Will
Dan
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Reflection of the Development Process
Challenges:
The main difficulties that my team was faced with were:
1) Figuring out a design that would stress tangibility while maintaining a robust structure that was not too hard to construct.
[Solution: We settled on a removable window screen that I took apart and reconstructed, using the metal sliders embedded on the screen to mount the magnetic sliders and using plastic instead of the screen that came on the physical structure]
2) Finding a way to show the waveform on the surface of the physical system and being able to manipulate it in real-time.
[Solution: We used a projector to show the wave and top codes to connect the lines of the wave and a webcam to capture the top codes. The wave forms queued samples of the waves, played in quicktime]
3) Finding materials that would hold the sliders in place, while holding them close to the underside of the plastic.
[Solution: I used popsicle sticks and then mounted the magnetic strips on top of them. I also added plastic feet to the bottom of the system since it helps the sliders move easier. Then I mounted another piece of plastic under the sliders. This works for now but the piece of plastic has to be pushed upward as it droops down like the sliders]
4) Getting the top codes to be recognized by the projector.
[Solution: We mounted the top codes on foam and made them larger. We also gave the top codes a gray border. This also eliminated shadows that might be cast by a top code mounted on a taller piece of plastic like a bobbin]
Improvements:
1) Using heavier, more fixed materials when making the sliders.
2) Using the current prototype as a model in order to aid building a similar system that would be more robust and visually appealing.
3) Figuring out a way to make any waveform in the system as opposed to having a limited array of pre-recorded samples. Possible solution would be to use a program like Sound Flower in order to interface the Java program with Max/MSP which can produce different wave forms of different frequencies and amplitudes in real-time.
4) The visual feedback would more accurately show the nature of the wave eg. the position of the top codes would be directly linked the calculated frequency of the wave.
5) Using a higher resolution camera in order to recognize the top codes faster.
TUIML Modeling
A) 3
B) 4
C) 4
D) 4
E) It did not take us very long to specify the final design using TUIML
F) The TUIML modeling helped us get a better idea of how the system was going to work before beginning to implement it, and it helped other people start to think visually about the project.
G) There were not any aspects that we could not describe in the TUIML
H) I would improve the TUIML by changing the presentation. In an ideal world the TUIML would exist as a program that would allow users to construct their system virtually by using pre-established models and dimensions. This would allow the user to understand the connection between the TUIML and the system easily.
Team Work Process
1) The main tasks that were performed by the team were programming in java, building the prototype, and getting the top codes to interface with another application like Quicktime in order to play the sound samples.
2) The programming and sampling was split between two of us while one of us concentrated on building the physical prototype.
3) We started by building the physical prototype. Once a general design was decided upon, the code was written and tested along with the prototype during each phase of construction.
4) The code was tested along with the physical prototype whenever a change was made in the former or the latter.
5) Testing was conducted whenever one part of the code was complete and testing for the physical prototype was done as the design became more finalized.
6) The final project was certainly a deviation from the ideas that we originally had simply because the original design was too complex. When we simplified the interface and decided to concentrate more on the position and projection of the wave our ideas became more solid and apparent.
7) In order to prove the team dynamics I would have had more physical group meetings. We discussed ideas and progress over the internet, but this seemed too impersonal and sometimes some ideas would be misinterpreted. But overall I'm happy with how everything turned out.
The main difficulties that my team was faced with were:
1) Figuring out a design that would stress tangibility while maintaining a robust structure that was not too hard to construct.
[Solution: We settled on a removable window screen that I took apart and reconstructed, using the metal sliders embedded on the screen to mount the magnetic sliders and using plastic instead of the screen that came on the physical structure]
2) Finding a way to show the waveform on the surface of the physical system and being able to manipulate it in real-time.
[Solution: We used a projector to show the wave and top codes to connect the lines of the wave and a webcam to capture the top codes. The wave forms queued samples of the waves, played in quicktime]
3) Finding materials that would hold the sliders in place, while holding them close to the underside of the plastic.
[Solution: I used popsicle sticks and then mounted the magnetic strips on top of them. I also added plastic feet to the bottom of the system since it helps the sliders move easier. Then I mounted another piece of plastic under the sliders. This works for now but the piece of plastic has to be pushed upward as it droops down like the sliders]
4) Getting the top codes to be recognized by the projector.
[Solution: We mounted the top codes on foam and made them larger. We also gave the top codes a gray border. This also eliminated shadows that might be cast by a top code mounted on a taller piece of plastic like a bobbin]
Improvements:
1) Using heavier, more fixed materials when making the sliders.
2) Using the current prototype as a model in order to aid building a similar system that would be more robust and visually appealing.
3) Figuring out a way to make any waveform in the system as opposed to having a limited array of pre-recorded samples. Possible solution would be to use a program like Sound Flower in order to interface the Java program with Max/MSP which can produce different wave forms of different frequencies and amplitudes in real-time.
4) The visual feedback would more accurately show the nature of the wave eg. the position of the top codes would be directly linked the calculated frequency of the wave.
5) Using a higher resolution camera in order to recognize the top codes faster.
TUIML Modeling
A) 3
B) 4
C) 4
D) 4
E) It did not take us very long to specify the final design using TUIML
F) The TUIML modeling helped us get a better idea of how the system was going to work before beginning to implement it, and it helped other people start to think visually about the project.
G) There were not any aspects that we could not describe in the TUIML
H) I would improve the TUIML by changing the presentation. In an ideal world the TUIML would exist as a program that would allow users to construct their system virtually by using pre-established models and dimensions. This would allow the user to understand the connection between the TUIML and the system easily.
Team Work Process
1) The main tasks that were performed by the team were programming in java, building the prototype, and getting the top codes to interface with another application like Quicktime in order to play the sound samples.
2) The programming and sampling was split between two of us while one of us concentrated on building the physical prototype.
3) We started by building the physical prototype. Once a general design was decided upon, the code was written and tested along with the prototype during each phase of construction.
4) The code was tested along with the physical prototype whenever a change was made in the former or the latter.
5) Testing was conducted whenever one part of the code was complete and testing for the physical prototype was done as the design became more finalized.
6) The final project was certainly a deviation from the ideas that we originally had simply because the original design was too complex. When we simplified the interface and decided to concentrate more on the position and projection of the wave our ideas became more solid and apparent.
7) In order to prove the team dynamics I would have had more physical group meetings. We discussed ideas and progress over the internet, but this seemed too impersonal and sometimes some ideas would be misinterpreted. But overall I'm happy with how everything turned out.
Demo
Today we are presenting the demo of our TUI and I just wanted to say a few things about the design process and how it could have been made better. I am pretty happy with how the physical part of the system turned out, it functions and looks somewhat appealing to the eye. However, if given more time and if I was able to afford better resources I would use the current system as a model for a more robust version of the system:
1) The sliders work and they connect with the magnets, but they have a tendency to droop a little due to their weight. I tried to rectify this by gluing another sheet of plastic under the main screen, however, that piece of plastic also droops. For the demo I'm placing some wood under the plastic so that it can prevent the sliders from drooping.
2) In an improved version of this system I would make the part of the sliders attached to the track longer and heavier so that they can more steadily hold the magnets in place.
3) Instead of using the small sheets of metal on the track I would use wheels so that the sliders can move more smoothly.
4) I would make sure that the overall presentation of the system would be more visually appealing by adding colors.
5) I would construct fixed parts in order to avoid using multiple parts and lots of glue. This would make the system more visually appealing and I would not have to worry about waiting for glue to dry prior to testing the functionality of the parts.
1) The sliders work and they connect with the magnets, but they have a tendency to droop a little due to their weight. I tried to rectify this by gluing another sheet of plastic under the main screen, however, that piece of plastic also droops. For the demo I'm placing some wood under the plastic so that it can prevent the sliders from drooping.
2) In an improved version of this system I would make the part of the sliders attached to the track longer and heavier so that they can more steadily hold the magnets in place.
3) Instead of using the small sheets of metal on the track I would use wheels so that the sliders can move more smoothly.
4) I would make sure that the overall presentation of the system would be more visually appealing by adding colors.
5) I would construct fixed parts in order to avoid using multiple parts and lots of glue. This would make the system more visually appealing and I would not have to worry about waiting for glue to dry prior to testing the functionality of the parts.
Motivation
Our motivation for creating this system was to construct an interface that would teach high school students about sound waves. Specifically, how sound waves look on a graph, how frequency and amplitude are the main components that make a wave, and how different wave forms sound different eg. triangle, square, sine, etc. The benefits of using a tangible interface are that the physical action upon the system (the users hands) provides them with real-time feedback about their actions. Hypothetically it will make it easier for a user to understand what happens when sound is manipulated in a certain way.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Our TUI's name
We had been throwing around different ideas and finally decided on WaveTouch as a name for our prototype.
Prototype sketches
Here are the original sketches that I made when we were trying to develop a prototype for our system. I weigh the pros and cons of our initial ideas and the last couple of sketches are the ones that are the closest to the design that we decided upon. I will be posting pictures of the final product soon.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Storyboard
Here I created a situation in which the wave form TUI can be implemented. This situation discusses possible reactions and approaches to using this system:
Russell Butler
7/24/07
Storyboard for Tangible Wave Form Interface
When some high school students are studying physics, it can be very hard for them to grasp certain concepts. One of the reasons for this difficulty may be the fact that students are not actively involved with these concepts. They may be able to see them, but they cannot actively touch or manipulate the information that they are provided. For example, a student may have difficulty learning about how sound waves travel through air.
When teaching the subject of sound in her class Mrs. Gibbs implemented a TUI. She explained how sound waves travel through air at a certain speed. She also explained that the nature of the sound wave is determined by the wave’s frequency and its amplitude. This concept confused some of her students so she decided to show them visually. She brought out a table that had a structure on top of it that looked like several diamonds put together. The table also had a play button and a small LED light on the surface. She moved the table under a projector that was hanging from the ceiling.
She then turned on the projector and went over to a computer. She told her students that she was going to play them what was called a sine wave, a very basic tone. She loaded a clip on the computer and went over to the table. The projector was now showing a waveform on top of the diamonds. She pressed the play button and the waveform plays over a set of speakers, the LED light also starts to blink once for every time the wave is played. She brings the kids over to the table and shows them that the vertical part of the wave is the amplitude, while the horizontal part of the wave is the frequency.
She wants to show the students how the frequency and amplitude vary so she stretches out the diamonds in order to show them what happens when a wave gets slower, she then presses the play button again and the new wave plays. She wants to show them what happens when a wave gets loud so she compresses the diamonds, hits the play button, and the new wave plays again. The kids are then encouraged to play with different parts of the diamonds in order to create different frequencies and amplitudes.
Russell Butler
7/24/07
Storyboard for Tangible Wave Form Interface
When some high school students are studying physics, it can be very hard for them to grasp certain concepts. One of the reasons for this difficulty may be the fact that students are not actively involved with these concepts. They may be able to see them, but they cannot actively touch or manipulate the information that they are provided. For example, a student may have difficulty learning about how sound waves travel through air.
When teaching the subject of sound in her class Mrs. Gibbs implemented a TUI. She explained how sound waves travel through air at a certain speed. She also explained that the nature of the sound wave is determined by the wave’s frequency and its amplitude. This concept confused some of her students so she decided to show them visually. She brought out a table that had a structure on top of it that looked like several diamonds put together. The table also had a play button and a small LED light on the surface. She moved the table under a projector that was hanging from the ceiling.
She then turned on the projector and went over to a computer. She told her students that she was going to play them what was called a sine wave, a very basic tone. She loaded a clip on the computer and went over to the table. The projector was now showing a waveform on top of the diamonds. She pressed the play button and the waveform plays over a set of speakers, the LED light also starts to blink once for every time the wave is played. She brings the kids over to the table and shows them that the vertical part of the wave is the amplitude, while the horizontal part of the wave is the frequency.
She wants to show the students how the frequency and amplitude vary so she stretches out the diamonds in order to show them what happens when a wave gets slower, she then presses the play button again and the new wave plays. She wants to show them what happens when a wave gets loud so she compresses the diamonds, hits the play button, and the new wave plays again. The kids are then encouraged to play with different parts of the diamonds in order to create different frequencies and amplitudes.
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