Launching Control
How
can we
control computers
through typically unconventional components?
In this project I explored how parts like sliders, knobs, buttons and switches can be connected to our computers to control what happens on screen.
With my chosen components, I aim to link to a sequential pattern of text triggered by button reactions, in turn displaying an on screen text reaction with each text string displayed in an aesthetically pleasing typographic style.
Research
Brendan Dawes
Control was launched, we were shown designer Brendan Dawes in class as a reference to what could be achieved in a brief such as this. His concept for this machine 'STATES OF MIND' was based around mental health and the abstract visualisation of what a users mental health looks like. It encouraged the group therapy as a large scale installation. I'm really interested in the mental health angle of his project and I'm planning to explore that option more but instead of my end visual result being a graphic, I want to spin it and use language/text/typography as my key communication.
These machines were also created by Brendan Dawes and they are colourful remotes that he has made whimsically large. I like the aesthetics of these designs, the large colourful arcade buttons are striking and make the usually bland remote look more toy like. His use of textiles I enjoy, it creates this contrast in the mind between what materials you would usually associate and expect with tech and then the softness of his creation.
Again loving the work by Brendan Dawes and his use of Arduino technology to bring more personable tech interactions. This project SIX MONKEYS looks at ways that we can use email as instructions for appliances. In this when the sender JOHN emails, it will spring his card up. I like how tech is made to be more human here, it's very sweet.
Chain reaction machine using lego as physical components.
Emotions Paperbot
Ava
Chain reaction machine using lego as physical components.
Arduino Projects
I was looking for Arduino projects online that were similar to the brief and my idea of a descriptive emotions computer to see if anyone had made anything for comparison. Google wasn't really turning up anything but I had a look at the Arduino projects on their own projects site and then I ended up on a few forums. I found a lot of cool projects like an emotionally intelligent robot and a plant pot with feelings. I've put some of my favourites and the ones I looked at in closer detail above in the image galley.
Sketchbook
Emotionally Intelligent Computer?
Looking at the theme of this project I realised I don't want to only consider how I'm physically going to be controlling the end product, but also to consider the connotations of the actual word 'Control'. How could the meaning around that word play a larger component in my end result?
So far I know I want to address the following criteria:
-
To be related in some form to mental health. Could this be a visualisation like Brendan Dawes or some kind of mental health conversational companion robot or a button board of emotions?
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To explore language in a wider context. Could this be through some kind of text to speech or audio manipulation? Thinking about my language I'm drawn to researching some cultural dialect. I have a strong Celtic background and I'm pretty drawn to central Scots dialect, Gaelic or some Celtic poetry and I know I have a book on Mid century Scottish poems at home. In more recent years the Scottish Government has been investing in the so called dying language, in 2011 they released a full manifesto on the reemergence of the language. Recently a £400,000 grant was put into more work to be done to improve Scots language services. This was a result of over 1.5 million people identifying as 'Scots Speakers' in the national census. Could this use both mental health and Scots dialect as catalysts
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To relate to the word 'CONTROL' not only in a physical response but also explore the meaning behind the word control. Could taking control of an emotional state be a part of this project? Using control as a proactive phrase as in the verb, to take control.
useful
resource
links.
The Idea
The Bletherin' Arcade
Controlled conversations, Q&A style, based on the concept of 'indescribable emotions', all questions with a key focus on the emergence of Scots dialect.
Final output; A Scottish phrase in response to the users answers on their mental health, each user should be able to save their unique word. Each final text response is given from a library of emotions in Processing, each phrase having descended from Scottish dialect, aiming to describe 'indescribable' emotions.
I'm including my cultural identity in this project as I have a passion for all Celtic culture and language, I see using the central Scots dialect as empowering like regaining control of oor own.
I recognise that especially in recent years Scotland has had a mental health crisis, in particular Scottish men. Suicide statistics have been steadily increasing and it is crucial for vulnerable people to be able to open up about how they're feeling .
So what better solution is there than to use the very so called 'dying language' to describe how we Scots are feeling. Oor old phrases could still be useful in the Scottish Governments fight to save the nations mental health.
The Broons
Hundreds of Years of Language
When I first got the idea to use Scots dialect I started looking through this old book I bought during lockdown. The language in it is hard to keep up with and is proper old Scots. I wasn't reading this to use this particular style of language but more to see if I could recognise any of the Scots language I use now in any of the poems. I picked up a few words of interest and phrases that I thought were interesting or things I'd never heard before. Words like dote, which means to act foolishly or for-wonderit, meaning to be amazed. Reading this let me really dissect individual words one at a time, I liked this since that's exactly what I needed to do for this project. I read more Scottish literature after this and listened to podcasts from channels like the True Scotsman Podcast. Soon my library of emotions started to expand and I found words like scunnered, yonderly and misslieness. All words that the Scottish dialect would use to describe some indescribable emotions.
Reading comics like The Broons and The Beano helped me grasp a firmer hold on using the Scots dialect, especially written conversional Scots. Some would call this sort of language slang, but it's actually a language in itself that, if spoken, the average Scot would be able to understand yet globally very few would understand the words or language nuances. Was pretty fascinating to read especially the humour.
The Script
Process
Coding Work
I've been taking screenshots of each bit of code i've been working on, the grid above has a description of each screenshot when you click on the image.
I liked working on each bit of code separately, since I found it easier to get small chunks of the project up and running and then combining parts, rather than trying to make it all on the one sketch. I split the project into 3 main parts:
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The text introduction and displaying this as a loop
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The 'Oor Wullie' image using the knob to make him smile or frown
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The aye or naw responses, using a script linked with buttons to give users a final text output
My coding I feel has come on leaps and bounds since starting this project, I'm really glad that I went with this idea and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I'm finding myself using String() a lot more and i'm liking that my love of language has been able to be transferred into my code work.
All Videos
For the finished project I needed a total of three buttons and one potentiometer. I bought these from an online supplier but unfortunately I didn't realise you could get pre soldered components. The parts I bought all needed soldered, which I did in studio. Was pretty cool to learn how to do it and this button was my very first attempt.
The potentiometer was the last part I soldered. Using three wires through each hole I managed to solder it. I was fairly pleased with this one since it looked pretty neat, had that shiny look and was a nice secure volcano of solder.
For the finished project I needed a total of three buttons and one potentiometer. I bought these from an online supplier but unfortunately I didn't realise you could get pre soldered components. The parts I bought all needed soldered, which I did in studio. Was pretty cool to learn how to do it and this button was my very first attempt.
Arduino Work
This was my first ever project using an arduino board so this was all completely fresh for me. The first couple of workshops I did were great, I learned how to control LED lights by connecting the leg pins to a power source and telling the code which port to listen to. I could work these LED's in the end through buttons and a dimmer potentiometer. I found the breadboard and components a bit difficult to work with at first because they're pretty small and fiddly but in the end once I soldered wires and everything was set together I found it all easier to work with.
The Arduino allowed me to experiment with physical parts which I've never done before. I got to look at how my design aesthetic translates into a physical product. I looked at a lot of 90's arcade machines and eco technological designs. These sources led me to the cube like arcade design using plywood as my key material. I wanted my final project to be transportable and a universal fit, so having the arcade box design was great as:
a) I can dismantle it purely by lifting it off of my laptop
b) It's transportable, fairly lightweight and easy to carry
c) It's universal as it fits over the computer and the width is designed for the average computer
To go along with the arcade style box I chose some plastic round buttons, bright and bold in colour making it a very 'user friendly' experience. Green for Yes and Red for No, quite simple but all that the machine actually needs to work. I didn't feel the need to overcomplicate the design since the subject matter that the machine deals with is far more important to me.
Laser Cut Mock 1
This was the first mockup I made on the box generator. I was pretty happy with a few parts of this one, like the number of joints seemed to work, I liked the depth of the box and it seemed a fairly simple square-ish box so that would be good to put together. I was playing about with text and I thought I landed on my font choice and size but the placement I'm not 100% set on. Ultimately I ruled this one out when I measured out a piece of cardboard to use as a mockup to see how tall the box would be in comparison to the screen. Unfortunately it was far too high to be able to be under my laptop and sitting into the aracde machine.
Laser Cut Mock 2
This was the second option I made for the arcade button box. Ultimately this is the one I chose, it was a much better fit under the laptop screen and the width was decreased meaning it could fit snuggly into the rest of the machine. I increased the depth slightly to give me extra room for the buttons, I feel the extra space really paid off and it all felt less cramped. I added a rectangular cut out at the back for any wires and power cables or incase I need to replace the Arduino board.
Final Export
The Laser Cut
For my final laser cut I decided to make it from plywood to match the aesthetic of the rest of the arcade machine. Even although the wood was only 3mm thick and had a tendency to bend I think it came out well with only a small crack running across the top. When designing the box template I added extra finger joints for added support as it's a fairly large box which needed the extra joints. The box actually slotted together without any bonding agent but it was a bit flimsy and I couldn't move it, so I decided to use some wood glue and sand down the glue when it was dry. The buttons were a great fit into the holes I had cut however when measuring for the knob I had measured the width of the plastic cover when in hindsight I should've measured the metal leg of the potentiometer. It means the knob is a bit loose and I'll need to temporarily tape it inside the box so it doesn't move when used.
The
Bletherin'
Arcade
