Documentation Due: Feb 17 2023
__Submit Documentation: http://ideate.xsead.cmu.edu/gallery/pools/rme-2023-animistic-alternatives
Brief: Drawing inspiration from Bjorn Karrmann’s Objectifier, hack an everyday object to imbue it with intelligence. Your goal is to creative experiment with the function of an everyday appliance, integrate intelligence into its function (and perhaps even subvert that function) to create a magical or agentive interaction.
Goals Get familiar with basics of microcontroller programming, working with inputs and outputs, and experimenting with enchanting every day objects. Goal is individually build deep skills with one component that can be used when students meet in the subsequent projects (i.e. students paired so the group have skills as a whole with all three inputs and outputs)
Another goal of this exercise is to consider how everyday objects might draw on the supernatural to render discursive designs. Remember: You should try to develop a critical stance on contemporary technology that sets up an intentional propostion for an alternative design. The possibilities are wide and varied. But you should:
Unusual approaches, left-of-center thinking, and impracticality is encouraged!
Objectifier empowers people to train objects in their daily environment to respond to their unique behaviors. It gives an experience of training an artificial intelligence; a shift from a passive consumer to an active, playful director of domestic technology. Interacting with Objectifier is much like training a dog - you teach it only what you want it to care about. Just like a dog, it sees and understands its environment.
With computer vision and a neural network, complex behaviours are associated with your command. For example, you might want to turn on your radio with your favorite dance move. Connect your radio to the Objectifier and use the training app to show it when the radio should turn on. In this way, people will be able to experience new interactive ways to control objects, building a creative relationship with technology without any programming knowledge.
Develop your domain understanding of ubiqutious computing by researching and making hybrid objects;;
Develop an understanding of concepts like critical making, and counterfactuals, and how they relate to the design of alternative devices;
Build skills with prototyping hardware, electronics, and intelligent processes using tools like the Arduino Platform and Teachable Machine.
Imagine how new hybrid objects can be designed to present critical perspectives on technology;
Investigate and respond to concerns and considerations that currently surround everyday technology and smart home devices through hands-on making and exploration.
Develop a hands-on exploration that begins to tease-out the broader considerations and opportunities for building spooky-technologies
Work individually to highlight your existing skillsets, expertise, and perspective within the context of this course and understand how they might contribute to an interdisciplinary investigation by making work.
Constraints:
Considerations:
Constraint is a good thing. Get creative and embrace it.
Use the project logs as both an opportunity to learn each element of this project one-by-one and an invitation to experiment!
This project will involve hacking, taking apart, and building onto the object you’re assigned. Do with it as you will.
Consider what the primary functions of the device you’ve been assigned are, it’s materials, and how a person uses it. Inspect it closely. Identify the expectations that someone might have of it. Use this to creatively subvert or defy expectations.
A physical prototype. You can take any approach to preparing this tangible manifestation that you feel is appropriate. This should be of reasonable fidelity to give form your your proposal, but will reflect your skills with prototyping interactive systems.
Other collateral to support the design (a flyer, advertisment, etc.) as needed
A demonstration and presentation of your process and outcome (5 minutes maximum)
Digital documentation of your process and outcome.
Final deliverables to be presented at the Crit/Review
Include a write up of the following:
Intent: What is the intent of this project and how does it reflect a critical perspective? Write about the big ideas behind your project? What are the goals? Why did you make it? What are your motivations?
Context : Give examples of prior work, ideas and projects that influenced your design. What work informed this idea i.e. make links to the material in class and the cases/projects you uncovered in this module. Describe theory, concepts, and research from this module that relate to your outcome.
Prototype/Outcome: Describe your experience/working prototype: What did you create, how, etc.? What tools and technologies were involved? Include appropriate content and illustration (e.g. a concept video, a video of the device in operation, diagrams, code, etc.) How does it relate or build on existing work (provide acknowledgements or cite this work). You should report this in sufficient detail that anyone knowledgable with electronics etc would be able to reconstruct your implementation. Be sure to include a system diagram, annotated images, code, and a bill of materials.
Process: Draw from your weekly project logs to tell the story of your exploration. Describe how you arrived out the outcome. What iterations, refinements, design decisions and changes were made? What challenges were encountered and how did you resolve them?
Open Questions and Next Steps: What remains unresolved (in the concept, implementation or conversation around this outcome)? What are the things we should pay attention to for future explorations? What questions about ‘spookiness’ or everyday technology did this exploration raise or generate? What questions reamin to be addressed?
Reflection: Critically reflect on the success of this project. Were the aspirations and ambitions achieved. Was it received and encountere din the ways you wanted? If not, why not? What do you need to get there, etc?
Attribution and References: Reference any sources or materials used in the documentation or composition.
Each of these sections should be no more than 200 words max. and well illustrated (images, videos, etc.)
For the Project Info’s goal description: it must be tweetable - summarise your outcome in no more than 140 characters