This paper along with other videos are some jumping oiff point for an interesting yet viable final project.
I began brainstorming ideas focusing on my areas of interest such as of robotics, drones, wearable devices, and immersive strorytelling. A project referencing my introduction to performance through tap dance has lingered in my mind for several years. The Responsive Environments group at the MIT Media Lab had a fantastic wearable “Expressive Footwear” project circa 2000. After looking further into the project, I was inspired to see if I could develop the original design using modern tools such as 3d printing. 3D printed footwear is getting incredibly popular, and it seems reasonable to predict a future in which 3D printers are as standard in the average household as 2D devices. I began researching what has been developed in the field and questioned how an individual could design their own 3d printed shoes custom to a high-fidelity model of one’s foot.
I began thinking of ways to develope on the 1998 project by the Responsive Enviornment group as a starting point for my final project idea. ALthough, I am sure it will change drastically by the end of the semester.
Frankly, I don’t have any knowledge of physical computing, which is limiting me from fully developing a final prototype. I am continuing to research in different types of sensors that would be useful for sonification (e.g., proximity and pressure) and how large those components are at a reasonable price. I don’t know if this is possible to build in a semester, but we will see where this goes!
I have switched my concept to building a open-source mocap suit that would ideally have 6 modules: one on the head, two in the hands, and two one the feet!
I knew I needed these united to be wireless and send data over wifi or bluetooth. Therfore, I began working with the ESP32 during Embedded Programming week to start designing for this a chip with these capabilities.
More information on how I designed this chip @ Week 7
During week eight I decided to protoype by headpiece module. My intention was to experiment with different materials for the wearable encasement.
I began designing the form of the headpice in fusion and experimented with how a PCB will attach to the body for the module. Additionally, I thought it might be useful to have a camera on the unit so I added this new element to the design.
More information on how I designed this encasement @ Week 8
For week nines assignment I decided to attach an IMU sensor to my first prototype. My intention was see how useful the data of this sensor would be and how many frames per second I could upload through a web socket
I also worked an more sturdy encasement that would hopefully handle the weight distribution of the device across both ears.
This was the next iteration of te headpiece unit built in Fusion 360
More information on this sensor and the programs I am running @ Week 9
More information on this Lithium Battery and the programs I am running @ Week 10