Embedded Systems and Kinetic Art

CS5968 and Art4455
Fall 2009


Course Schedule from Fall 2009

Date

Meet In: Topics/Agenda Links
8/26 MEB 3133 Course intro, videos, discussion, Assignment 1handed out
  • Introduction slides from 8/26 in PDF 2 to a page and 6 to a page
  • Link to Arthur Ganson's web site - kinetic sculptures from MIT
  • Link to a description of The Way Things Go
  • Link to a short YouTube clip of The Way Things Go
  • Link to the Honda commercial derived from The Way Things Go
  • Assignment 1:
    • Look around for examples of arts/tech collaborations
    • Find a few examples that you find interesting
    • Make a short powerpoint/keynote presentation on what you found (5-10 min)
    • Show it to class next week (9/2)
9/2 MEB 3133 Student presentations (assignment 1)
9/9 MEB 3133 Arduino hand's-on, discussion
  • Arduino hand's-on, discussion - Here are the slides in PDF
  • We'll start with some very basic Arduino programs from the built-in examples "sketchbook." If you load the Arduino programming environment from www.arduino.cc, you can look at the code.
  • We'll start with Blink and Blink Without Delay which will introduce the Arduino language, and the structure of an Arduino "sketch" (ie. program).
  • We'll move to Fading and wiring up external LEDs with current-limiting resistors
  • Then wire up a button for the Button example (talk about current-limiting again)
  • Then you'll write a new program to fade-or-blink based on the button
  • Then look at Analog for analog inputs from a potentiometer (pot). You'll have to solder a few wires on the pot to make it work with the prototying boards (some random sites about soldering are here, here, and here).
  • Then you'll write a new program to control the brightness of an external LED from the pot, and also from a photocell (talk about pulse width modulation as a technique for produing analog output signals).
  • We'll also look at serial communication between the Arduino and the host machine
  • Finally, we'll look at using the analog output (PWM) to drive servos to make things move
  • Project #1 - form groups, take a bunch of parts (LEDs, servos, resistors, buttons, etc.) and build something cool....
9/16 AAC
3D room
Erik out of town - Paul's in charge  
9/23 MEB 3133 Project 1 critique
9/30 MEB 3133

First project discussion, DC motors, Stepper motors

Project #2 - due on Wednesday 10/21
  • Groups that dealt mostly with LED on Project 1 should deal with movement
  • Groups that dealt mostly with movement on Project 1 should deal with LEDs
  • All groups should include some sort of environmental sensing/reaction in their project
10/7 AAC
3D room
Final versions of project 1 assessed
10/14   No Class Fall Break
10/21 AAC
3D Room
Project 2 critique
  • Project #2 due!
    • Demo and critique
  • More motors and assemblies
10/28 MEB 3133 Artist reports, Final project teams
  • Artist survey and research paper.
    • Paul and I will make a list of kinetic artists. We'll dole out names from that list, and have each person in class do some reseach on that artist and write a short paper about them.
    • The paper should include a review of their work and their history, and some critique, analysis, and discussion of their content, context, and physical realizations.
    • Papers will be due near the end of the semester.
    • Ideally, the reports should be in a form that we can post on the class web site.
    • Artists to choose from include: Rebecca Horn, Dan Rozin, Leo Villareal, Alan Rath, Jim Campbell, Tim Hawkinson, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Jack Dollhausen, Peter Vogel, Sabrina Raaf, Roxy Paine, and Pe Lang & Zimoun.

  • We'll hand out names of artists to students. Paul and I have picked an artist for each student to do their report on.
    • Assignment details are here The report is due in class on 11/11, and you should give a short presentation to the class on your artist.
  • We'll talk about teams for the final project. We've done a shuffle so that everyone will work with completely different people on the final project.
  • Erik will finish the I2C and TLC5940 discussion
    • The last LED driver
      • TLC5940
    • The last serial protocol
      • I2C
  • Paul will talk about linear power supplies
    • Discussion and demo
11/4 AAC
3D Room
Interrupts and Timers
11/11 MEB 3133 Artist Reports
  • Artist report class presentations - students should do a short class presentation on their artist.
  • Web-capable artist reports due - we'll link them to this web site.

Artist Reports:

Lawrence Boye: Jack Dollhausen

Josh Bross: Peter Vogel

Kevin Brown: Dan Rozin

Quinton Christensen: Jim Campbell

Matt Fisher: Rebecca Horn

Brandt Hammer: Leo Villareal

Mayuko Nakamura: Sabrina Raaf

Cory Shirts: Roxy Paine

Jesse Smith: Alan Rath

11/18 MEB 3133 Final Project Proposals
  • Final project proposals - in-class proposals, critique, and disucssion
  • Erik can also demo IR proximity circuits, and piezo sensors
  • Paul can finish his discussion about high-power switching and AC circuits
11/25   No Class Thanksgiving Break
12/2 AAC
3D Room
Work Day
  • Final project work day - attendance is still required, but it's a chance to get some work done on your project.
  • Erik and Paul will be around to answer questions and help figure things out
  • Teams should be working to finish their final project, and to finish polishing the first two projects for exhibition
12/9 MEB 3133 Final Project Critique
  • Final project review and critique
  • Exhibit planning
12/16 MEB 3133 Final Exhibition go/no-go decisions
  • Final exhibition go/no-go decision on all projects