Archive of Recent Posts by maria
“Visual Intelligence” – Donald D. Hoffman
http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/readings/Visual_intelligence.pdf Hoffman argues that we create everything we see, hear, feel, smell, taste, etc. He says the we easily believe this in the case of seeing, because of the extensive research done on varying visual perception, but that we consider touch to have a more concrete connection to a common reality. He talks about […]
Serial Communication 2
I got a very long (2 ft i think) force sensing resistor for our media controller, and I’m using it for this lab. I really love it. Its so sensitive and conducts evenly throughout its length. The next part includes two flex sensors. With the addition of the switch, I tried to make it add […]
Interactive Device.
In the sense of “listening, thinking, responding”, the subway ticket machine processes a range of input and responds with options, followed by a final response of the card or the card refill. It says welcome, thank you, and good bye. Shortly after reading the Norman article I had to buy a new card, and despite […]
Serial Communication Lab
I have been so frustrated for so long about this issue that keeps resurfacing, especially in this lab. I first had this problem in the stupid pet trick, when I didn’t know anything about serial communication, I faked my way around it by altering the code, and now its back to haunt me. I think […]
Analog Output Labs
The servo code was really interesting : the fake analog out strategy of pulse width modulation. I’m trying to understand it: As I understand, a full pulse cycle of two pulses, consists of a high pulse of 5V and a low of 0V, no V, of varying lengths (in order of a few milliseconds – […]
Norman – The Design of Everyday Things and Emotional Design
I really appreciate Norman’s passion for good design, and his anger toward bad design. I too sometimes have a hard time opening doors and working simple devices, and it makes me irrationally angry at that device, or person who made it, for making me feel so incompetent, but mostly for unnecessarily causing the stress and frustration. […]
Stupid Pet Trick
Allison and I made a squirrel nut cracker that cracks jokes as it cracks nuts. A few things I would like to remember: the funniness of things becomes more complicated when you spend hours working on the code of it (but maybe it would feel the same with the sadness of things, or the profoundness […]
Design meets Disability, Graham Pullin
Sorry to my many dedicated readers for my blogging hiatus. I need to catch up because I’m learning a lot that I am about to forget. This reading was really helpful. I have always been passionate about good design, or very angry about the lack of it, in every object. Pullin’s focus on the ipod […]
Electronics Lab
I soldered the ac/dc converter and used that for my power supply through a 5 volt voltage regulator. But I believe there is something wrong with it, it may be blown out or burned. At first it got very hot ( I may have wired it incorrectly the first time) then the voltage readings I […]
Fantasy Device
This device is something I desperately need or want really. It is a bag that follows you around like a child (its only like a child in this sense – that it follows you around, its otherwise inferior, obviously) or a trained mule. One would be able to put into it anything they wanted without […]