Physical Computing was one class that I was looking forward to being a part of; especially at ITP since the course has a total practical approach to something that I have spent time solving mathematical problems and drawing circuit diagrams in, without actually implementing whatever I have learnt.
The current class work is more of a process of implementation of all the theory that I have learnt and at this point I can clearly draw difference in teaching methodologies between the way I was taught at home and how I learn here at ITP.
The class being so aptly named as Physical Computing seems to touch the basics that I have learnt and then extends the applications to exciting areas , in a way making me feel like a kid who is discovering something for the first time and is awe struck at the wonderful outcome!! This Blog defines the work carried out as a part of the PCOMP class, especially the projects and their work processes.

MIDTERM PROJECT

This project is my first time at implementing my knowledge in eletrical and electronics in a realtime environment. I am excited but also sceptical about how much that I know in theory, I will be able to implement. Another area that is new is that I am to look at implementing technology without laying stress on the technology. The physical interface that is the out come of the technological implementation is the more important part of the entire project. In a way this is very contrasting to the way I have worked previously since interface was never the most important thing in the project. This is making me think and rethink the way i have learnt, assimilated and done projects till date. The project flow till date is as follows

WEEK 0

The entire class was split into groups through the lots that Scott picked out. My team members were people I already knew, Dean and Vibha. But this was the first time I was going to be working on a school project with them. We met after class and decided to look around for inspiration for the kind of work that we wanted to do. Also this was going to be good learning ground for me since my both my team members had extremely contrasting ideas of the kind of work each wanted to do. Numerous mails were sent back and forth between the three of us with links of suitable projects. The projects ranged from simple fun projects to projects that used high end technology. We came up with ideas that broadly defined the different areas that we wanted to work in and were ready to define the idea in the class of WEEK 1


WEEK 1

The various different ideas were voiced in class and a brief about each of the project was explained. the end result was

Concept 1 - Intelligent Keyboard
http://www.enablemart.com/productdetail.aspx?store=10&pid=42&dept=20
http://www.synapseadaptive.com/intellitools/IntelliKeys.html
http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/Tutorials/intellikeys/index.php
http://www.inclusive.co.uk/catalogue/acatalog/
http://assistivetech.sf.k12.sd.us/intellikeys.htm

CONCEPT 2 - Use of RFID to Map Activity
http://networks.silicon.com/lans/0,39024663,39163051,00.htm
http://www.engadget.com/2005/05/07/the-real-id-card-the-machine-readable-you/
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=120

Having interacted further with other students and looking at the works of the other teams I realised that the project was more about improving and giving a new kind of interaction as an outcome to mundane actions and not about implementing new and complex technologies. If a complex and useful interaction can be achieved through the use of simple technology it would resolve half the design issues in the world. But we took a different approach by giving the technology more importance rather than the experience itself and hence losing the entire focus in the project. Having thought about this I came up with various ideas about how I could create a physical experience. It was prototyped.

WEEK 2
we were to come up with a prototype of the final system. While the RFID tagging system was suppose to be the identifying system, for the physical interface we decided to show the picture of the person identified. This was to be carried out by dropping a picture of the identified person in a glass container like a vase.
We got useful feedback after having shown it to the class. Some of the feedback:

1) Creating a website that updates the live status of the identified person. This is to be based on the social software concept.
2) Using Ballons with names of the person identified that gets air blown into it and inflates out when the person is identified.
3) Use of light sensors for detection specific colours and hence identifying the person. In this way not getting into complex technologies.
4) The idea of not only dropping the picture of the person but also taking it back when the person leaves - was another idea to improve the project.

WEEK 3

After a weekend of good searching I found a circuit diagram for a reader. It was shared with the team members and Vibha found this to be simpler than the one we were planning to build. We studied the diagram and listed out the parts based on availablity. The various parts were ordered from Digikeys after looking up quotes from different companies and when the parts were not found locally. But the part that were to be sent out over night did not reach us in time to start off with building the reader.
In class we were not able to present much since we had not yet received the parts so a simple presentation about the techology was given.
The parts were in transit and would nort reach us till tuesday the next week.Having realised that now we stuck, the team got together to rethink the project. We worked late on saturday and due to prior commitments I could not make it on sunday. It is great to have supportive teammates since both Dean and Vibha worked on the new idea on sunday.

WEEK 4

This week we have a whole new Idea, a whole new project, it seems promising so lets see how far we get be the end of the week