The Class
An exploration of the technologies enabling interactive architecture through hands on demonstration and small scale design-build projects where students will deploy basic electronics and programmable computer control systems for physical architectural installations. To start, students will be introduced to the concept of play as it relates to design and interaction and begin establishing the vocabulary of this type of design development. Over the course of the semester a wide range of projects, with both artistic and pragmatic objectives, will be discussed. In tandem to the background knowledge students will be taught the basic electronics and introductory computer programming required to implement the technologies themselves. Hands on workshops will introduce students to computer controlled lighting and motor control for creating architectural conditions which can react to GPS tracking, computer-vision, and a range of environmental sensors. The objective of the class is to enable the students to work individually or in small groups to develop working prototypes of interactive architectural conditions. Wall, floor, ceiling, window, door, … As such the first half of the semester will include a series of assignments focused on specific technologies that should enable the students to work more freely on an area of personal interest for the final project
Class Objectives
- To investigate new technologies and how they are influencing architecture
- To critically examine culture and society as influence to architectural progression
- To develop an understanding of new forms of organizational and relational logic.
- To learn techniques for creating interactive 3d worlds
- To learn new modes of digital presentation
- To learn techniques for creating responsive environments and simple cnc solutions
- To learn how to implement basic low voltage circuitry
- To learn how to program basic micro-controllers for the control of electronic circuitry
- To learn how to teach yourself
Class structure
Class will be broken into 2 parts – First half lecture + discussion, second half technical tutorial + workshop
Exploring Your Tools – Training oneself to experiment with menu options, parameter changes, and buttons in order to gain a further understanding and expanded skill set within an application. If you don’t completely know what a function of a program is for, and you notice or pass it frequently, use it, see if you can figure out what it is for. Chances are, if it made it through the development process it performs a useful function. Who knows, it could become one of your most frequently used functions.
Finding Help – Each week key words will be provided for navigating appropriate software package help offerings and online keyword searches. This will serve as the foundation “support” material, with tutorial references, descriptions + definitions or examples of work. These pointers replace the need for any purchased reference material. The reality is, most of the software we will be using has been around for many years, and as a result very thorough documentation has been developed by the maker to educate users in how to take advantage of their product. In fact, most of the literature available at a bookstore is a simple regurgitation of descriptions, tutorials, etc (available for free to registered users) with a thin, often poorly written commentary. Advanced users must be able to teach themselves if they wish to take their skills further.
Progress + Evaluation
Required Tutorials
It will be required that each student complete the tutorial assignments, to be posted to the blog (see below) by the posted date. There will be 6 required tutorials over the course of the semester. Completion will be evaluated and recorded.
Blog Entries
The class blog will serve as a commons for the class, it will be a source of references and the method of uploading completed assignment documentation. Perhaps more importantly it will be a place to share ideas and precedents, demonstrate the knowledge you are amassing, and a place to find help with your problems. As such it will be the responsibility of the group as a whole to contribute and build this knowledge base and your evaluation will center upon the degree to which you contribute.
Grades
The 6 required assignments will account for 60% of your final grade for the semester.
Each assignment will be evaluated for completion of req’d tasks, originality of expression, craft, thoroughness of documentation. Assignments will be returned with grades and comments after completed blog posts have been made. The final prototype will be worth 40% of your final grade and will be evaluated based on the same criteria as above.
Attendance
The professor will take attendance at the beginning of every class. If you are late for the class without a legitimate excuse (see student handbook) this will count as half an absence. 2 unexcused absences will cause your final grade to be reduced by one letter grade, 3 unexcused absences will result in failure of the course.
Backup
All students will be required to keep a backup copy of their work on Zip Disk, CD/DVD, or Micro drive. In the event that the server goes down or work is lost due to some computer failure the student will be expected to produce a backup copy of the work. Failure to produce a backup copy will result in a failing grade for the assignment. There will be no exceptions to these rules.
SCHEDULE
| week | topic | technical | assignment | |
| wk1 | class meta info | Intro | acquire materials | |
| wk2 | survey of interactive technologies | digital i/o | as1: LED sequencer | |
| wk3 | play/interactivity | analog input | as2: sensing light | |
| wk4 | precedent presentations | Transistors + relays | as3: light show | |
| wk5 | precedent presentations | IC’s + sensors | as4: proximity events | |
| wk6 | precedent presentations | motors | as5: controlling motion | |
| wk7 | defibrillator code | serial communication with flash | as6: controlling the screen | |
| wk8 | computer vision | computer vision with flash | complete as6 + final project statement | |
| wk9 | spring break no class | |||
| wk10 | hellenic museum visit | multiplexing w/ ohp device | FP as1: mockup 1 | |
| wk11 | individual/team review | open | ||
| Wk12 | individual/team review | open | FP as2: mockup 2 | |
| Wk13 | individual/team review | open | ||
| wk14 | individual/team review | open | FP as3: working prototype | |
| wk15 | individual/team review | open | FP as4: debugging, refining | |
| wk16 | individual/team review | open | FP as5: complete project and report | |
| wk17 | setup for open house |
Tools + Materials req’d
The following electronic components will be used in the class and for the assignments.
- arduino microcontroller | sparkfun.com (can share with a classmate)
- usb cable for arduino | anywhere
- solderless breadboard | jameco.com recommended pn: 194299/mouser.com/radioshack
- led’s (min 12) | jameco.com/mouser.com/radioshack
- 1n4004 diode (4) | jameco.com pn: 1537900ps /mouser.com/radioshack
- push button switch | jameco.com/mouser.com/radioshack
- toggle switch | jameco.com/mouser.com/radioshack
- 22pF Disk capacitor (3) | jameco.com pn: 15405CJ/mouser.com/radioshack
- 0.01uF Disk (3) | jameco.com pn: 15229CJ/mouser.com/radioshack
- 0.1uF Disk (3) | jameco.com pn: 151116CJ/mouser.com/radioshack
- 1uF Electrolytic (3) | jameco.com pn: 94160cj/mouser.com/radioshack
- photocells (6) doesnt matter what kind preferably all the same | jameco.com pn: 202420/mouser.com/radioshack
- Omron g5ca-1a 5vdc relay (or similar, 1A AC, 5vdc relay) | jameco.com pn: 187151cj/mouser.com
- 10 ohm resistors (20) | jameco.com pn: 29882cj/mouser.com/radioshack
- 100 ohm resistors (10) | jameco.com pn: 29946cj/mouser.com/radioshack
- 220 ohm resistors (10) | jameco.com pn: 690700PS/mouser.com/radioshack
- 470 ohm resistors (12) | jameco.com pn: 690785PS /mouser.com/radioshack
- 1k ohm resistors (20) | jameco.com pn: 29663CJ /mouser.com/radioshack
- 10k ohm resistors (10) | jameco.com pn: 29911ps/mouser.com/radioshack
- 100k ohm resistors (10) | jameco.com pn: 690380ps/mouser.com/radioshack
- 5v voltage regulator | jameco.com pn: 51183ps/mouser.com/radioshack
- 10k potentiometer (1) | jameco.com pn: 264411ps/mouser.com/radioshack
- NPN2222A transistors (4) | jameco.com pn: 924289ps/mouser.com/radioshack
- 3.3V Zener diodes (4) | jameco.com pn: 743488ps /mouser.com/radioshack
- Darlington Transistor TIP 120 (4) | jameco.com pn: 32993ps/mouser.com/radioshack
- Motor driver H-bridge (SN754410, aka L293) | jameco.com/mouser.com/ sparkfun pn: com-00315
- 9v battery snap | jameco.com/mouser.com/radioshack
- red, green, black, white 22awg solid core wire
In addition to the parts above, you may consider buying some of the following tools as they will be used for most everything you do. There will be atleast one of each of these tools available to you in the lab and the shop should have most of them as well.
- Small 2-in-1 screwdriver
- wire cutter/stripper
- needle nose pliers
- 12v transformer
- Digital Multimeter
- third hand
- Soldering Iron
- Lead Free Solder
- Tweezer
