There is a moment where imagination sparks innovation. For me, that moment took me back to the muddy adventures of my childhood. Picture this: a young kid, covered in mud, going back home. It is necessary to turn on the lights without adding to the crime scene. And from this muddy dilemma, an idea was born—a switch that doesn’t need a clean hand but just a simple step.
Progress
I made a simple circuit out of these components: 5V – jumper wire – resistor – jumper wire – LED – Ground. It was easy to make the circuit, however, the key was to create a gap in the circuit, hidden beneath the carpet. This gap was placed between the resistor and the jumper wires, completing the circuit only when pressure was applied. Stepping on the carpet would bridge this gap, lighting up the LED. However, this design came with limitations. The switch was only one-time usable. After activation, the gap in the circuit needed manual resetting for the next use.
Reflection
I enjoyed doing this assignment. Of course, the idea that I came up was very simple. However, I could learn from this assignment that creativity comes from everyday problems, and perhaps the solution could be very simple.
For this week, we had to make a creative switch. I wanted to use one of the sensors that came along with the Arduino kit to build something simple that could be useful if improved upon later on. I noticed the ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04 that came along with the kit and checked out its documentation to see how it works . Although we weren’t required to use code for this, I realized that all I needed to do to create a switch with this sensor was to install a library and connect it to an input pin .
Thinking about applications , I recalled reading about the screen distance feature on some mobile phones where users who use their phones at less distance from their face for extended periods of time get a warning .
I set 0-50 cm as the range where the LED light ups to indicate that you are too close to the screen and placed the breadboard and the sensor on my table just above where I usually use my laptop.
Images
Video Demonstration
Video link – https://youtu.be/iuf76Mcibu8
Code
The Arduino code is below :
#include <NewPing.h> //include the header file
// Aadil Chasmawala - 31st March 2024
const int LEDPin = 11; // Define LEDPin as a constant integer
NewPing Mysensor(8, 10, 200); // trigger, echo, max_distance = 200cm
void setup() {
pinMode(LEDPin, OUTPUT); //set LED pin mode to output
}
void loop() {
int distance = Mysensor.ping_cm(); //get the distance
if(distance > 0 && distance < 50){ //if distance is too close
digitalWrite(LEDPin, HIGH); //light up LED
}
else{
digitalWrite(LEDPin, LOW); //switch off LED
}
delay(100); //to ensure that the LED doesnt blink too quickly
}
I used a library called NewPing to easily create a NewPing object that can take input from the ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04 . The trigger pin is 8 ,ECHO pin is 10 , max_distance of operation is 200 cm and the LEDPin (for output to the LED ) is 11 .
This code along with the connections creates the effect of a switch that lights up when one moves close to it ,
Challenges and Reflections
One of my resistors in the circuit wasn’t working and it took me quite some time to figure out what was wrong .
I had initially thought of using a specific sound as a trigger (like a specific song or something simpler like 2 claps that lights up the LED ) but realized that I would need a sound sensor for this. Hopefully, I will try building something with a sound sensor for one of the assignments as it is very interesting to me .
In addition , the ultrasonic sensor is very useful too , however it operates only in one direction and to accurately get a sense of direction , you would have to use multiple ultrasonic sensors – something that ?I could explore in future projects .
Considering myself, I realized that people spend too much time on their electrical devices such as phone, tablet, and laptop. To encourage people to stop using their devices for unnecessary time, I created a circuit that turns the LED on when the user closes the iPad case. I intentionally used green light because green symbolizes a sign of “good” and I wanted to make the user feel good about himself when he stops using his iPad.
Process
Figuring out the the path of the current was not difficult but constructing the circuit was. I had to attach the resistor to the iPad case and two jumper wires. Locating the position of the resistor and the jumper wires on the iPad was slightly challenging because I had to find the exact position where the jumper wires and the resistor would meet. But once this was established, everything else was easy to accomplish.
The flow of the circuit looks like this: 5V – jumper wire – resistor – jumper wire – LED – GND. I tried to minimize the number of jumper wires and make a very simply circuit. I am satisfied with the design of the circuit and although it is simple, the circuit maintains to turn the LED on when the resistor and jumper wires come in contact.
The picture below shows the circuit in more detail.
Reflection
One thing I do want to point out is that due to the gap between the iPad case and the iPad itself, I have to initially press on the case cover to let the resistor and the jumper wires come in contact. I wanted the LED to turn on immediately when the case is closed but unfortunately taping the jumper wires created a gap between the case cover and the iPad. However, when the case cover is slightly pressed, the LED turns on and functions well.
Also, technically I am still using my hands to turn the LED on. So for future improvement, I would like to figure out ways I could eliminate the use of hands to turn the LED on.
The picture below shows the gap between the case cover and the iPad.
It’s during Ramadan and I wanted to capture the spirit and create something inspired by the month. I was working in the majlis room available in the Baraha area in C2 and I found this lamp stashed in the room corner. When I picked it up and opened the door, I noticed there was no light inside. It gave me the idea of putting a light in there with this assignment.
Circuit:
Demo:
Since the requirement of the assignment is creating an unusual switch that uses no hand, I thought of the idea that when the door is closed, the light will turn on. The body of the lamp besides the glass is made of metal material so it should transmit electricity almost everywhere on the surface. Taking advantage of this, I rigged the circuit inside the lamp and arranged of the placement of 2 jumper wires so that when the lamp’s door is closed, the circuit is closed and the LED will turn on thanks to the current running through it.
I created the entire circuit outside of the lamp, estimated the number of jumper wires I would need, then rigged/taped the circuit inside later though.
Challenges and reflections:
Initially, I planned to attach the 2 jumper wires in a way that when the door is closed, they would close the circuit. But that was not possible all the time because of the tape. So I took advantage of the material which the surface of the lamp is made of instead. The point is as long as their is a current running through the LED. Other than that, taping the entire circuit inside the lamp took a little bit of time because the space was too small for my hands, but I managed to do it.
This assignment allowed me to think creatively of how to make an LED light turn on without using a proper switch or button. I went about it in two ways, one is by closing and opening sunglasses and another is by using the bag handles/straps. For both cases, I placed the breadboard inside the bag to give a “glow in the dark bag” effect.
I placed aluminum foil, for both the glasses and the bag, to connect the two wires (from the breadboard which connects to the LED and from the 5V pin) to light up the LED.
Overall, I enjoyed doing this assignment as it made me understand the concepts more by doing my own project. I am looking forward to experimenting more with the Arduino and creating cool things.
When we were given this assignment, I was conflicted with how I was supposed to go about it. I knew I wanted to create something simple, not overly complex due to the fact that I was still getting used to using the different elements of physical computing we learned in class. After days of brainstorming, I came up with the idea of a “magical” book switch, in which the LED lights up when the book is shut and turns off when opened. This idea came about when I was reading a book called Klara and the Sun, which prompted me to reminisce about similar books and movies that I used read and watch growing up. A concept that kept reoccurring in all these books and movies is the glowing book, which you can see below:
This concept is the main inspiration behind my switch assignment. It is through allowing the closed book to light the LED up and turn it off when it is opened that this assignment resembles the concept I initially Imagine.
Progress and Assembly
I created a circuit using a yellow LED, wire, a book and aluminium foil, all of which are interconnected with one another. I first started off by connecting the red wire to the 5v pin (I will elaborate on its significance in a bit) and the black wire to the ground pin on the arduino board. I then connected the black wire to the positive part of the breadboard, which is the same part where the LED’s negative pole sits. The LED’s positive pole is on the terminal strip of the breadboard. On the same line as the LED’s positive pole, I placed a 330-ohm resistor to help reduce the flow of the circuit as a whole to ensure that the current passing through does so in safe limits. On the other end of the resistor, I placed another wire to be attached to the book. However, to ensure that the LED actually lights up, I needed conductive material. In the case of this assignment, I used aluminium foil. I created 2 rectangle with my foil and made sure that there was space to attach the wires. I made each wire have their own individual piece of foil. I then taped the foil covered wires to corresponding pages of books.
You can see this below:
The primary goal of this setup was to make the LED light up when both wires touch one another when the book is closed.
In the image below, you can see the full circuit in action:
I really enjoyed the process of building and putting this assignment together. I genuinely believe that it helped me get more practice in using the concepts we learned this past week. It allowed me to see how I can take the things we learned and apply it to something from my imagination. I definitely feel more comfortable using the arduino board and its different elements. In terms of improvements, I would have loved to add some element of interactivity. Maybe something that would allow the user to engage with the circuit in order to make the LED light up. Other than that, I actually am happy with the final result and cannot wait to use the board to create more elaborative and complex circuits!
Attractive Things Work Better” by Donald A. Norman
One key question this reading raises for me is about finding the right balance between usability and aesthetics in design. Norman argues that while usability is extremely important, especially for tools used in stressful situations, aesthetics and emotional appeal also play a vital role that designers should not ignore. But he cautions against veering too far into just making things “pretty” at the expense of functionality. This tension between utility and beauty is an age-old debate in design circles, and Norman seems to be staking out a middle ground position. I’m left wondering where exactly that line should be drawn and how designers can best integrate those two priorities harmoniously.
Norman’s discussion of how positive and negative affect can influence cognitive processing styles was thought-provoking to me. The idea that negative emotions like anxiety tend to induce a depth-first, focused cognitive style while positive emotions promote a breadth-first, creative processing mode was new to me. His examples, like being able to walk easily across a plank on the ground versus being fearful of doing so high up, illustrated this vividly. It made me reflect on the emotional states that different product designs might evoke in users and how that could impact their ability to understand and utilize the design effectively.
Her Code Got Humans on the Moon—And Invented Software Itself
It makes me wonder about all the other underrecognized women who made pioneering contributions to early computing and coding during an era when it was an extremely male-dominated field. How many other “founding mothers” were there whose stories have gone untold?
The narrative surrounding the Apollo computer’s hardware, especially how its memory was intricately hand-woven into copper wires by a team dubbed the “Little Old Ladies,” struck me. The physicality and manual labor involved in producing this early digital memory seem almost quaint compared to today’s silicon memory chips, and it is quite difficult to imagine how it would look. But it’s a powerful reminder of how software was so revolutionarily abstract during that era—lines of code inscribed into physical materials to control machinery. The leap of imagination required to conceptualize and construct software systems is fascinating.
I was reminded of the film Hidden Figures and the stories it told about the African American women “computers” at NASA who did crucial mathematical calculations for the space program. While their roles were more analog data processing rather than software programming, there are parallels in how these marginalized groups were instrumental to NASA’s achievements yet rendered nearly invisible by societal prejudices of the time. Both highlight how institutional blindspots caused pioneering technical work by minorities and women to be overlooked and undervalued for decades.
This Week’s reading focused on the importance of aesthetics and presented the idea that aesthetics , along with utility are both equally important . Don Norman’s example of the three teapots is pretty interesting and illustrates the idea of how personal preferences depends on mood .
The idea of ‘affect’ that Norman discusses was something new to me . He talks about positive and negative ‘affect’ and how each of these can be useful depending on the situation . From a design perspective, it makes sense to make designs with high utility if the intended use is in highly-stressful situations . On the other hand, if the intended use is in a more relaxed environment, giving weight to aesthetics can have a highly positive impact on the user.
I was thinking about the question of what is more important ? Usability or beauty . After this reading , I think the answer is that it depends from situation to situation and as designers , it is our responsibility to think about what exactly should we emphasize.
The article ‘Her Code Got Humans On The Moon’ taught me the importance of looking at and dealing with edge cases even if they might be trivial . Despite Margaret Hamilton’s seniors telling her that :
“(We had been told many times that) astronauts would not make any mistakes,” (she says.) “They were trained to be perfect.”
She still added notes to the code which turned out to be very useful when an astronaut did indeed make a mistake .
Both these articles gave me 2 important lessons that I wish to keep in mind when designing something in the future –
1) Both Usability and Aesthetic are broadly speaking ,equally important , however , their importance also depends on their specific use cases that must be considered .
2) It is always useful to look at edge cases and prevent unintended errors – even if they are unlikely to occur.
Both of the readings for this week have similarities and differences with each other, but one common thread among these readings that I tried to follow and extract was the role of human subjectivity in design. The first reading introduces psychological concepts in the form of affect and analyzes how they interact with design. The second reading shows the importance of it more subtly, by showing how a hazardous error was found by a kid playing around with the keyboard, and the same error was committed by an astronaut that was believed to be exceptionally professional. Unfortunately, nobody is perfect, and every human holds a different set of characteristics and, therefore, has a different perspective on the world and the tools they use. Hence, the one idea I would connect these readings with is the idea of personalization in design. Just like the three teapots in Norman’s text, different design has different form and functionality and can suit different people to accomplish a task. Even the same person in different moods or environments could desire a different design. If this idea is paired with the “beauty is subjective” discussion, we can see how personalization of design is important from Norman’s ideas about attractive things working better. As much as we like to think of ourselves as rational and intelligent creatures, humans are emotional at core and this should be reflected in good design, incorporating emotional choices along with functional choices.
The exploration of Margaret Hamilton’s contributions in “Her Code Got Humans on the Moon—And Invented Software Itself” and Donald A. Norman’s insights in “Emotion and Design” illuminate two profound yet interconnected realms of human ingenuity. Hamilton’s journey as a trailblazer in software engineering not only showcases the monumental role of software in space exploration but also reflects the broader implications of pioneering in technology. Her work, at a time when the term “software engineering” was not even coined, exemplifies the essence of innovation—venturing into the unknown with a blend of expertise, foresight, and courage. The narrative of Hamilton and her team meticulously crafting the software that would guide humans to the moon underlines the criticality of software in complex systems, a lesson that transcends industries and eras.
On the flip side, Norman’s discourse on the interplay between emotion and design serves as a philosophical counterpart to Hamilton’s empirical achievements. While Hamilton’s story underscores the technical precision and rigor necessary in engineering, Norman’s analysis delves into the subjective experience of interacting with technology. His argument that aesthetics and usability are not mutually exclusive but rather complementary forces offers a nuanced understanding of human interaction with technological products. Norman’s assertion that “attractive things work better” because they engender positive emotional responses, does not detract from usability but rather enhances it by acknowledging the human element in design.
In synthesizing insights from both readings, a critical reflection emerges on the symbiotic relationship between form and function, theory and practice, emotion and utility. Hamilton’s pioneering work in software engineering not only advanced our capabilities in space exploration but also laid the groundwork for considering how software interfaces—the very nexus between human and machine—need to be designed with both functionality and user experience in mind. This parallels Norman’s emphasis on the importance of emotional resonance in design, suggesting that the most effective designs are those that harmoniously blend aesthetic appeal with functional efficiency.
Furthermore, both narratives prompt a reflection on the role of diversity and interdisciplinary approaches in innovation. Hamilton, an outlier in her field, and Norman, bridging psychology and design, exemplify how bringing diverse perspectives to bear on challenges can lead to breakthrough solutions. This raises pertinent questions about how current and future innovations can benefit from integrating insights from seemingly disparate fields, fostering an environment where diversity of thought is not just encouraged but seen as essential to problem-solving.
