Dancing with Walls Covid Style
People are depressed and bored sitting in their homes with all the stress and online tasks and working from home; no parties, no going out nothing to change their mood and everyone is fighting his own battle.
I thought of changing the space they are in with dynamic walls that move with the music to give them the motivation and the atmosphere to move their bodies and share fun times with their family or friends.
I thought of the origami to make that flexible moving layer that can contract and expand easily
Let the stars guide you through your darkness...Hakuna Matata!!!
I want to light up spaces with an iconic yet interactive piece...that will have different light intensities and colors with a changeable shape that the user can adjust easily; using origami, led lights, light diffusers and a good mechanism.
I was inspired by 2 Projects that have been integrated to form this project.
The first one was "The Miyo Lamp by Silke Steinberg"; it was made using Organic LEDs. From Silke Steinberg, a lamp design derived from origami. “The intuitive regulation of light originates from the qualities of the folding. The intensity of the luminous power is linked to the form of the structure.”
The second one was "The Hexagon Light by Glory store"; the hexagons light up when someone touches them and change their color if the same action is done again.
Bozo as for Bozo the clown; this wall symbolizes how the clown motivates and supports us, trying to draw a smile on our faces regardless of his own problems.
As this wall did not work as planned and the origami cardboard couldn't contract or expand, this makes it a real bozo; it still has lights and music and it also interacts with the user to give a happier and colorful atmosphere but it has challenges to overcome.
IR sensors work with the motors and racks to expand the origami cardboard lighting up the white lights in the middle once someone gets close.
Getting closer to bozo will light up bozo's different colors, according to how far or close the user is. (Ultrasonic sensor)
Finally when the user gets bored or depressed the music with the lights may give the user joy, happiness and motivation to continue the day.
Minimum Features:
Color change mode: The user will be able to change the module color when touched.
Action: Different colors appear.
Sensing: Motion.
User Input: Move-in front
of it or touch it.
Advice: To let one module be the base
and all the other modules be peripheral modules.
Or stand alone modules
Complete Features:
Origami mode: The user will be able to adjust the light intensity; when the model contract or expand.
Action: Move the model through the mechanism.
Sensing: Motion.
User Input: Move one piece of the model that will move it all accordingly.
Nice-to-have Features:
Music mode: Light will change colors when music is plugged in.
Action: Color change according to music different frequencies.
Sensing: Sound.
User Input: Music from a mobile or any music device.
Each color is connected in parallel to have more pins for the other components to be connected to the Arduino.
First, we had to connect all the LEDs and RGB leds together (positive to positive and negative to negative; for RGB red to red, blue to blue and green to green), then a resistor is connected to the last led in line then to the MOSFET to amplify the voltage in the circuit as the current directed from each group of LED is high and same goes for the three motors; they were connected to each other and then to the MOSFET then to the Arduino.
Secondly, the ultrasonic sensor was connected to the Arduino (pin 4; trigger, pin 7; echo), RGB leds (pin 3, pin5, pin 6), LEDs (pin 11, pin 12, pin 13).
A 9V power supply was connected to the breadboard for the lights to be fully brightened.
The input components are the Ultrasonic sensor and the IR sensor and the song from the computer.
The action components are the motors, LEDs and RGB LEDs.
Ultrasonic Sensor: to convert the motion to light (RGB leds) according to how far the person is standing in front of it.
IR Sensor: to move the motor, open the origami and light up the white light in the middle.
The music from the laptop will light up the RGB leds and less according to the beat of the song leading to a dynamic harmony between the different leds.
RGB LEDs will continue with the music unless someone stands in front of the ultrasonic it will return to its normal function; changing colors according to the distance.
TinkerCad was used to simulate the code before applying it. Arduino was used to upload the code and finally processing was used to play the beat and light the different LEDs.
My power source is the Arduino and a 9V adaptor.
First, I tried the 5V adaptor and the light of LEDs was very low, in order to compromise this situation, the voltage needed to get higher for the lights to be bright and fully lighted up.
Also, MOSFET was needed to distribute the current for the lights, motors to function properly.
The code was mainly created using tinkerCad blocks.
Then was edited on the Arduino to fit the functions needed.
Also, processing was used and connected to the Arduino code to be able to use the beats of the music with the LEDs.
https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-LEDs-Flash-to-Music-with-an-Arduino/
I have used this link to help me connect the music; as it has step-by-step instructions on how to connect the components and edit the code, moreover, it contains the library included in the code; that you can download and use easily.
Firmata library was used...also included in the link and week #8.
First, I had the ultrasonic code, but I needed to add more RGB LEDs to be connected in parallel and that is why I added the MOSFET to help me with the high current.
Second, the IR sensor and LEDs were connected but had the same problem; the MOSFET.
Third, I used the Arduino code to combine them all together with the processing library (firmata) in order to integrate all the functions together.
To begin with, I had a problem with the mechanism of the project and how the origami would expand and contract to form the expected shape. That is why I have made an experiment using canson paper and cardboard and it worked, as shown in the video.
Next, when I cut the cardboard I tried to move it and it was flexible and functioning and it went well, even when connected to the rack.
The problem came into after connecting the RGB leds and the normal leds, that is when the cardboard became a bit rigid and the motors nor the racks couldn't move it.
That is why different materials for wiring and origami need to be used in order for the project to move the origami.
Also for the diffuser, I had to use different materials overlapping each other in order for the light to be distributed.
I would change the material of the origami and the wires and find thinner ones or maybe more flexible ones.
would color it in an artistic way.
will connect the mobile application that I have made and use it with speakers instead of the music coming out of the laptop.