PG02 Progress Blog
Kat Lee Hornstein // Ravensbourne // MA Interactive Digital Media
What is This?
CYCLE 2
✪ Independent Making & Small Scale Innovation ✪
October 25 – December 6 2017
Final week summary:
My flex sensors got to a point where I made one that functioned flawlessly so long as you pulled it REALLY TAUGHT... it became a problem and I needed a solution, fast, if i was going to finish my wearable. I found that solution and it’s taken away a lot of time I wanted to suss out / perfect other things but that’s how the cookie crumbles.
We all had our hands really full this week, and it was a whirlwind by the end. But we did it.
Below I’ll review where everything ended up & include some stuff with my final functioning sensor.
We present tomorrow. I’ll include some thoughts on that.
I’m so tired writing this but know I need to do it now; I’ll include some other favorite articles from this week as well & call it a night, as I’ll be in obscenely early tomorrow to wrap up with KP.
Best sensor yet?
NOTE: ALSO SWITCHED TO CLEAR MATERIAL!
Aesthetically we really want everyone to be able to see what’s going on!! Push that DIY vibe to the max really? Guts inside out.
Enjoy my piles of failure sticks (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and counting:)
: (
(Almost Success Stick #4)
Ok so this sensor was assembled all according to my new theories and adjustments.
And actually ...this sensor DID end up working really well which was SO exciting. I was on cloud 9.
BUUUUT
you have to pull it REALLY taught for it to be “straight” again. I think, somehow I can’t get the layers to be consistent enough so I remake and it works a bit better...I think maybe if I just make enough and get it perfect?
Additional attempts:
Turns out no matter how many times I made and remade these, I could not get them to function consistently. None as brilliantly as the first, and Not enough to guaruntee anything reliable to successfully perform in. It was really disappointing, and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.
Then I remembered I had this totally random foam tube I’d bought on a supplies mission with KP.
I thought about how I know the flex sensor works, and wondered if I couldn’t just make the most BASIC version ever on an even bigger scale?
The foam tube is totally open enough that the strips won’t touch when it’s straight. There’s too much air. But when I bend, it fully folds in on itself which virtually guaruntees the strips will touch.
TA DA spoiler, it totally worked
Yes I now have something ready tomorrow. It wasn’t what I intended but it works and that’s great. I can still show all the failed versions?
I’m also fully confident in my ability to talk about how this all functions because my head has been so buried in it for weeks, I actually have learned more about how circuits and touchboards work than I could have fathomed at the start. To be honest I was a bit terrified as it was foreign to me.
Now I can actually troubleshoot when something goes wrong and that’s gratifying.
I’m also fully confident in my ability to talk about how this all functions because my head has been so buried in it for weeks, I actually have learned more about how circuits and touchboards work than I could have fathomed at the start. To be honest I was a bit terrified as it was foreign to me.
Now I can actually troubleshoot when something goes wrong and that’s gratifying.
AND SO here we are: et voila, it’s wearable, it works consistently, it can perform tomorrow. At this point I’m grateful for that.
We’ve all been in our own worlds for a little while; that was part of the plan when we each took on our own sensor. But we’ve all still kept learning from each other through ALL of our failures, we troubleshoot together...it’s been a fun time. If you don’t believe me take a look at Richard and tell me otherwise.