NOW

Touch Gestures towards minimalism .... in reality!

Video Link: http://projects.csail.mit.edu/video/research/robo/garden-new.mp4

Our long-term goal is to develop an autonomous green house consisting of autonomous robots where pots and plants are enhanced with computation, sensing, and communication. The network of robots, pots, and plants transforms energy, water and nutrients into produce and fruits. In this type of precision agriculture system water and nutrients will be delivered locally on-demand and fruit will be harvested optimally. Plants will drive the robots' activities in the garden using sensors to monitor their local environment conditions, a plant-specific model of growth for making predictions about the state of fruit, and interaction with robots for establishing an inventory of fruit. 

A concept gardening robot!

Something to get inspired from! The MIT students in 2008.

For PlantBot Group :)

The Action Plant Runs Away from Your Touch

Dhruv Grover - 17434829

Week: 1

The first week was like a mind opener for me and everyone in the class!

Karen and Andy (Genius Duo!) showed me “What really is a HCI?” Addressing that question I found out about the space (imagined) we have between us Humans and an Interface. And to interact with each other what role it plays that affects our life!?

The process which binds us to behave with any human-computer based interface is more likely developing both ends that is the Interface and us Humans along with our capability to evolve simultaneously with each other. 

Then I looked at some case studies to explore the idea between different mediums, i.e. the different HCI’s Audio, Visual, Touch and other gestures and senses which involves activity and response.

I got introduced to the workshop activities that included prototyping stages. Paper Prototype or Throw-Away prototyping. I along with my mates built an 8-bit games prototype versions and saw the cognitive walkthrough that we developed while judging our movements towards the HCI and its responses towards us.

It’s rightly said every action has a reaction! – Isaac Newton.

Now that we had the power in our hands we also got introduced to Arduino Platform where creativity of an HCI exists and that too limitless. With the right tool and dedication anything can be achieved!

Week: 2

Too much to absorb already, but I was more than motivated and intrigued myself in this unit and where it is heading!

Understanding the Interface as one part of a complex, reflexive and relational system that is in constant evolution. I got this idea of the HCI at the very beginning whilst few were still puzzling their heads around it. Which is true because we don’t realize it! If one can think critically and analyse a subject (HCI) and deconstruct its process or behaviour, even ourselves if we look at our daily routine and how many times we use or come across a Computer Interface in day we will know? We can’t escape it can we? It’s a part of our lifestyle. What really is happening we are evolving along the way with each other’s reliability and dependency that’s the role of Affect!

And now that you are reading this, I know the gestures you are using – if it’s the phone in your hands it’s your thumb or the fingers scrolling up and down with yours eyes reacting to it which can lead you to smileJ. But the better understanding comes when and if we change the process or a system (be it any gesture) and see how one would react to it? It could beneficial or not. But because we sub-consciously adapt these technologies in our life so much to make tasks simpler – perform faster – response better and effectively that we end up getting way too attached to these interfaces that in return binds it with our emotional and sentimental values. I also believe same with the software in the digital world. Media for instance, we are most of the time captivated by it, which has been using such technologies from the very beginning and has set the biggest example of using this tool or HCI efficiently for our response in return.

From the workshop session we all were handed our tool “The Dig Beyond Gear” – Arduino Leonardo Chip, the breadboard with other electronics like wires and pins etc. and a cool tiffin box to carry it in with our name tags! Felt really good about it! One step closer towards to make the future a better place.

After learning the basics and the software module I tested out how a simple joystick works  by connecting few wires with a physical joystick HCI on to the breadboard which had the chip that directly connected to the computer helped reading the codes that implied all the movements across the screen on X and Y axis to move your mouse. Pretty stimulating to think what other gestures or an HCI could be used instead to fully perform such simple mouse functions or movements?

Week: 3

All excited to be the first one to attend the class. As we were asked to look out for the many HCI’s we come across daily in our lives, we discussed its process and our behaviour towards it. We also considered public spaces such examples like the elevators, automated doors, light sensors, credit cards, traffic lights, RFID scanners and other public-consumer goods etc.We looked critically towards hand gestures and how they can relate to a specific cultures? All these questions were coming across to me in a way to broaden my own perspective. As an Industrial Design student it’s good for me to know all this as we are tuned in a way to follow a specific culture from the very start! And somehow we programme ourselves to behave in a similar manner inside that culture or the religion we live and follow. So to design a product for that culture and the people one needs to know how end results would be.

Time for more Research and Development, we drifted towards Oculus Rift and Google glasses and discussed what worked and what made it fail. We also worked our way towards virtual reality and the needs for current social life.

A wise man said always question everything, be it the books or a theory…the more you want to know is like the more you don’t know? So I am always curious about things which are thought-provoking.

The workshop session was amazing as we created our own “range-sensor helmet” more like bases on Oculus Rift obliterating the virtual reality perspective from it. We used a cardboard box as a helmet keeping our vision shut. We used only two HCI’s for this project that is the ultra-sonic sensor and a piezo which acts like a buzzer. Together attached on Arduino Chip it helped us program a device (Helmet) more towards from blind person’s perspective to sense an oncoming wall or an object and buzz an alert. It was fun doing this project with all the mates as we had our own special versions of helmets and were left wearing them in an empty room! The results were amazing.

Week: 4

INTER-FACE: if we break this into two words (INTER) the interiority and (FACE) the exteriority this what an HCI is composed of. The visual presentation of a product and its HCI is the face but along with its complex programmed codes is the interiority. There were lot of things to consider from many examples we looked from. Talking about the Uncanny Valley, some products looks pleasing and works well so we adapt to them ‘Affectively’ some aren’t that appealing at all though the interiority of that HCI would be far more efficient in its performance but fails.

We considered audio references, the start-up themes related to Macintosh or the Windows. We looked at visual representations of communication like emoticons and the evolving emoji’s there after which led to personalised Avatars in social media or virtual reality applications and websites. We saw how face mapping works, facial recognitions and its ups and downs. The loop holes to consider in such HCI’s which can solve and come up with betters ideas for our next assignment.

For our next assignment I had to choose and existing HCI and do a critical analysis, evaluation and review. The workshop was dedicated on how to go about our first assignments, what to consider and what not to. Prototyping mediums and the best way to record them as a result.

We also got introduced to our Group Assignment called the “PlantBot” and built and affinity board to find out what we want a plant can do if we have electronics added its life.

Week: 5

Stelarc! Prosthetics and Human mechatronics. We had this workshop exclusively with the Artist Stelarc himself who discussed the cultural, social and individual implications in the field of Cyborg and its future ahead. Stelarc showed us his human machine artworks which he experiments on himself. The most bizarre use of technology! We saw his third hand and how it worked with his body movements and the mechanics behind it. Bionic arm, ear which was implanted elsewhere in his body, a prosthetic head and what not. He had his hands everywhere in the field of technology today. The future of Mechatronic human machine devices for those who are disabled and also for those who just need an extra hand at work! J It was an interesting class and a breathtaking opportunity to meet Professor Stelarc himself.

For the assignment, I worked on the emoji keyboard looked at its in depth research and evaluation, with its paper prototyping to deconstruct its process to judge its application in our daily communication.

Week: 8

After two-week break. We exercised our skills on the lowVoltage sensor. By ourselves and with the group we played around with different conductive materials and apply its use to play a key binded instrument on the computer.  Now I could make an HCI prototype using sunglasses, paper-clips, family members, toast, pets, and plants ...almost anything! Having to keep the Arduino Chip and the electronics, an 'evolutionary prototype' stage developed where we could constantly test and adjust our HCI.

We indulged more on ‘Affect’ that looked into the Artificial Intelligence.

The workshop was dedicated to the final project of this unit, to create your very own HCI! :D we looked at different ideas and discussed how to approach and achieve it.

Week: 9

Looking at Robots and what it is mainly designed for? There were many examples shows including famous toy the ‘Furby’. What affect does it have on us? Why such things are meant to react in such a way that we see our own familiarities in it and respond to machine robot as a living thing!

Workshop was held to learn how to use coding and have different HCI’s connected to one idea. To accomplish that we had to develop an iterative prototype so that we could test, adjust and retest till it finally works to our own expectations.

This project was getting more exciting than before because we had full freedom to explore and experiment different sensors or gadgets. J

Week: 10

PlantBot: Bio-Feedback, Mobility, Self-Preservation and Affect. 4 Groups one HCI. We looked into our different goals and pursued working on prototype stage for this project.  The initial idea is to make a cognitive walkthrough. For my group (Mobility) me and my friend we looked at different options to make the plant move. From wheels to chassis to speed and hold all of it together for the plant survive and comply with other groups, everything was to be taken in consideration.

The workshop session was rigged by Kevin our tech-guy! He showed us a very clever example of having steer a car using only cup of water. He used a lowVoltage sensor and connect to a cup holding water inside it. The platform he used was I believe the unreal game engine for the car and the level, it had both the mountain and racing track terrain. I believe the car was more like a cross between a monster truck and a kart. It was fun to interact with it which created an instant ‘Affect’ amongst the user. Having to balance the fluid (water) to make the car move forward–backward one had to tilt the glass in that particular way. Same for left and right turns. This was a motivating concept for us to learn from for our final projects.

For my final project I will be looking at kindergarten kids to have a toy which is used for educational purpose. It will be very interactive for them because I will be using shapes and sounds attached to them only played when one touches it! I am also thinking to use Led Lights for colourful (Face) exteriority for my HCI. I am using a lowVoltage sensor, speakers etc.

Week: 11 – 12 Currently

Think about mobility? Plantbot with super charger? ;)