Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Converting values into length values

I found this which gives accurate values and equations to convert the values into length values

http://luckylarry.co.uk/2009/11/arduino-using-a-sharp-ir-sensor-for-distance-calculation/

Sharp Ir Sensor Results

I got measuring tape and measured the distance for values using a flat book.

i got the following results

Cm Average Value
1 268
2 242
3 355
4 419
5 445
6 457
7 476
8 493
9 527
10 551
11 572
12 586
13 589
14 576
15 596
16 560
17 541
18 526
19 519
20 508
21 500
22 483
23 471
24 468
25 455
26 442
27 417
28 405
29 397
30 370
31 358
32 349
33 340
34 325
35 317
36 312
37 306
38 290
39 286
40 283
41 274
42 266
43 258
44 248
45 241


Conclusion: That there will need to be a 15cm gap as the sensor values peak at that point

I also noted that if i changed the angle of the book slightly that it would throw the value off around 20 -50 so the ir sensor reacts to changed in angle and works best at a flat surface

Friday, April 16, 2010

Sensor Value

The last couple of days i have been trying to get a value work for the sensor. i have it now picking up that there is a sensor and its reading numbers 1022, 1023,1022 etc so now i need to be able to define boundaries

The following diagram is how i set it up minus the led pin


This is teh code i have so far


const int sensorPin = 0; // pin that the sensor is attached to

// variables:
int sensorValue = 0; //stores the sensor value
int sensorMin = 1023; // minimum sensor value
int sensorMax = 0; // maximum sensor value


void setup() {
// initialize serial communication:
Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop()
{

sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin); // stores the value of the sensore pin in Sensor Value
Serial.print(sensorValue); //Prints out the Value


delay(1000);
}

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Flash and Arduino

I have decided that i will use Ping Ultrasonic Sensors through Flash for the project

Here is an example of it working together
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VgqolVKOzM&playnext_from=TL&videos=MEpyT6HHMR0&feature=rec-LGOUT-real_rn-1r-2-HM

Proximity Sensor

After deciding on proximity sensor i decided to research different possibilities and alternatives

This one way of doing it with light sensors but i think it would be too much work and not practical for the project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEfdMw3gY0M&feature=player_embedded

This was another alternative using a infrared sensor
http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Powered-Pumpkin/

The most probable and practical way is to use a ping Ultrasonic Sensor
http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Ping?from=Tutorial.UltrasoundSensor

Here is an example of it in work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZIKbuZaJSQ

There about 30 euros
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=639

Alternatively you could make one
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/02/how_to_diy_ultrasonic_rangefinder.html

Project Development

I have changed my project a bit .

The basic idea is that there are two screens at opposite sides to each other with speakers. Both of them have loop of video and audio . Basically two of them tell different stories for and against of Baudrillards idea of signs and symbols. They are both controlled by arduino proximity sensors and as the user gets closer to one screen the audio and visuals will come clearer. The basic idea is that people can choose which side of story they prefer

Monday, April 12, 2010

Project Development

My internet was down so couldn't put this up on the blog. Since this development i have found alot of flaws after discussing it with Trevor


Firstly the user would answer a series of questions about brands
Then there would be two projectors on each side of the wall projecting images about the brands and conveying two different opinions for and against

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Development in Project Idea

My concept is taken from Baudrillard's idea that they symbols and signs define people and they lost a sense of reality.

So the user would get a series of questions and asked to list certain items/symbols in order to their preference on a computer in a room.

so eg it could be the options are Nike,Adidas , Converse and Puma and they arrange it from their favorite brand to their least favorite brand.

Then this data will be processed and then images and sound would come up on the screen and the lighting would also change depending on the answers. The concept of this is the fact people define themselves by Brands and Items that it would then portray them using Sound , Light and Imagery and Text.

Magic Mirror

This is anarduino project that interacts with the user. i am thinking along similar lines that when the suer fills in the data it will get a response


http://hacknmod.com/hack/interactive-magic-mirror-arduino-project/

Basic Idea

My basic idea for the project is the following.

1.User fills in a questionaire about themselves

- Idea is maybe they choose signs and symbols to describe themselves

2. This is put into a database of some sort

3. Then the database projects images / sound about the answers

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Chomsky Five Filters

Following Baudrillards idea about the media not telling us the full truth i discovered Chomsky and his five filters.


Noam Chomsky describes that are five filters that stop the media explainin g the full truth.

1.Ownership

This is basically that the Media companies are owned by rich corporates such as Rupert Murdoch and that they only tell news which is interest to them and the elite rih society not the middle or lower class society

2.Advertising

80% of revenue for media is advertising. So basically the news is advertising driven and will not release any information that cpuld damage advertising revenue

3.Governement

Mass Media heavily relies on information from Government agencies so it wont sya too much out of line

4.Flak

Mass media is under pressure by people who support the media not say anything against them

5. Norms

Journalists wont say anything that could get them in trouble so they keep the news safe

Simulacra and Simulation Theory

Jean Baudrillard devised and wrote a theory called Simulacra and Simulation

The theory is about how images and signs play an important role in modern society. Baudrillard believes that modern society has replaced reality and meaning with symbols and signs.

He believes that society has became over reliant on the simulacra (eg tv,internet and mass media) and has lost touch with reality.

Baudrillard breaks down the cause of the lost sense of reality into 5 areas

1. Blames Media, Tv and Internet for blurring goods that are needed and replaced them with commercial goods needs.
2. Value of goods based on exchange value than usefulness
3. MultiCapltialism
4. Urbanization causing people to lose sense of reality from Nature
5. Language used to obscure reality rather than explain reality

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Exploring Augmented

So i decided from the mind map and to explore some verbs assosiated with augmented

These were magnify,amplify and expand.

Magnify

magnify (as in "enlarge") v. : increase in size, volume or significance: "Her terror was magnified in her mind."

magnify (as in "overstate") v. : to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth; " tended to romanticize and exaggerate this ``gracious Old South'' imagery"


Expand


Expand (as in "grow") v. : become larger in size or volume or quantity; "his business expanded rapidly"; "The bag will expand when pressure is lowered"

Expand (as in "enlarge") v. : make bigger or wider in size, volume, or quantity; "expand the house by adding another wing"



Here is a mindmap of the term magnify

Augment Definition

I decided to start from the definition Augment.

To make (something already developed or well under way) greater, as in size, extent, or quantity: Continuing rains augmented the floodwaters.

I then created a mindmap of noun and verbs assosiated with augment