Once I had all my glass and electronics in place it was time to calibrate the sensor. Unfortunately as the weight of water has to pass through a layer of glass and a layer of plastic, by the time it reaches the sensor it was only causing a slight change in the reading.
To get past this final problem I raised the screen slightly so it would just touch the glass plate when in place. The glass plate was raised slightly using foam pads on the corners. This meant that the change in weight would be caused by the whole plate being pushed against the screen and in turn that being pushed against the sensor which was positioned underneath the centre of the screen. I finally managed to get a big enough change in weight that a difference in screen brightness became more noticeable.
There were still some slight annoyances which would need more in depth development. The material holding the glass plate in place would need to be more elastic as the foam I'm using flattens over time and stops supporting the plate. Also a different sensor could be tried. . .one that is more sensitive. When the water is poured in it isn't level so the change in brightness is never consistant and instead it flickers on. However there is no more that can be done at this time.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
more glass
just at the last moment my glass plate arrived with all the recesses in the right place. I sandblasted it and then it was ready to go.
. . .and finally there was success with the glass tray. The tray that was the least damaged in the fire was put back into the kiln and refired. When it came out of the kiln it had formed the exact shape i'd asked for. The only problem with this one was that the bottom of it was cracked from the fire. Katie is still trying to make one that I can use. . .so I have to thank her a lot for her patience and determination.
. . .and finally there was success with the glass tray. The tray that was the least damaged in the fire was put back into the kiln and refired. When it came out of the kiln it had formed the exact shape i'd asked for. The only problem with this one was that the bottom of it was cracked from the fire. Katie is still trying to make one that I can use. . .so I have to thank her a lot for her patience and determination.
New Footage
For the degree show I wanted to get the best possible footage. I'd heard the best train journey in Britain is the West highland rail to Mallaig. Its an 11 hour round trip with an added 2hours from my home in Largs. Up at 5 and with the help of my mum, we set off on our epic train trip. the views were breathtaking. Although its a long journey you just can't seem to take ur eyes off the vast landscapes that unfold before you.
The weather wasn't the best. . .as it always rains in the west. . .but i managed to capture an amazing sunset on the way back.
The weather wasn't the best. . .as it always rains in the west. . .but i managed to capture an amazing sunset on the way back.
Talk
For this stage i really wanted to show my product to someone knew more about rail travel. I contacted the Museum of Transport and asked if anyone would be willing to meet with me. Last friday I managed to take my product down to Glasgow and talk to John Messner, railway curator.
During our chat he understood exactly what I was hoping to achieve through platform. He gave me some great advice on how it would fit into a museum as an interactive piece and what changes would need to be made.
After our meeting he emailed me:
During our chat he understood exactly what I was hoping to achieve through platform. He gave me some great advice on how it would fit into a museum as an interactive piece and what changes would need to be made.
After our meeting he emailed me:
Eva,
It was nice to meet you today and discuss your project.
Train travel is such a basic thing one one level. Point A to point B, hopefully without a delay at Point C. But what train travel also does is take away the stress, the complexity of travel and offers the passenger a chance to sit back relax, watch the world go by, or ponder the meaning of what one sees. The project shows people that train travel can be peaceful, easy, and above all simple. Simple journey, simple pleasure, simple idea.
Finishing touches
now that everything was beginning to come together i started to add the finishing touches to my base. After hours and hours of sanding, I finished it with wax and glued the electronics into place.
I sandblasted the glass plate that had the missing jug recess as a back up incase the new one didn't arrive in time.
There were still problems with the glass tray so I had to quickly start on plan B. making it out of plastic. With the help of technician Roddy, who I have to thank so much, in two days we managed to get a tray made. On roddy's advice I used clear polystyrene as it is a more elastic material and better for vacuum forming. The mould was made from mdf. Although I had to get rid of some of the design features like the pouring edge, i was able to add a ridge at the base of the tray so it would sit better in the recess.
After three tries we managed to make one suitable enough to use. With lots of hours more sanding and polishing using turps it was ready.
I sandblasted the glass plate that had the missing jug recess as a back up incase the new one didn't arrive in time.
There were still problems with the glass tray so I had to quickly start on plan B. making it out of plastic. With the help of technician Roddy, who I have to thank so much, in two days we managed to get a tray made. On roddy's advice I used clear polystyrene as it is a more elastic material and better for vacuum forming. The mould was made from mdf. Although I had to get rid of some of the design features like the pouring edge, i was able to add a ridge at the base of the tray so it would sit better in the recess.
After three tries we managed to make one suitable enough to use. With lots of hours more sanding and polishing using turps it was ready.
Headphone socket
After talking to mike about what i'd need to add a headphone socket to my digital photo frame circuit I gave it a go. I had some problems as I managed to get it working through one headphone but not the other, and then working but with a buzzing. more trial and error. . . and dismantling a radio and still it didnt work.
However after a good nights sleep I thought it through and realised what I was doing wrong. I managed to get it working with a mono to stereo adapter for the headphones.
However after a good nights sleep I thought it through and realised what I was doing wrong. I managed to get it working with a mono to stereo adapter for the headphones.
measuring jug
for the jug i wanted to keep the aesthetic as similar as possible to a measuring jug. I found some which were double walled. This meant they had the look of an ordinary jug when empty but when filled with water they changed appearance to that of a measuring cylinder.
To add to this I designed a graphic inspired by train timetables which would tell the different levels at which the footage would become brighter and clearer. These levels were blurred vision, hazy thoughts and clear mind. Once I had decided on the name Platform for my product I had the logo and the levels engraved on it.
To add to this I designed a graphic inspired by train timetables which would tell the different levels at which the footage would become brighter and clearer. These levels were blurred vision, hazy thoughts and clear mind. Once I had decided on the name Platform for my product I had the logo and the levels engraved on it.
Circuit onto board
thankfully this part worked out quite well and second time round worked the way I needed it to.
A series of unfortunate events
^^^title suggested by Dan for my project
Update on glass. . .by this point Katie had had several disasters making the tray. I knew it would be a fairly difficult form to make and glass being a pretty unpredictable material to work with. . .I was slowly losing faith in bringing the parts together. But Katie stayed optimistic and kept in touch through each step.
Some problems faced were getting the moulds right, leaving them long enough that they stayed in shape, the glass not forming correctly, the walls of the tray bellowing and finally a small kiln fire. . .thankfully Katie's studio didn't burn down and one of the trays survived to be put back in again. After trying the slumping process and not having much success she tried lost wax casting:
Update on glass. . .by this point Katie had had several disasters making the tray. I knew it would be a fairly difficult form to make and glass being a pretty unpredictable material to work with. . .I was slowly losing faith in bringing the parts together. But Katie stayed optimistic and kept in touch through each step.
Some problems faced were getting the moulds right, leaving them long enough that they stayed in shape, the glass not forming correctly, the walls of the tray bellowing and finally a small kiln fire. . .thankfully Katie's studio didn't burn down and one of the trays survived to be put back in again. After trying the slumping process and not having much success she tried lost wax casting:
Disaster two
The next problems I had were with the screen. I had to position the screen in such a way that an SD card would reach the SD slot fromt the outside of my base. However the walls of the base were too thick for this to work. I thought about using some kind of extension but couldnt find one. My only option was to change to using a USB stick. This would work as the screen could be placed anywhere and an extension could be placed inside the base walls, allowing the user to insert a usb from the outside.
In the process of trying this out I managed to break my screen. I had trouble finding another suitable one within budget. One arrived but didn't play the video files i needed it to, another didn't reconise when a usb was inserted, and finally one used a lamp instead of LED's as the backlight and for some reason wouldn't work with the sensor in the same way. i finally found one that I put together using backlights from my previous broken screens.
In the process of trying this out I managed to break my screen. I had trouble finding another suitable one within budget. One arrived but didn't play the video files i needed it to, another didn't reconise when a usb was inserted, and finally one used a lamp instead of LED's as the backlight and for some reason wouldn't work with the sensor in the same way. i finally found one that I put together using backlights from my previous broken screens.
MAKE crit
for the MAKE crit I was given the advice that i needed to allow access for the SD card on the outside of the base. Finishes touches had to be made to the glass plate (even though it was wrong) and my screen had to be brighter. A headphone socket was suggested for practical reasons during the degree show, which I thought would be a great extra to have as it would mean people could make the experience of using the product more personal and intimate.
Making my base
Once my planks of red cedar had arrived i started work on making my base. With the aid of technician Sean Kingsley the planks were cut to size and planed until smooth and level.
After that they were ready to start work on. I cut them roughly to size and glued the two thicknesses together to create the outside wall and the drop down, which the glass plate would sit on.
The next day I sanded a 45 degree angle joint on each side and practiced drilling the speaker holes.
i had a problem with drilling the holes as it was had to be completely accurate and some of the holes went off centre. I didn't want to change the design to make it easier as the circular pattern relates to the ripples in the water. So I drew out the design on solidworks and asked Dave to give it a go for me. . .they turned out great.
After that they were ready to start work on. I cut them roughly to size and glued the two thicknesses together to create the outside wall and the drop down, which the glass plate would sit on.
The next day I sanded a 45 degree angle joint on each side and practiced drilling the speaker holes.
i had a problem with drilling the holes as it was had to be completely accurate and some of the holes went off centre. I didn't want to change the design to make it easier as the circular pattern relates to the ripples in the water. So I drew out the design on solidworks and asked Dave to give it a go for me. . .they turned out great.
Glass plate
When my first low relief glass plate arrived it was a bit disappointing. Instead of having two shallow recesses, one for the tray and one for the jug, there was a hole through the jug's recess. After much debating and pointing of fingers they offered to make another one for half the price.
This time I made sure there could be no mistakes. I sent out detailed drawings and called them everyday.
the wrong plate:
This time I made sure there could be no mistakes. I sent out detailed drawings and called them everyday.
the wrong plate:
Tray update
finally i started to get replies from people about the making of my glass tray. Unfortunately most said they didn't have the equipment or time to take it on. One company i was interested to work with was Glasstorm in Tain as they had worked with one of last years graduates in interior design. However time restrictions meant I couldn't do this.
When I thought all was lost I finally got an email back from a Nottingham. Glass artist Katie Tucker was happy to give my design a go. Over the next week we made slight adaptions in the design so as it had the best chance of being made.
Check out her work at: http://www.gglassstudio.co.uk/
Here are some intitial moulds used in test pieces,
When I thought all was lost I finally got an email back from a Nottingham. Glass artist Katie Tucker was happy to give my design a go. Over the next week we made slight adaptions in the design so as it had the best chance of being made.
Check out her work at: http://www.gglassstudio.co.uk/
Here are some intitial moulds used in test pieces,
Prototypes
For my initial prototypes I had the help of Dave King from engineering who used the University's cnc machine to mill out my base from high density foam and then a block of cedar.
I designed them on solid works and sent them off to Dave. Once they were made I could see what needed changed in the design.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
MAKE - teething problems
through this stage I have come up against so many setbacks. Initial problems involved finding companies to make my glass pieces for me.
I thought the low relief plate would be easy enough as it would involve slumping a piece of glass over moulds of the recesses. However many companies said they couldn't make it for me. . .and I finally ended up working with a company in London. I sent off detailed drawings and hoped it would be delivered in one piece.
Next was my tray. I knew this would be a tricky piece to make as the pouring edge would be hard to form from glass. I found a glass artist in Wales who said they would take it on. . .however after 2 weeks of contact she said she was too busy. . .I sent out exactly 36 emails to every and any glass artists and companies I could find in Britain.
Another problem was sourcing red cedar for my base. Although quite popular in countries like Canada, unfortunately in scotland its not. Again I searched the whole of Britain for a company that could help and finally found one in Sussex. Thankfully they had exactly what I needed.
I thought the low relief plate would be easy enough as it would involve slumping a piece of glass over moulds of the recesses. However many companies said they couldn't make it for me. . .and I finally ended up working with a company in London. I sent off detailed drawings and hoped it would be delivered in one piece.
Next was my tray. I knew this would be a tricky piece to make as the pouring edge would be hard to form from glass. I found a glass artist in Wales who said they would take it on. . .however after 2 weeks of contact she said she was too busy. . .I sent out exactly 36 emails to every and any glass artists and companies I could find in Britain.
Another problem was sourcing red cedar for my base. Although quite popular in countries like Canada, unfortunately in scotland its not. Again I searched the whole of Britain for a company that could help and finally found one in Sussex. Thankfully they had exactly what I needed.
materials
I carefully chose the materials as I believe they can tell as much of a story as the product. For my base I decided on red cedar. . . i had initially bought some lime wood, but after being asked the reasoning behind this choice, and only having the answer of it was the cheapest i thought I'd search in more detail.
I chose red cedar after consulting Woodbin online because of its high resistance to water. . .which is handy as my product involves the use of water. On a somewhat deeper level I found that the scent of red cedar is said to evoke memories in people. It does have a strong scent. . .one which i am now sick off. . .and when working with it i recalled images of being in my grandparents house and sneaking through the drawers of their hall table. Its a sweet smell which may remind you of certain places or times. I think this is quite a good characteristic for my product as it will provide the user with the time to reminisce and remember.
My other three pieces were to be all made from glass as it is a fragile material that needs to be taken care of, and like the footage and experience I am trying to portray, it is something that needs to be treasured and valued.
I chose red cedar after consulting Woodbin online because of its high resistance to water. . .which is handy as my product involves the use of water. On a somewhat deeper level I found that the scent of red cedar is said to evoke memories in people. It does have a strong scent. . .one which i am now sick off. . .and when working with it i recalled images of being in my grandparents house and sneaking through the drawers of their hall table. Its a sweet smell which may remind you of certain places or times. I think this is quite a good characteristic for my product as it will provide the user with the time to reminisce and remember.
My other three pieces were to be all made from glass as it is a fragile material that needs to be taken care of, and like the footage and experience I am trying to portray, it is something that needs to be treasured and valued.
final design
my final design included a shallow base, which would house the electronics. A low relief glass plate to sit on top of the base, which would have recesses to hold the other pieces. A tray where water would be poured and a jug. Below are some rough sketches of the product.
intial designs
My first thoughts on design were focused on other meditative products like miniture zen gardens. I liked the form of these and the way they relate to my product as they are used in a therapeutic way.
However as the interaction of my product is based around the photography developing process I thought it would be more appropriate to take inspiration from this. One of my concerns were that people who are not aware of this process may be confused by my product, but by keeping the design as similar as possible people might begin to relate the two.
So my design would be based upon the trays used, and the measuring cylinders.
flickr image
However as the interaction of my product is based around the photography developing process I thought it would be more appropriate to take inspiration from this. One of my concerns were that people who are not aware of this process may be confused by my product, but by keeping the design as similar as possible people might begin to relate the two.
So my design would be based upon the trays used, and the measuring cylinders.
flickr image
digital photo-frame hack
To get the interaction to work I had to do a bit more PLAY. I'm not that great at electronics. . .i new I wanted a weight sensor to activate my screen and the change in weight to make the footage brighter the heavier the weight. . .but I'd no idea how to do this. After talking to Mike it became a lot clearer.
First. . .as its a digital photo frame I'm using the first thing it goes to when its turned on is the menu. So having decided I wanted the interaction to be kept quite simple (all I want people to have to do is turn the power on and pour water into a dish), I had to tear apart a digital photo frame and create a new circuit that would connect to the frames original PCB. To get from the menu screen to the video playing a series of three buttons have to be pressed on the frame. . .to get around this without the buttons being pressed I used relay switches and a 28x1 Picaxe chip. There was one for each button that needed to be pressed. The code is below:
This meant that when the power is turned on the relay switches are activated and they "press" the buttons so the video starts without you having to lift a finger!
Second. . .I had to find an appropriate weight sensor. Mike who worked with weight sensors in his fourth year project suggested a Flexiforce Pressure Sensor from Active Robots. Once I had it it had to be placed into the circuit as shown below:
Third. . .I had to control the brightness of the screen. This was done by hacking the frame apart some more until the screen was completely taken out and I was able to get to the backlight. On most frame this is a string of surface mount LED's but on one frame I took apart it turned out to be a florescent lamp, and unfortunately I couldn't get this to work in the same way. Anyway once I had the LED's out and disconnected from the frames PCB I could connect them to my own circuit as shown below:
Now I programmed it using this code:
So now when the frame is powered it automatically goes to the video and starts it. As the weight on the sensor increases the brightness of the LED's which makes the look like its appearing before you.
First. . .as its a digital photo frame I'm using the first thing it goes to when its turned on is the menu. So having decided I wanted the interaction to be kept quite simple (all I want people to have to do is turn the power on and pour water into a dish), I had to tear apart a digital photo frame and create a new circuit that would connect to the frames original PCB. To get from the menu screen to the video playing a series of three buttons have to be pressed on the frame. . .to get around this without the buttons being pressed I used relay switches and a 28x1 Picaxe chip. There was one for each button that needed to be pressed. The code is below:
This meant that when the power is turned on the relay switches are activated and they "press" the buttons so the video starts without you having to lift a finger!
Second. . .I had to find an appropriate weight sensor. Mike who worked with weight sensors in his fourth year project suggested a Flexiforce Pressure Sensor from Active Robots. Once I had it it had to be placed into the circuit as shown below:
Third. . .I had to control the brightness of the screen. This was done by hacking the frame apart some more until the screen was completely taken out and I was able to get to the backlight. On most frame this is a string of surface mount LED's but on one frame I took apart it turned out to be a florescent lamp, and unfortunately I couldn't get this to work in the same way. Anyway once I had the LED's out and disconnected from the frames PCB I could connect them to my own circuit as shown below:
Now I programmed it using this code:
So now when the frame is powered it automatically goes to the video and starts it. As the weight on the sensor increases the brightness of the LED's which makes the look like its appearing before you.
User interaction
In order to get people to relate to the experience I thought it appropriate that they play some part in creating that experience. The interaction could be to simply record a video through a train window and then plug it into the product and watch it. However I didn't see this having the desired outcome.
Reviewing the footage I've already captured. . .and going on several new train journeys I decided to take certain qualities of rail travel and use them to create an interaction. Being careful not to take away from the footage itself, I decided the interaction should be simple, honest but also playful. Like the footage, the interaction should be a medative process. I previously liked the idea of the video playing under water and that had a calming effect. After talking it through with my tutors I came to the idea that people should create their own experience. . .by pouring water into a dish they could make their video appear beneath it.
Reviewing the footage I've already captured. . .and going on several new train journeys I decided to take certain qualities of rail travel and use them to create an interaction. Being careful not to take away from the footage itself, I decided the interaction should be simple, honest but also playful. Like the footage, the interaction should be a medative process. I previously liked the idea of the video playing under water and that had a calming effect. After talking it through with my tutors I came to the idea that people should create their own experience. . .by pouring water into a dish they could make their video appear beneath it.
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Metaphor for project
Before I could really move forward with the design I had to figure how my user would interact with the product. How could they feel part of the experience? How could I physically and emotionally connect people to the footage? And how could I transfer my message to them by the use of my product?
I had to consider the metaphor of my project as I didn't want my physical product to become the main focus but simply a vessel through which I could allow people to see rail travel in a new way. My thoughts on such a metaphor were . . .
A window to the outside. . .transporting you to another place
Looking down into a pensieve (like in Harry Potter). . .falling into a meditative state of mind
I decided the second was the best suited to what I'm trying to achieve through this project. I didn't just want to take an existing experience and place it in a new environment, instead I wanted to show people find a new understanding, and a new opinion on the experience.
I had to consider the metaphor of my project as I didn't want my physical product to become the main focus but simply a vessel through which I could allow people to see rail travel in a new way. My thoughts on such a metaphor were . . .
A window to the outside. . .transporting you to another place
Looking down into a pensieve (like in Harry Potter). . .falling into a meditative state of mind
I decided the second was the best suited to what I'm trying to achieve through this project. I didn't just want to take an existing experience and place it in a new environment, instead I wanted to show people find a new understanding, and a new opinion on the experience.
Viewing the footage
My next task was to look at how people would view the train footage. I struggled to begin with as I'd had my mind set on a projected experience but I realised I was limiting myself and I could create an experience using a screen that would match the almost magical experience of viewing projected footage. Being set the task drawing out any possible scenarios and places to view footage helped.
Image
From this I found that in certain spaces the footage could be transformed from a simple video of passing landscapes to a captivating an quite enchanting experience. The best examples were when I tested out viewing the video under water as the moment of the water and the refraction of light created a calming effect.
Image
From this I found that in certain spaces the footage could be transformed from a simple video of passing landscapes to a captivating an quite enchanting experience. The best examples were when I tested out viewing the video under water as the moment of the water and the refraction of light created a calming effect.
New Mission
Now it was vital that I make it clear what I want people to get from using my product. Would it be to entertain. . .to amuse. . .to relax . . .to escape. . .to play with. Would it have a deeper meaning. . .would it promote a feeling or a journey?
In order to focus on the design and interaction of my product I had to look back to My Mission. i said there that through this project I wanted to recreate an experience. An experience that would allow people to sit back and appreciate the journey. . . a viewing experience that would help them to unwind and escape from the stresses of everyday life.
What I really want to do through this project is make people aware of the often unnoticed ease and gracefulness that rail travel has to offer, and the peace of mind that comes from embarking on such a journey.
In order to focus on the design and interaction of my product I had to look back to My Mission. i said there that through this project I wanted to recreate an experience. An experience that would allow people to sit back and appreciate the journey. . . a viewing experience that would help them to unwind and escape from the stresses of everyday life.
What I really want to do through this project is make people aware of the often unnoticed ease and gracefulness that rail travel has to offer, and the peace of mind that comes from embarking on such a journey.
Catch-up
Well it's been quite some time since I've updated my blog and there's loads to tell. . .so here goes.
Back after the Christmas. . .with a newly revived laptop after it died over the holidays. . .I had to present my final work on the PLAY section (basically everything you see below). The results of this allowed me to decide which features to take forward into my final design. Previously I had hoped to make my product using a projected viewing experience. However after speaking to my lecturers I found it was not suited to the experience and interaction I wanted to create. . . so my other option was to use a screen.
Back after the Christmas. . .with a newly revived laptop after it died over the holidays. . .I had to present my final work on the PLAY section (basically everything you see below). The results of this allowed me to decide which features to take forward into my final design. Previously I had hoped to make my product using a projected viewing experience. However after speaking to my lecturers I found it was not suited to the experience and interaction I wanted to create. . . so my other option was to use a screen.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
London trip
I thought I'd share one more of my train journey's with you. This video was taken on the train down to London. It shows footage from Glasgow and has some unfortunate reflection in it of me and my friend on our journey.
Aesthetics
In nearing the end of PLAY I began to think more about how this product would look and where it would be placed in the home. For inspiration I looked at other relevant projects. . .
This is a project by Dean Brown who graduated from the same course I'm doing a few years ago. His product, Table with a View, is a beside table which projects footage from an outdoor camera into a room. This next product is by Bill Gaver who came to speak with us during our day with the designers. His product is called Drift Table. . .
This is a project by Dean Brown who graduated from the same course I'm doing a few years ago. His product, Table with a View, is a beside table which projects footage from an outdoor camera into a room. This next product is by Bill Gaver who came to speak with us during our day with the designers. His product is called Drift Table. . .
| | "The Drift Table allows people to float slowly over the British landscape from the comfort of their own home. The weight of objects placed on the table controls the slow scroll of aerial photographs displayed on a central view-port. Adding weight causes the table to speed up and 'descend' towards the landscape below. Progress is slow - travelling from London to Devon may take days."  Having looked at these projects I tried to gather some initial thoughts on what form my product could take. I really like the idea that it could be a small and unexpected product in contrast to the vast images it produces. |
Wiimote
When looking at navigation I began to think about how people would use the product. Some options I thought of were the obvious touchscreen interface or the more playful idea of a physical action, like turning the object, to change what you can view. I then got an idea from watching the RIGB christams lectures where infrared LED's and an infrared camera are used to interact with a product. I found more ideas like this on the web. . .the best site is by Johnny Chung Lee. He is a bit of a genius when it comes to adapting the technology used within the Wii console and remote.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/
I followed one of his tutorials which make use of the technology within the Wii remote.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/
I followed one of his tutorials which make use of the technology within the Wii remote.
I wanted to use the Wii Multipoint programme I found on Johnny Lees site. This would be perfect for my product if it ends up being a projection. I could change it to take in different videos which people can interact with Minority Report style. By moving their hands around they can choose what they want to watch. However I couldn't get this programme to work but I still wanted to PLAY with the infrared technology. I downloaded the Whiteboard programme instead and managed to get it up and working as you can see in the video above.
Polariser fun
I decided to do more PLAY with polariser film. Having watched the Royal Institutions Christmas Lecture on channel 5 over the holidays I found there was more to be done with polariser. Here's the site. I would recommend watching it if you are interesting in knowing more about how screens work, computers and the future for our interaction with both.
http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?action=displayContent&id=00000002537
The area I was interested in came up on show 2. Here they showed us how screens work and how they had developed new table top interactive screens.
Here are some more of my videos showing my experiments with polariser.
This next video shows another method of revealing an image from behind polarised film which has blackened out the image on the screen. I saw this experiment on the christmas lectures and thought I'd try it out. Basically the polarised film blocks the light from reaching our eyes and the screen appears black or off. In order to allow the light through again we can use the simple formula of water and sugar. . .
http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?action=displayContent&id=00000002537
The area I was interested in came up on show 2. Here they showed us how screens work and how they had developed new table top interactive screens.
Here are some more of my videos showing my experiments with polariser.
This next video shows another method of revealing an image from behind polarised film which has blackened out the image on the screen. I saw this experiment on the christmas lectures and thought I'd try it out. Basically the polarised film blocks the light from reaching our eyes and the screen appears black or off. In order to allow the light through again we can use the simple formula of water and sugar. . .
Subtle experiences
During the day with the designers I had the chance to chat to Anab Jain. She had some really great suggestions for my project. One idea she mentioned was to attempt to recreate extreme travel. I experimented with a few videos I found on YouTube but in the end decided to steer away from this. Here are some videos I made. . .
I also saw this on YouTube where the maker is trying to fake the experience of using a flexible LCD screen. He manages to show how polariser can be used to make an image reveal itself to us.
Anab also made the suggestion of creating a subtle experience when bringing travel into the home. I liked this idea. . .the thought that when sitting at my desk at home I could catch small glimpses of the travel experience. . . a flicker of a station clock. . .a peek out of a train window. . .a hint of travel intertwined with daily life.
This led me on to think about how I could transform my idea into a more subtle experience. I considered the idea that the footage might always be there in front of us but somehow hidden until we chose to reveal it. One way of achieving this was by the use of polarising film, the same film used to make the sunglasses that on the outer surface show a clear reflection.
Polariser works by playing with the direction of the light beams through a Liquid Crystal Display. If you turn a piece of polariser film it changes from a clear view of the screen to blacking out the screen completely.
This led me on to think about how I could transform my idea into a more subtle experience. I considered the idea that the footage might always be there in front of us but somehow hidden until we chose to reveal it. One way of achieving this was by the use of polarising film, the same film used to make the sunglasses that on the outer surface show a clear reflection.
Polariser works by playing with the direction of the light beams through a Liquid Crystal Display. If you turn a piece of polariser film it changes from a clear view of the screen to blacking out the screen completely.
I also saw this on YouTube where the maker is trying to fake the experience of using a flexible LCD screen. He manages to show how polariser can be used to make an image reveal itself to us.
A world of journeys
For some inspiration I decided to look at how other people experience travelling by train. Here are some of the videos I came across. . .
These gave me the idea of creating a website to go along with the product I make. A site where people can upload and share their experiences with travel. I think this would add a great social aspect to the end product.
These gave me the idea of creating a website to go along with the product I make. A site where people can upload and share their experiences with travel. I think this would add a great social aspect to the end product.
Involving the senses
As I said in the previous blog there are many factor which make an experience what it is. Another area I want to look at is sound. Sound is an incredibly important feature when travelling by train.
What De Botton describes here is the hypniotic sounds from a moving train. The sound of the outside where the train seems to beat in rhythm with your heart mixed with the deep, muffled sounds of people talking in the carriage. To make my experience believable I have to look at recreating these aspects of the train journey.
"silence that reigns inside while the wheels beat in rhythm against the rails outside, the dreaminess fostered by the noise"
-Alain De Botton, The Art of Travel
-Alain De Botton, The Art of Travel
What De Botton describes here is the hypniotic sounds from a moving train. The sound of the outside where the train seems to beat in rhythm with your heart mixed with the deep, muffled sounds of people talking in the carriage. To make my experience believable I have to look at recreating these aspects of the train journey.
In this video I have used the sound of a train recorder outside the window. You can hear the beat of the train againt the rails. In the second video I have used the sound from inside one of the carriages.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
PLAYing with projection surfaces
An experience is hard to recreate, especially a train journey. There are so many different factors that work together to create the experience. One important aspect when sitting on a train is that your not looking at a flat image. In order to try and add another dimension to my footage I created spaces where the video could be viewed. The image and videos below show some of my attempts at this.
Here I projected the image into a simple paper cup. I loved the way the projected image followed its curves. Also I think a space like this would make watching the footage a more personal experience as, at this size it would only be able to be viewed by one person at a time. I like the idea that when a person views the footage they enter a different space. . .both physically and mentally.
From my expeiments with the frosted perspex I found that the use of this material gave the footage a more 3D effect. So the next stage for me was to combine the qualities of this material with the idea that the footage can be viewed in a separate space. Below is a video showing the results of the footage being projected into a cube I made out of frosted perspex.
Again like with the cup I loved the fact that the image follows the corners of the material and bends around them flawlesssly. When viewing the footage like this you begin to feel totally enveloped in the experience and find that your mind begins to drift off with the passing landscape. I hope you can get some idea of this through my videos.
Like I said above there are many aspects of a train journey that create the experience that I love so much. This next experiment was looking at the reflections of light and shadow that we experience when looking out the window. As I had previously found that when projecting an image onto frosted perspex the image shines straight through it. This means that the image can be viewed from either side and also creates reflections and shadows on any surfaces behind it.
For this experiment I projected the image through the back surface of the cube. Although the image doesn't bend around the corners the way it does above, but it still creates a new space where the footage can be viewed. When viewing it from inside the cube it almost creates the feelong of sitting in a carriage. The image reflects off all the other sides and produces moving shadows.
For this experiment I projected the image through the back surface of the cube. Although the image doesn't bend around the corners the way it does above, but it still creates a new space where the footage can be viewed. When viewing it from inside the cube it almost creates the feelong of sitting in a carriage. The image reflects off all the other sides and produces moving shadows.
PLAYing with perspex
I've worked with frosted perspex in the past and have always loved the effect it has when you shine light through it. For this reason I wanted to experiment projecting my footage through it. Here's how it looked. . .
The nice thing about using frosted perspex is the almost 3D quality it can give to the image. When projecting the footage onto the perspex the projector focuses on the frosted but light from the image travels through the perspex and onto the surface behind. As you move the frosted perspex further away from the wall the image appears to hang within the perspex.
As you can see in the video above using this material also allows you to manipulate the image. By holding the perspex at different angles we can make the footage bend or make part of it appear closer to us.
As you can see in the video above using this material also allows you to manipulate the image. By holding the perspex at different angles we can make the footage bend or make part of it appear closer to us.
PLAYing with mirrors
From my experiments making the navigation footage and screens I found that at times it could take away from the experience I was hoping to create. A way around this which would allow the viewer to enjoy the train journey video but also know what it is their looking at was to split the footage again using mirrors.
Navigation
Saw this video on YouTube and thought it was quite interesting the way the footage was split into two. One part showing the view from the drivers point of view and the other showing exactly where they were in relation to where they were going. . .
The problem with this kind of layout, as I found in my own video, is that splitting the screen in this way takes away from the original footage of the journey.
Here are a few other types of navigation videos I made.
The problem with this kind of layout, as I found in my own video, is that splitting the screen in this way takes away from the original footage of the journey.
Here are a few other types of navigation videos I made.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Knowing where you are part II
Another way of letting people know what they are viewing is by actually showing them on a map. To prototype this I had to make a short film using about a hundred still images from 192.com. Each still image had to be photoshoped to show exactly what point on the map the viewer was at. I did this intially using a red dot.
To integrate this navigation screen into the footage I had to learn how to make a split screen movie. I'd never used Premier Pro before but I found this tutorial which made everything much easier. . .
http://premiere.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=193167&afterinter=true
In my first attempt at the split screen video I decided to split the screen about 60-40 with the navigation footage at the right hand-side of the screen.
To integrate this navigation screen into the footage I had to learn how to make a split screen movie. I'd never used Premier Pro before but I found this tutorial which made everything much easier. . .
http://premiere.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=193167&afterinter=true
In my first attempt at the split screen video I decided to split the screen about 60-40 with the navigation footage at the right hand-side of the screen.
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