Final Expo: If Blinds could See

If Blinds could see

We are interested in the ambiguous nature of blinds. On the one hand they are meant to conceal whatever is behind them, on the other hand the way that they are built allows for that to change. They can be completely closed to deter all gazes, opened slightly, almost as an invitation, or opened and reeled in all the way as if they were never there in the first place. In domestic situations, blinds are usually open during the day: people have few things to hide. In the evening, they are slightly closed but not all the way, withstanding a quick glance into the intimate private time of a movie and a cuddle on the couch with a partner. At night they are fully closed: protecting us from being caught at our most vulnerable.

The very nature of blinds, the tension they hold and their transformative powers, is something that keeps people’s attention and more often than not appeals to their sense of curiosity. As many film noirs or Hitchcockian films have shown us: peeping is an exciting endeavor. There is the uncertainty of not knowing what you will see and on top of that the danger of being caught.

This work interacts with people’s curiosity and for some their tendency to take a peek.

In a shop window we will hang one reel of blinds that are closed, reading the text: 'curious'. When people pass by, the motion sensor detects them, which causes the blinds to switch to the other side. When this happens, a large pair of eyes will stare right at them. We hope this triggers their curiosity enough to come close to the window.

After an x amount of time if the distance sensor is still triggered, the blinds will tilt to their halfway position which allows visitors to peek through. However, instead of something exciting behind the blinds, there is another reel of blinds reading: 'satisfied'.

Both through the surprise of the blinds suddenly being opened and because of the ‘satisfied’ text, suggesting that someone or something knew they were going to peek, makes them reflect on themselves and the 'mischievous' deed they just committed and hopefully have a laugh about it.

Arduino Setup:

- Arduino Uno

- Ultrasonic HC-04 sensors

- Servo MG995 10kg

The code that was used for this project can be found here.