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March 19, 2005

Final Project Test 1

This is a java applet that tests the interaction for my final project. The next iteration will give control of the other dots to human players.

INSTRUCTIONS: Click on the applet to activate it. Use the arrow keys to move your dot. Try to tag the other dots.

NOTE: This program is nothing more than a sketch. If you manage to tag another player, he doesn't chase you. Sorry.

*****

SORRY! I'm a little paranoid about intellectual property now, so I've taken down most of the documentation.

Posted by rus200 at 05:55 PM | TrackBack

Final Project Abstract

SORRY! I'm a little paranoid about intellectual property--I've taken down most of the documentation.

Posted by rus200 at 05:35 PM | TrackBack

March 11, 2005

Midterm Documentation

IDEA:

Problem:
I often like to go to a coffee shop in my neighborhood to work. Sometimes when I arrive there is no space. Sometimes, there are
little kids running around and being noisy, which makes work
impossible.

Solution:
The least desirable chair in the café will usually be the last one
occupied. If I can check to see if the chair is occupied from home, I
will have some indication of how crowded the coffee shop is, and I
won't waste my time walking over there. Including an audio sensor on
the chair, I can get an idea of the ambient noise levels. Both these
methods are fairly non-intrusive. They relay useful information about
the café but do not really violate anyone's privacy.

PROTOTYPE:

Chair:
I used a stool from the shop. It isn't as awkward as it should be,
but for the purpose of testing the electronics and concept, it will do
just fine.

Communication:
I used an XPort combined with a PIC 18F252 for communication. The
XPort automatically logs into a JAVA-based chat server hosted on a
computer at ITP. The PIC program parses commands sent through the
chat program and relays sensor information back to the chat, all via
the XPort.

Sensing:
I had another PIC 18F252 hooked up to an audio preamp and a light
sensor. The light sensor was strapped onto the top of the chair to
sense occupancy. The preamp circuit utilizes a LM386 chip and a $3
radio-shack condenser microphone. This setup is capable of detecting
basic noise levels. I had to do a lot of coding to get an accurate
representation of the ambient noise levels in the room.

The code can be found here: Communication,
Sensing.
The preamp circuit can be found here.

Inter-PIC Communication:
One PIC handled sending and receiving commands from and to the XPort.
The other PIC analyzed information from the sensors. The sensor PIC
was constantly broadcasting its information serially. The
communication PIC would listen to the sensing PIC when it received a
request from the chat for sensor information. Getting the PICs to
talk to each other required only a few lines of code on each PIC:

On the Sensing PIC (Send):
serout2 picTx, non9600, ["P"]
serout2 picTx, non9600, [soundLevel]
serout2 picTx, non9600, [occupied]

On the Communication Pic (Receive):
SERIN2 adcPicRx, non9600, [WAIT("P"), adcPicByte, adcPicByte2]

Pictures:

1. Photocell
2. Audio preamp with microphone and PIC.
3. XPort with PIC

CONCLUSIONS:
A friend of mine thought this was a terrible business idea. I'd never
considered thinking about my project in a business sense, so his point
was interesting. My device benefits the consumer and not the coffee
shop. There is no reason for the coffee shop to purchase such a
chair. It would only keep people out of the café. My intentions with
this project were to realize an idea that would be well thought-out
and generally useful. However, I suppose that if I'm thinking in
practical terms, the next level might be to think on a business
level—apparently, looking at ideas economically can illuminate facets
that I otherwise overlook.

Posted by rus200 at 05:33 PM | TrackBack

March 09, 2005

Website Design Comps

Splash Page:

Projects Page:

Bio Page:

Posted by rus200 at 05:44 PM

March 01, 2005

Smart Homes Reading

I wonder if the complexity of these devices will require more effort from the user than they purport to save. I have an automatic coffee maker. I never use it. If I am feeling ambitious, I will prepare the coffee the night before and then I’ll turn it on manually when I get up—it only takes 2min to cook. The TMIO internet-accessible refrigerator/oven may give an extra leg-up on the logistics of cooking something that requires an awkward amount of time, say a 4-hour roast, but I am skeptical that the installation and training time required is worth the small amount of flexibility that it gives the user. In general, the technology embedded in these devices seems frivolous.

The Salton project seems to be fixing problems that don’t exist. For example, the bedside computer that updates you as to the status of your coffee machine. Also, the Salton products use Windows, which makes me wary of their usability. The only idea that impressed me in that project was the microwave that will scan the barcode of the food you are about to cook, entering in the cooking time automatically. That seems easy and straightforward—possibly useful.

Posted by rus200 at 12:11 AM