Week 4: Project 1 - Part 2/2
For our project, Zoe, Keer, and I created a simple flower structure that we could control to bloom and close with the trigger of a button and FSR. The backdrop of the structure included a rotating LED backdrop which triggered the lighting up of these LEDs by rotating them. We took into consideration what narrative we started out with and tried to emulate that as close as possible for the final prototype. We also attached a poem to this project that could give the user hints about the background story and also in how to interact with the project to make it work.
Flower & Mechanism ︎︎︎
We started off by creating the central structure which was the flower using wire, tissue paper, and string to work with the lightest materials possible since the servo motors were not the strongest power source for this project. We tested multiple ways that we could attach the petals of the flower to the servo and which could create the most dynamic movement. We had a lot of difficulty with this part, especially in working with delicate materials. We ended up using fish wire which was delicate, but achieved the look and the output that we were looking for initially.
Something that we wished to improve was the amount of movement that was achieved when the mechanism was triggered- we definitely hoped for a more dynamic and apparent movement and this is something that can definitely be improved for future iterations through testing different materials or power sources.
For the trigger of the mechanism, we started off by using an FSR and creating a ‘button’ with found materials- we also tested different materials that we could use to contain the FSR in an unexposed manner but also could trigger the FSR when interacted with. After some trial and error we also decided to add a second button that would be hidden that could close the flower whereas the FSR would cause it to bloom.
Code & Servo Motor ︎︎︎
With the code used to control the Servo Motor, we included the servo library and tested angles and triggers that would make the petals move in the right direction and speed that we intended to.
Rotating LED Backdrop ︎︎︎
For the rotating backdrop, Zoe was the main creator and she attached an array of LED lights to a cardboard to change the backdrop from day to night. She used wire and copper tape to trigger the LEDs to light up once the backdrop is rotated to a certain position.
Setting the Stage ︎︎︎
For the staging of the project, we created a simple box structure out of a foam board material that could house all of the components of the project. Although the box completely covered the project initially, we decided to omit some of the side coverings due to technicalities and spacing of the project. I think this is definitely a part that can be improved for the next project and more consideration could be put into this part by sourcing other materials or working more economically with the scale of the housing for the project.
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