Pressure Project 2: Mystery Door

For pressure project #2, Alisha and I decided to work together in order to create our mysterious door experience. We decided to use the resources of a webcam rather than a depth sensor through Isadora, as well as a projector and a MakeyMakey. It was really helpful working with another person for this project, as tech frustration is easier to manage with another person there to work through troubleshooting. 

Our initial steps towards designing an interactive experience were MakeyMakey explorations. We were interested in using pencils to draw conductive “buttons” and practiced drawing on top of images to see if that could lead us somewhere. Those first tests were interesting, and might come into my work in the future, but we ultimately decided to use those concepts to make touching the door be a trigger for our Isadora patch. 

With the goal to entice a participant into touching the doorknob, we decided we needed to design an Isadora patch (to eventually be projected onto the door) that would pull someone in. We decided to use the webcam as a sensor that would trigger a change in the projection, thinking that it would provide a sort of visual reward for coming closer to the door. So for instance, if the initial projection was a red, hypnotic swirl that then flickers into a red swirl when the webcam senses someone approaching, the hope is that a participant would feel a dopamine rush in realizing they are “supposed” to approach. This brought up some evaluations after our performance about color psychology, as sometimes the color changes felt more alarming than alluring. 

Here is a video of the looping projection:

Here is a screenshot of the patch:

The next step towards activating the MakeyMakey was compelling the participant to stand on the “ground” element before touching the door. We made a floor pad out of aluminum foil that was labeled “foot” as well as some cute cut out stars to make the aluminum foil look a little more fancy. 

The MakeyMakey alligator clips were clipped to the ground, and then also to the door. When the participant stands on the foil and then touches the door, which completes the circuit, and triggers a sound clip that plays through Isadora. Here is the patch for the MakeyMakey sound trigger:

Touching the door triggers a sound command that says “Open,” and we used some basic human psychology to time a second sound to play on a delay. We calculated that there would be about a second of time in between someone touching the handle, hearing the command “open,” and then opening the door, so after a second, Isadora played a twinkling sound that goes along with the door opening.

Here is a recording of a participant (Chad) interacting with this door.

After we presented, I noticed some things about our design. First of all, I think it would have made sense for us to find a narrower place to set-up our experience, because the projection and sensor relied pretty heavily on a certain way of entering the scene. There were also a few signs around the space that I wish we had removed, as they were confusing and gave commands that were not a part of our set-up. I also have future considerations about ambient light, because during set-up we realized that elements were cast into darkness in order to have a bright enough projector. In the future, I wonder how we might direct interaction on different parts of the install based off of light cues.

Pressure Project 2: A Magical Door in the Woods

For pressure project 2, Annelise and I collaborated on creating our magical door. From the very beginning, we both desired to work with another person due to what felt like a huge learning curve in utilizing both the MakeyMakey and a webcam as a sensor. Considering the RSVP process, I think that being able to collaborate with another person was immensely helpful as a resource. We were able to fill in each other’s understanding of the technology and have another person to balance the ideation process. Our planning and designing process felt very nonlinear—we would work on one aspect of the magical door and shift to working on another section when it became overwhelming due to the learning curve before returning to a previous section having found success with another section. 

In our very first brainstorming session, we identified wanting to make the door interactive with the MakeyMakey. However, neither of us had any previous experience using a MakeyMakey. This led us down an initial experimentation process in just figuring out how to use a MakeyMakey. We played with different ways of creating buttons on paper with alligator clips and drawing before landing on utilizing aluminum foil as the “earth” and the door handle associated with the keyboard watcher actor to create our trigger. The initial play with the MakeyMakey was the most time-consuming aspect of the pressure project.  

The photo above is reflective of what we ended up designing. Our participant (thank you Alex!) stood with their foot on a piece of foil on the ground connected to the MakeyMakey and touched the metal door handle. The body of the participant acted as the conduit for the trigger. By stepping on the foil and touching the handle, it triggered a sound in the Isadora patch, which said “open.” As seen in the photo of the patch below, this was connected to a trigger delay that played a delightful tinkling sound as the door opened. We estimated the amount of time it might take for an individual to open the door in order for the sound to play as participants opened the door.  

Shifting to the visual environment of the magic door, we wondered if there was way to entice or mesmerize a participant to come closer to the door. In our brainstorming sessions, our ideas ran the gamut from projecting eyes on the door to gaping mouths to reflecting the participant. We were not quite certain how to create those ideas in Isadora and decided to play with the webcam sensor and an appearing/disappearing shape to understand how to use the webcam as a sensor. Through using different actors such as swirl and shimmer connected to a wave generator, we were able to create a shimmery circular image that felt alluring and enticing. We designed a looping patch where the shape would change colors and textures based upon when a participant walked by the webcam. By projecting this image around the perimeter of the door, this seemed to center the handle of the door which was attached to the previously mentioned MakeyMakey.  

In the setup of our interactive design, I noticed that we relied heavily on each participant’s imagination. We set the scene for the magical door as something that appeared to an individual who was lost in the middle of the woods. This setup then allowed the participant to be surprised by opening the door and entering the hallway of Sullivant Hall. Environmentally, we chose to light the foil on the ground so that the participant could be aware of when to step on the foil. Due to the projector aimed directly at the door, we were able to see the outline of the participant as they walked closer to the door which seemed to highlight the mystery of what lied beyond the door.  

Considering the time pressure of this project, there were elements of complexity in the design that I would have loved to explore further. I would be curious how we could shift the evolving shape and color of the projection. The learning curve with the MakeyMakey consumed a huge portion of our time as it felt the newest to us and I would be very curious how, with our new knowledge, how we could integrate it further into the design.

Check-In update

My pressure project is coming along well. I’m finally able to set a vision and execute it in Isadora. The RSVP framework has been really helpful in contending with the time limits. The imposed time limit forces me to recognize how heavily I rely on the ability to overwork. With the imposed time limit, I am constantly reassessing my resources (R) and score (S) when I run into hurdles – what can I substitute or drop to expedite my process without compromising the core values (V)? I am a bit nervous about how it will present, as I haven’t yet had an opportunity to try it out in the space. I worked off of a very low fidelity model of the space and I’m hoping that it translates in the performance. I have to conserve time to come in and incorporate the on-site resources, but I really want to continue developing my idea.

I might make a branch for further development so that I can continue to build a more robust media experience (just for my own self-gratification) while honoring the 10 hour cap on my official performance. From a valuation perspective, I tend to value both rules and vision very highly branching seems like a way to allow my efforts to fully explore both.

A point for self-inspection is that I seem to value both of those things higher than my own time, which I recognize may be a severe miscalculation from the lifetime perspective. The manifest goal of this project is to become a grade in a grade book, and the return on investment for my time will reach a point of diminishing returns on that metric. There are other benefits of course. I will become a better designer through the repetitions, which is a lasting effect. I will receive the gratification of seeing my efforts translated to an immersive experience, which is cool, but ultimately ephemeral. I suppose the fact that I enjoy what I’m doing may be enough to justify the use of time, but there are probably other investments of my time that are likely to result in happiness now and in the future. I’m not going to figure it out in this blog post, but it’s well worth further investigation.

I hope everyone’s projects are coming along well.

Mirror Lake Pressure Project 1

Mirror Lake holds a rich history stretching through pre-university time. Once a sprawling body of water, the original lakebed dried due to a mishap during the construction of the sewer system. The modern lake was subsequently installed as a token reminder of the lake’s former glory.

Human development continues to intrude on the experience of visiting Mirror Lake. Noise pollution from the adjacent streets and helicopters en route to the nearby medical center render full immersion impossible. Motorized traffic from food delivery robots and occasional rule breakers on motor scooters present an annoyance that can quickly turn unsafe when met with pedestrian traffic. Rather than a quick escape from the urban environment into nature, Mirror lake provides constant reminders of the human drive to re-shape nature for commerce and efficiency.

My proposed changes address many of these issues.

Old growth trees provide canopy cover to absorb overhead noise pollution, while a hedgerow absorbs street noise and, from the basin of the lake, obscures sight lines to street traffic and the adjacent sidewalks. Removing the paved walkways in favor of natural (dirt, grass, gravel) not only allows pedestrian traffic while dissuading motorized traffic, but also stores less heat making for a more pleasant experience on hot days. Finally making use of underground tunnels for robotic delivery transit improves the speed and efficiency of these services (thereby improving the potential carrying capacity), but also provides added privacy for students and faculty whose faces can no longer be scanned during their jaunts on campus. The underground tunnels are outfitted with stickers on the ground to support navigation without the need for upward facing cameras (an additional security and privacy measure inspired by our in-class discussion).

Pressure Project I

For our first pressure project, I deeply appreciated that this was an opportunity to focus on design. As a choreographer, I have frequently regarded visual design as something deeply unknown to me. This is perhaps revealing of my narrow definition of design as so much of choreography lives within spatial design and revels in enacting movement amongst and between bodies thus producing tensions and eliciting questions for audiences.  

In considering spatial design of space, I found myself observing the common areas of the dance department particularly the green room and its close proximity to the dance studios, restrooms and the water dispenser. The water dispenser is such a deeply important aspect of the dance department—in between classes and during class break times, a line tends to gather as everyone refills their water bottles.  

As evidenced by the diagram, the water dispenser is directly across the hall from studio 370 which allows for easy access. In the visual design of the water dispenser, I noticed that I always watch the number count. There is something so deeply satisfying about seeing the numbers change and to know that your water bottle is responsible for that change.  

From this moment, I was intrigued by this form of positive reinforcement by the water dispenser and I found myself wondering how there could be other forms of positive reinforcement.  

To offer both a heroic and villainous design suggestion for the dispenser, I imagined the water dispenser as having the ability to either sing joyfully or to roast you as it fills up a water bottle. Fundamentally, the water dispenser would have the ability to sense if a water bottle was placed either from the right or left hand side of the dispenser. If a water bottle is placed from the right hand side, the dispenser would sing a joyous jingle. If a water bottle is placed from the left hand side, the dispenser would roast you for not filling up your water yet, asking if you were skipping class, or if you had met your daily water count.  

Both options offer a form of positive reinforcement where the singing or roasting offer a form of added stimuli to the action of filling up a water bottle. I wonder how this experience might linger for users of the water dispenser. Would the users sing the water dispenser jingle long after they left Sullivant Hall? Would they be terrified by the roasting and avoid ever using that particular water dispenser?  

After our group conversation and feedback, it is very clear that water dispensers are deeply important and have the potential to activate strong feelings and reactions. The sensory act of drinking water activates a shift in awareness in our corporeal bodies and I find myself curious how that experience can become even more sensorial through the inclusion of various sounds in a water dispenser.  

Pressure Project 1

Self-checkout is a machine that allows customers to complete their own transactions. Multiple people can checkout at once in a given area. There are typically lights to indicate if a self-checkout machine is free or a worker may direct customers to the next available machine.

With staff (red) and customers (blue) using multiple available self-checkout machines, it can be difficult to navigate through the area. Customers may not be able to see the available self-checkout machines, know which machine takes cash, or be able to maneuver through the crowd.

A designated number should be given to each self-checkout machine so that once a machine becomes available and the light turns green, the number and whether or not it takes cash should be announced. An announcement will allow for less confusion, and people will not have to reenter the line or wait in the middle of the self-checkout area if the machine they went to doesn’t accept cash.   

Example 1: “Self-checkout machine 7 is available for card only.”

Example 2: “Self-checkout machine 3 is available for cash and card payments.”

makey makey

Cool Makey Makey Idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN0bNBUGHJA

Pressure Project 1

For my pressure project 1, I chose to do the automatic door system at Kroger because it’s a familiar and accessible technology that me and many other people interact with daily. I have been working at the Deli for around 3 years and that gives me a unique perspective on how people use the doors. The view from where I work allows me to see people walking in and out of the automatic doors.

The ideas that I had for a heroic intervention was to have a button that someone could hold that would keep the door open for longer periods of time and allow disabled people to enter and exit more easily. You could also have a motion sensor with a camera that can detect whether or not a person is disabled. Another idea could be that there is a remote operator where the person with a remote can keep the doors open longer from a further distance, similar to the button method.

If I were to choose the villainous route, it would basically be all of the heroic ideas but the opposite. For instance, the button in this case would instead keep the doors closed and not let people in or even make the doors close on people. The motion sensor in this scenario would not let disabled people in and the remote operator would close the doors from a further distance.

Makey Makey Idea