Since the successful blinking light assignment, we have learned loads more about arduino, electronics, and now digital design.
Our second group project required us to incorporate LDR photo sensors into our codes and circuits in order to track a moving light on at least two axes. It took a lot of trial and error, but in the end our device worked! Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of the final project, but I promise to document our next project much more effectively.
With the LDR project we encountered MANY issues, most of each were, unbeknownst to us, easy to fix of course :S, and caused us much craziness. We learned that the USB ports of our laptops don’t have enough juice to power more than very simple circuits. When we added servo motors and cross read different components, it was too much for the computer to handle. In the end, we had two arduinos hooked up to two external power sources and two laptops (which were used more for information processing than for power). Needless to say, our device was not exactly energy efficient, but now we know what our mistakes were and what we need to do differently next time.
This week, we are adding another design variable into the equation: Digital Project, which is a 3D parametric design program from the makers of Catia. The possibilities of this program seen endless, and I can’t wait to use them to design a field of sensors that follows the path of the sun.
More to come later when we’ve started working through the task!
Adventures in Smartsurfaces 