June 2nd, 2010 - Initial Tests With Arduino
Here are some initial tests made during a Beginners Arduino Workshop run by Tinker London at Space Studios in Hackney. I’ve started off looking at various sensors and actuators using the Arduino and a programming language called Processing. The linked videos show experiments with few different possibilities but I culminated the session in a proof of concept for an interactive projection which uses the Processing language to change the image on the screen based on whether or not information from a light sensor suggests a shadow has fallen on to the projection.
I’m not entirely sure yet exactly what the next stages will be but I’m quite keen to get the projection set up in a more considered environment. This is a bit of a tangent from the initial proposal but I’m really just exploring possibilities at the moment…
Alex (June 3rd, 2010 at 2:10 pm)
Lovely shiny website…!
res001 (June 7th, 2010 at 6:24 pm)
cheers mate :)
Pau (June 7th, 2010 at 8:43 am)
Hi, Annabeth
The tests with Arduino look great. I see that you are using a light sensor for the interaction and I wonder how do you plan the environment to be in terms of lighting. In the video, you have tested an indoors projection (in front of window), but in the street it may only be visible at night. In that case you may have to set the sensor to react to a light source rather than a shadow. In that case, I think it may be interesting to place the sensor where it can be triggered by the light of passing cars, what do you think?
res001 (June 7th, 2010 at 6:24 pm)
Hi Pau, External projection would certainly be a long term goal for this body of work, however I think at the moment I am working towards internal environments in the form of installations. I am hoping to continue development so that the light sensor is actually within the beam of the projector so that it is self-activating, if that makes sense, so that when a shadow falls on the projection the image is changed. I do like the idea of the passing car head lights, though I would also look make it accessible to pedestrians too, so perhaps in some areas it could be in response to street lights or areas where public external lighting (in squares etc) might cause shadows. I really need to look into facilitating outdoor projection but I think I might need some funding for that, or at least the loan of a generator – as I said I’m expecting that to come along in the next stages as it were, maybe as a background for interaction after I have developed some objects… Thanks again for your thoughts!