Final Project

For your final, you are to demonstrate a fully physically interactive system that keeps a user engaged. You may work on your own or in groups of 2 for this project. You are expected to keep notes every week as you progress.

You should be able to draw on the skills we covered in class and show off what you can do. This includes but is not limited to serial communication between a computer and a microcontroller, physical interaction design (ex. is the interface understandable, is there a mapping between the interface and the system, is it repeatable, etc etc ),and physical construction (are the wires and electonics hidden from view, does it collapse when it is used, etc.).

You will have milestones each week to document and describe.

• Project summary - what is the idea for your system, what does it do? - Due Friday Nov 15
  • include sketches, imnages, prior examples and inspirations. Create a narrative and imaging acting it out (actually act it out in class too, you’re all good with this). Your project description should be at least 200 words, and you need to include multiple shetches, renderings, and inages for what you propose to make.
• BOM - what are the materials you need, what is the knowledge you need - Due Fri Nov 22
• beta version of the system due. Basic functionality and a prototype must be ready - Due Fri Dec 6
• final project Due Wed Dec 11 and documentation - Due Fri Dec 13
  • You will demo your project in class. As appropriate, other students should be able to use and interact with your project.
  • On your class site you need to include the following information in a post (if working in pairs you can share the technical documentation, but each partner needs to write their own evaluation):
    • Clear video illustrating the project working - all the functionality that is complete needs to be demonstrated. A 15 second out-of-frame/focus phone video is not sufficient. This should be staged to show the interaction. You’re all using your hands in your projects, use a tripod or film someone else using it for good documentation.
    • A written description of the technical system.
    • An illustration of your circuit as a schematic or block diagram (include all the components and connections)
    • All your code as a text file or github repo (no screenshots)
    • A written evaluation of your project. Describe what you intended to do, what you actually made, what you would have done differently, articulate if you feel the project was successful or not and why, and what you learned about interaction design from this process.

Document your work thoroughly online as you go. Include details of all phases of the project.

Various project ideas

• Musical Instruments - create an interfave for a musical instrument on your computer.
• Controller - a music, video, performance, gestrure, or game controller.
• Sensor Visualization - create a system that changes over time based on the sensor input (long term art isntallation)
• interactive objects - think of a physical artifact that lives in the world and is resaponsive to external stimuli
• networked devices - interactive objects that can communicate with one another