Allistar’s Projects & Portfolio

We had a special guest, Dr. Paul Pangaro, who spoke at our Thursday session on the topic of Cybernetics: He spoke bbout intelligent design and loop(s) affected by the system in which it lives. He also discussed the goals of the system and how we interact with such a system, amongst many other things. So obviously our assignment was to design something Interactive.

What is interactivity?
There have been many articles written about Interactivity from a Wikipedia entry to the AMHOOVER PRESS description. And many more… There’s online interactivity, social interactivity, physical interactivity, object interactivity. It’s a buzz word in today’s modern world.
But what does interactivity mean to me? To me interactivity is the dialog between people and or objects where there’s MAY be an unpredictable result which could manifest itself either via a computational result, physical or emotional outcome.

So what was next? I needed to design something interactive. First thought was to create something with electronics. But that was an easy copout for this project fore I have created interactive objects for this class before. For example, my badly, esthetically designed energy project.

So my challenge was to choose a medium without electronics and to incorporate the cybernetics model. I looked around and thought about paper. It’s all around us, and with a little creativity we can make it into something other than a medium to print on. What will I make? I asked myself. I remembered making models when I was a kid with paper and have seen other complicated paper models on the web.
Some models include:

All YouTube Videos:
V8 Engine made out of paper:

Gearworks:

PaperWorks: thesis clip

Those were a bit complicated, given I had to present this day. I then thought about combination locks. Combination locks required some thought and minor skill, along with patients. There my interactivity was covered. i looked at some websites for paper combination locks. not many out there but Flying Pigs website does have a downloadable example: http://www.flying-pig.co.uk/pagesv/combi.html

I wanted to have a lock different from a standard combination where you have to turn the key in specific sequences. I sketched out a few designs and then started cutting. Here’s what I came up with?

There are 6 squares with a key path cut out in different directions. The key has 5 protruding points equally spaced. The key here, no pun intended, is to space the squares effectively so that the key can go in and out without totally locking up the system. So this design was quite simple and the use of foam core - instead of paper, and push pins aloud for effective prototyping.

The next step was to seal conceal the view of the squares and have a user test.

In class some had trouble getting the key out and others made it with ease. I would have liked some design feedback but that was not the point of the class.

Going through my checklist here’s what I covered:
SYSTEM: Combination lock
GOAL: Getting the key in and/ out of the system
ACTION: Turning key right or left and pulling
SENSING: When you hit a square you know you have to turn and feel for the gaps
DIALOG: what happens if you it’s too easy or two hard for the user.

As for the LOOP, I am not sure if I got this port in my model. Turning the key, push or pulling the key back and forth maybe part of the loop, but the system is not intelligent. It’s very passive. A more complex version would be to have a paper combination lock which randomly rests itself each-time the key escapes. I may try that in the future but for now I will attempt to build one out of wood employing a slightly more complexed system. I did accomplish my goals of making something interactive without electronics which provoked an emotional response.

Here are some more link references:

Musical combination locks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDM58ndGDV0

How combination locks are made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VguTsMYi-TA

Look forward to future blogs about my models.

So our assignment this week was to design something with space and its properties. What is it about, and how does it work… Immediately I started looking around me. The space which I am occupying with everyone else. A few minutes later I started thinking about my living space. A space which I not had the comfort of enjoying since September due to battles with my room-mate. I started getting upset because one’s living space should be your sanctuary. I spend too much time in school and my lack of comfortable living space is increasingly affecting my everyday life. Especially my performance at school!

After snapping out of that mood I walked around the ITP floor and started listening to our space. I started paying attention to the different spatial segments - classrooms, lounge, Japanese room, computer lab, etc… I matched the moments of activity during the let out of classes and the sounds of chatter and foosball challenges. I walked around with a digital recorder and headphones and recorded those moments. . Thinking of what this space lacked - a quiet room where one can get lost for an hour or two during those active times - I wanted to construct a model of a space within ITP where I can get lost without the effect of the life outside that space. So my plan was to incorporate the sounds I recorded and have people listen to the spaces, see if it evoked any feelings with depth. But of course during that the constraint I changed that idea. As with many I have presented. Needless to say I did not save it onto my computer. Will follow-up

My next step still involved the creation of a spatial model but to show different spaces within that space. Sort of like a 3 dimensional viewer I guess. I started with this pentagon shape. It’s been one of my theme for this class - pentagon . Within this pentagon there would live six spaces, five on the outer sides and one in the center. The next task was what spaces am I going to represent in those spaces! My first instincts were to build miniature scenes sort similar to what I did for another class.

But that would have been too much work.

Then I decided on panoramic - like images. With Panorama you would see a much wider unbroken view of a scene, object, etc… So I went on the search for images of different scenes. I myself have taken many panoramas in the past, but they did not work for this project. So thank you for the web.

Where’s are the images I chose:

Forest:

Car Interior:

Staring at each other:

Burningman Pano:

Alleyway:

Next task was to place these pictures of spaces within the space. Would that affect how the viewer would view the inner spaces within the outer space? Also, would it evoke a feeling? For me space, or lack there-of, does evoke or provoke.

A little background about me:
Growing up in the Trinidad I was exposed to alot of space both inside and outside. I had my own room and my home was large with many rooms. We even had enough outside space for cars. Coming to NYC I was confronted with a lack of space. But my desire for space around me, peaceful space haunts me daily.

Upon finishing the construction of the model this is what I came up with. The last space represents personal space where the view has to peak into. Sort of invading ones privacy. Unfortunately I was unable to have the model ready for the class so that I can note the feedback of the viewers. I do believe that I the space would have brought about some thoughtful discussions if I met the time conditions. Despina, the professor did view the space and I think she got the concept.

See the space in use with the help of Amanda:

Here are some other spaces and spatial concepts I researched online:

MIT Corridors:
http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/4/4.155b/f04/imagegallery/smith/smith1.html

Art on Paper:
http://www.sydneyartonpaperfair.com.au/SAPF2005/fresh.php

Personal Spaces 2: The Caseroom Press
http://www.the-case.co.uk/Personal_Spaces2.html

Jesse Mathes:
http://www.jessemathes.com/personalspace.htm

Sonic Chair:
http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2007/07/03/sonic_chair_aco.html

Second Life:
http://secondlife.com/

A bit controversial but it’s about space to build:

Greek Forest Fires:
http://kosmyryk.typepad.com/wu_wei/life_in_greece/index.html