Project 4: Doorbell 🔔

The Bedroom [Vincent van Gogh, 1888]

Design Goal

This week, we introduced a new type of input: capacitive touch. We learned how to make the Neopixels light when we touch the pins.

Now, having multiple options for input, we were tasked with making our own doorbell which could have any mode of input or output. I planned to make a doorbell shaped like a puppy that would play music every time someone touched the puppy's nose i.e with capacitive touch as input and sound as the output

Code Reusability ♻

As I remembered having a hard time coding music in my music box project, I decided to use the same music in my doorbell too. This would mean that I would have to write and edit a smaller block of code. I had to edit the code to play the entire tune once the external copper tape was touched. I was able to get the code to work after spending some time on it. Then, I started working on making the puppy face which was relatively easier to complete.

Crafting a Puppy

After finding a reference picture to work from, I started cutting up different parts of the puppy's face. I cut out a hole for where its nose would go so that I could cover the nose with copper tape and connect it to the circuit board with alligator clips. After connecting the circuit, I tested the doorbell and made sure that it still worked.

Final Design

20231015_165346.mp4

Reflection

I think developing a growth mindset through the first few projects helped me plan and complete the project smoothly. I felt much more comfortable dealing with new code syntaxes and working with the pins on the board to make a circuit that would complement the code. I was able to enjoy the process more; including the coding and even exploring the Fimbel Lab for different components for my project. I feel a stronger sense of belongingness in the maker space. It is fun to observe what other creative projects other students are making. The staff at Fimbel and their feedback have also been helpful not only in completing the projects but also in making effective use of the tools and resources within the maker space.

I resorted to using the same music as for my music box. While it was also due to time constraints, I made this choice because I did not feel very comfortable coding music. Although I know that iDesign is not a programming-heavy course, I hoped my CS background would help me with the coding half of the projects. Learning coding in this course has been quite different from my previous experiences learning a new coding language. However, the learning process has also been very different. With Arduino programming, I know most of what I do from numerous cycles of trial and error. Regardless, I am proud of the projects I have completed this far.

Page updated