds
- The physical Map and sound design – Prav
- source the materials
- prepare sound files
We met up 3 nights this week before Friday class.
Monday:
We decided to scrap the idea of using the switch plates – as values were unreliable. So after chatting to karen we decided to get Force sensitive resistors. However, the ones that came in the kit were too small. After calling little bird electronics, they only had three in stock. Thus to complete project before Saturday we could only buy 3 and borrowed 2 from karen. So in the mean time, we got the prototype working with 3 sensors. The other resource shortage was led strips, we didn’t have 5 led strips and was going to borrow. But during the waiting, we figured that we could section the led strips – so now only 3 Led strips would be required for 5 colours. we also added a feedback sound for when a trigger is stepped on
The computer vision in max was also successfully. We had a sample footage we took from visiting the skatepark and recording it from sticking a phone to the lighting pole we plan to use. The max patch could also take webcam input. However, threshold values would still need to be adjusted, and since our webcam had to be attached sideways, the trigger points would also need to be adjusted. we also ran into some difficulties in the timing and triggering the sounds.
Material were also shopped – including yoga mats for the map and pressure plate with wood. Cardboard and paper was the plan for the prototype
Wednesday:
We met with Karen for consultation. She helped us get music playing and the led battery powered. Turns out one of our Battery holders were dud. And…..we then realised that the real thing finished was due on Friday – I.e. in two days. We were under the impression that the Friday was only a test and the Saturday was a “Pilot”. Nope. We needed to cut, paint and solder everything still. And we all have day jobs so we couldn’t use the labs. Luckily Karen let us borrow soldering iron for use outside labs. Thus we had game plan to complete in 1.5 days:
Thursday:
First we met up to discuss materials needed. originally we were going to cover the whole area using the yoga mats, but we were only able to get wires at a maximum of 2m. so we made area smaller. Then after more calculations, we realised we also didn’t have enough wire, especially in multi colours. So a lot of time was spent going to Jarcar and other places to buy materials. We were told to get the solid strand to plug into arduino but after talking to other groups, we could get stranded wires and solder on jumper wires.
Then it was soldering in the Dmaf. But the it closed at 5pm and we were barely done. So then we borrowed a soldering iron from Karen and we moved to the Masters homebase. and we worked through the night:
- Soldering electronics – checking that each sensor and led works after each solder
- Max coding – to trigger sounds
- Painting the map
Friday:
We put everything together. Everything was soldered from yesterday but we needed to heat shrink so did that today. We also cleaned it up by taping wires together so it would be less tangled. And arranged the two arduinos and pcbs in a shoebox. Then Lous offered a green box instead – so now its waterproof! ish. Then we laid out the yoga mats to place our sensors and less in place. But then time for end to end test…..it was not working! No idea why so it was time to debug….getting funny values through sensors
We showed our concept to Annie from the council and she pointed out that people might step on the leds. And also checking that stepping on the maps (over the wires) is ok. We will think about that.
Saturday:
Continued trying to figure out the problem. Used a voltmeter to figure out where the soldering may have gone wrong – but we had tested it after soldering so it must have been something that maybe got moved. And finally…Louis found out our ground wire was loose. Yep that was it! So desoldered and Everything was Fine!
We had our user testing forms prepared too.
So with the electronics and hardware working we improved the software. There were some small software bugs like delay times and also played around with the sounds. Did some “stress testing” by getting people to go crazy stepping on it and different times and wave across camera. Got the tutors to have fun too =P
The pilot night got postphoned 2 weeks so for the next week, we will work on:
- Starting report
- planning user testing
- sound design
- bump in and bump out procedures
Playful Cities 