final project ideas | infinity mirror | ambigram -> Infinite Meteor Rain

O | Gathering the “stuff”

Inspiration (aka online tutorials as starting point)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAPGw0SD1DE

https://www.instructables.com/id/IKEA-Infinity-Mirror/

https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Infinity-Mirror-Bluetooth-Sound-Reactive/

https://www.hackster.io/Ben_Finio/arduino-controlled-rgb-led-infinity-mirror-4935f1

http://www.johnlangdon.net/thoughts/types-of-ambigrams/

https://www.hackster.io/Lucas_Ainsworth/kaleidoscope-infinity-mirror-bdcd36

Infinity Mirror

Black Adjustable-Depth Shadow Box By Studio Décor®

Foam Board, 3/16″ thick

12 x 12 Acrylic Mirror

12 x 12 Acrylic See-through Mirror

Essentially, one just needs a mirror and a see-through mirror, or two-way mirror with a frame/ stand to place them over each other with min 1cm gap (or however think is the LED lights).

Electronics to build a LED clock

Adafruit Trinket – Mini Microcontroller – 5V – in the end, I used Arduino Uno instead

NeoPixel 1/4 60 Ring  – 4 to form a complete circle

Adafruit PCF8523 Real Time Clock Assembled Breakout Board

1 | Testing!

Unable to upload program to Trinket…

… seems like the Trinket does not work well with USB 3.0 port.

So I reverted back to the trusty Arduino UNO.

2 | Add RTC to Circuit

using this tutorial: https://learn.adafruit.com/neopixel-60-ring-clock

Adafruit DS1307 Real Time Clock Assembled Breakout Board

https://www.adafruit.com/product/3296

But it worked once, then did not work… Apparently it is not as reliable to use power from USB as compared to direct power. So…

2 | Building the Infinity Mirror

 

3 | Tweaking?

SIGH…

Couldn’t find that library.

 

Summary & Reflection

1. I wanted to create – an infinity clock inspired by my favourite jewerly designer who said that “Then watches were only chronometers – measurers of time, which one got constantly caught out by. I wanted to free people form the slavery of time, I wanted to make a watch which reminded one that life is here and now, so I created a watch with a mirror face, no numbers and a simple second hand. A watch should not make us prisoners of time–but liberate us. Perhaps it is possible to make a timepiece which more intensely perceives the Here and Now. The watch is open ended to symbolize that time should not bind us, and the dial like a mirror reminds us that life is now.”
3. But I didn’t manage to make what I wanted to because of certain technical challenges which could be due to my lack of experiences (which resulted in alot of digging around and troubleshooting)
4. • Trinket did not work with USB 3.0. -> Although, if I had read everything about it before deciding to use it, then I won’t have this problem.
   • Real Time Clock
     • Firstly, I must say that I underestimated the difficulty of buying a CR1220 battery. Should have ordered it together with the order from Adafruit (would have saved $ too!).
     • Secondly, my RTC only worked for one time and it stopped. I suspect 1) the USB input couldn’t supply enough battery, should have gotten an external adaptor. 2) I am also not sure if I have “burnt” the circuit board while soldering. I remembered having a tiny explosion of fumes when I was soldering.
   • Problem with coding, loading “libraries”, selecting the right board, port etc. Enough said. Because I don’t exactly know how to start discribing the agony I had while trying to troubleshoot and google “how to download code and uncompress in arduino sketch folder” (see below). 
   • Actually, as I am writing this, I remember as I tried to follow this tutorial, I had moments where I felt like I should have read the entire tutorial and understand it completely before I try following it. Because, the “important note” (screenshot above), was only apparent to me after I had the RTC issue. Hence, it got me thinking about the Art of Creating Online Resources – what might be the best way to “document” or create tutrials?
   • I wished I had more time to play with arduino… because I feel like I am just starting to get the hang of it (at least circuiting), and I want to learn more about how to code. They still look like a very foreign language to me.

 

 

---

 

HANG ON…

https://www.tweaking4all.com/hardware/arduino/adruino-led-strip-effects/#LEDStripEffectMeteorRain

 

finally figured out!

#include “FastLED.h”
#define NUM_LEDS 60
CRGB leds[NUM_LEDS];
#define PIN 6

void setup()
{
FastLED.addLeds(leds, NUM_LEDS).setCorrection( TypicalLEDStrip );
}

void loop() {
meteorRain(0xff,0xff,0xff,10, 64, true, 30);
}

void meteorRain(byte red, byte green, byte blue, byte meteorSize, byte meteorTrailDecay, boolean meteorRandomDecay, int SpeedDelay) {
setAll(0,0,0);

for(int i = 0; i < NUM_LEDS+NUM_LEDS; i++) {

// fade brightness all LEDs one step
for(int j=0; j5) ) {
fadeToBlack(j, meteorTrailDecay );
}
}

// draw meteor
for(int j = 0; j < meteorSize; j++) {
if( ( i-j =0) ) {
setPixel(i-j, red, green, blue);
}
}

showStrip();
delay(SpeedDelay);
}
}

void fadeToBlack(int ledNo, byte fadeValue) {
#ifdef ADAFRUIT_NEOPIXEL_H
// NeoPixel
uint32_t oldColor;
uint8_t r, g, b;
int value;

oldColor = strip.getPixelColor(ledNo);
r = (oldColor & 0x00ff0000UL) >> 16;
g = (oldColor & 0x0000ff00UL) >> 8;
b = (oldColor & 0x000000ffUL);

r=(r<=10)? 0 : (int) r-(r*fadeValue/256);
g=(g<=10)? 0 : (int) g-(g*fadeValue/256);
b=(b<=10)? 0 : (int) b-(b*fadeValue/256);

strip.setPixelColor(ledNo, r,g,b);
#endif
#ifndef ADAFRUIT_NEOPIXEL_H
// FastLED
leds[ledNo].fadeToBlackBy( fadeValue );
#endif
}
void showStrip() {
#ifdef ADAFRUIT_NEOPIXEL_H
// NeoPixel
strip.show();
#endif
#ifndef ADAFRUIT_NEOPIXEL_H
// FastLED
FastLED.show();
#endif
}

void setPixel(int Pixel, byte red, byte green, byte blue) {
#ifdef ADAFRUIT_NEOPIXEL_H
// NeoPixel
strip.setPixelColor(Pixel, strip.Color(red, green, blue));
#endif
#ifndef ADAFRUIT_NEOPIXEL_H
// FastLED
leds[Pixel].r = red;
leds[Pixel].g = green;
leds[Pixel].b = blue;
#endif
}

void setAll(byte red, byte green, byte blue) {
for(int i = 0; i < NUM_LEDS; i++ ) {
setPixel(i, red, green, blue);
}
showStrip();
}

https://tutorial45.com/arduino-potentiometer-projects-for-beginners/

Servo + Potentiometer + Arduino

viii

---

 

 

vii

Arduino

 

What it is supposed to do:

When the button is pressed, the servo will sweep 180 degrees in alternating directions.

Problem:

However, the servo seems to rotate more than 180 degrees each time, (about 1000 degrees, slightly less than 3 rotations).

Also, the legs of the button were bent slightly when I removed it from the breadboard, hence resulting in perhaps poor connection (see the beginning of the video).

 

Resources Consulted:

https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Sweep

https://www.instructables.com/id/Servo-Motor-Arduino/

H B D

vi

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v

Paper Circuit

In progress…

Need to change the LEDs to be the same color/ same resistance for this paper circuit to work.

 

1. Created the pop-up as a template. Was going to draw the circuit plan here…

(Created a folding structure to conceal the copper coil, but it was too complicated!)

2. Created a serial circuit with a blinking switch. However, it did not work because I later realized that the 3V battery would not be able to light up more than one LED in series. For example, to light up two LEDs, I would need two 3V batteries. However, I have seven LEDs (because this is a birthday card for a girl who’s turning 7 at the end of the month), so I have to figure out a way to create a parallel circuit.

3. I realized that I had to start with the furthest LED from the battery to optimize the copper foil tape.

 

4. Attempted creating a sliding switch, but it didn’t work very well.

5. Also tried to create a battery holder using the paper template from Chibitronics, but decided not to use it because it was too thick.

6. After a while, I figured out how to create a press switch instead.

7. The only problem was… the LEDs were of different colors with different resistance. (Only discovered that after a super long time…) So to fix it, I will probably have to change all the LEDs to the same color for this to work.

iv

MAKEY MAKEY

Was stuck, then the Woolbuddy kit came in. So… I thought of creating a Cactus that makes different pitches of “ouch!” when one touches it (when the circuit is complete).

Problem – the conductive material needs to be insulated before it is embedded.

Solution – insulation with washi tape

Problem – I am a self-identified tone deaf, and a bad singer. My recorded “ouches” sounded like they are of the same pitch.

Solution – Got help from a friend, but decided to create a series of different sound effects that are related to “touch” and “pain”.

For irony and humor, decided to use the felting needle to complete the circuit instead of using fingers.

---

POSSIBLE LESSON IDEAS

 

Musical Instruments
A Museum-Based Lesson at The MET
Physics + Music + Art

 

Suggested Art Tasks

K to Grade 5
Using found materials, create a musical instrument that has personal significance and has a function.

Grade 6 – 9
Using Makey Makey®, invent an original musical instrument using found objects.

Grade 10 – 12
Using Makey Makey® and/or other methods to create a body of artworks that re-define what is a musical instrument.

 

Suggested Lesson Sequence and Guiding Questions

Pre-museum visit sessions:
What is a Musical Instrument?

Museum visit session:
What are the different functions of musical instruments?
What materials were used to make musical instruments?

Post-museum visit sessions:
How to create a complete circuit (Makey Makey)?

iii

SCRATCH

Reflection on Reading:

Reading about Gears of My Childhood, I am reminded of Dewey’s description of an experience. The author’s encounter with the gears, his emotional attachment to them, appears to be an experience that has a lasting impact on his understanding of the world.  The author referred to the gear as a transitional object, and he highlighted that one is drawn to a transitional object by intrinsic motivation, with intimate feelings for the object, and there are “profound consequences” that might not be immediately measurable. Also, the gears could be a transitional object to the author, but it may not have the same affective effect on another person. Hence, there is a need for choice-based education where learners can have the opportunity to tap on their personal interests in learning. One example is the task that was given to us this week – to create an interactive piece about an experience or object from our childhood that influenced or inspired us, for we probably have unique experiences that might shape our entry point to this project.

My Inspirations:

I remember three objects that I was very drawn to as a child. The first one is this metal wire toy shown in the youtube video below. I do not remember how I got that object, but I remembered playing with it a lot until it was missing, and I could not locate or replace it. I sometimes think about this object, but I do have a name for it until I managed to google it as I write this post. It’s interesting that it’s called a fidget… It reminded me of the spinners that my students collect these days. (They are not even close to my wired toy!)

Another object that I was drawn to is the magnetic drawing tool. I remember doodling and erasing it over and over again, and I was more fascinated with how the marks were erased than how they were made. As I search for an image of it for this entry, I was surprised that the magnetic drawing boards have colored stamps and pens!

The third object that I was very drawn to is a spirograph. It was fasinating to my younger self how a repeated motion could create something so precise and beautiful.

My scratch project is inspired by a spirograph, but also with elements that could be related to the wire toy and the magnetic drawing board:

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/248248349/

It is a drawing tool that can make colorful lines that can make horizontal marks, vertical marks, spinning marks and random marks that is similar to a spirograph instrument. The “press space to clear” function attempts to imitate the magnetic drawing board. However, I had some difficulty in programming the drawing tool to “erase” the marks horizontally across the frame like the drawing board.

Scratch Project that I like:

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/200480290/

I secretly enjoy playing this game. It’s mind-numbing, yet satisfying. The person who re-created this game on scratch was brilliant!

ii

TURTLEART

 

Challenge #1: Imitation

I began my exploration by wanting to use the concept of rotation to create this motif from the book.

TurtleArt-ed:

 

Process:

This was my first attempt by visually estimating the angles of the module. It took me a while to figure out how to create a quadrilateral by using the “left/right” and “forward” function: the number next to the “left/right” function denotes the angle of rotation; the number next to the “forward” function denotes the distance of the line.

 

After realising that my angle estimations were off, I printed the screenshot and measured the angles using a protractor.

 

It was easy to create the inner quadrilateral, but…

it was difficult to create the outer quadrilateral accurately. I attempted to use my rusty trigonometry calculation to figure out the relationship between the angles and length of the sides, but this happened – the tips of the quadrilaterals were not aligned.

I used the trial-and-error method to aligned them, but…

the angles of the modules were off!

I decided to try creating the inner and outer quadrilaterals independently, and it worked! That’s when I realized that I didn’t have to calculate the sides because the two quadrilaterals had all equal sides. In hindsight, I could have combined “diamondS” and “diamondL”.

 

---

 

Challenge #2: Transformation

To create my original Mandela motif, I decided to modify the existing codes. The following screenshots show the transformation process.

---

Challenge #3:

To create a TurtleArt inspired by an artists’ work, I decided to attempt to reinterpret Picasso’s self-portrait in the blue period.

 

TurtleArt-ed:

This was the closest color palette I could achieve. (I wished there was the eye droplet function!) It was meant to be a moving image, with abstract “brushstrokes” gliding across the screen. However, I can’t seem to save this image in .gif format, hence the movement is absent in this .png image.

Reflection:

When I first started these challenges, I was frustrated and ashamed of my poor trigonometry knowledge. Perhaps, I could have drawn it quicker with a pencil and measuring instruments and felt that turtleArt could be limiting my “creativity”.

Now, I appreciate these challenges because I have learned that TurtleArt lends itself to the integration of Art & Mathematics. When I was a beginning teacher, I had the ambition of creating an interdisciplinary art curriculum for the general art program students in Secondary 1 to 2, but struggled with designing a Art & Mathematics project that might be engaging and motivating for my students (they often do not know how to draw a straight line using rulers). TurtleArt is a great idea because:

• It is easy for learners to imitate an image with templates.
• With scaffolding and interesting prompts, learners may be motivated to create something original.
• Differentiated instruction is possible by giving challenges that have varied difficulties.
• It has the potential for independent and collaborative learning.
• Images can be easily duplicated for experimentations and play.