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< A Brief Rant on the Future of Interactive Design>

Looking at the video, I think my very shallow but instant impression was: cool. It definitely is close to what I’ve been picturing- something that’s been displayed to us through media (like Netflix Black Mirror series) until now, somewhat brainwashing this is what we have coming and this is all we could expect.

I love how the reading questions if the aspect of our future daily lives shown in the video is the next form of ‘technology’, or interaction, as the author focuses.

I think a big part of why technology has limited power to fascinate people and bring joy with the littlest thing is that lack of feeling. The reading talks about how if we were to read a book, we’d be able to feel it. With basic interactions with ‘Pictures Under Glass’, this is not possible. I think we’ve all felt this limitation with certain technology like e-books and simply visually satisfying games.

The author acknowledges that this is just a rant and that the current developments the world is showing are still great. It’s just a matter of how do we progress from here, using everything humans can do. Regardless of any statements that can be made around his opinion, I like how he approached the concept of ‘tool’ and what that can mean when we are inventing or developing a tool.

Concept:

Our idea for the musical instrument was drawn from the classic guitar mechanism. By integrating Light-Dependent Resistors (LDRs) as the sensory input and buzzers as the output, we’ve created a playful experience. Each LDR is strategically positioned to represent a distinct musical note, and when covered, it triggers a corresponding buzzer, simulating the act of plucking strings on a guitar. There’s also a digital switch, which, when pressed, records the notes being played. When the switch is released, the notes are played back.

Items used:

• Arduino Uno
• 6 Light-Dependent Resistors (LDRs)
• 6 Buzzers (Speakers)
• Resistors (for LDRs )
• Jumper Wires (for connecting components)
• 2 Breadboards
• 1 Momentary Switch

Technical Implementation:

In our musical instrument, each Light-Dependent Resistor (LDR) is assigned to represent a specific musical note, creating a musical sequence reminiscent of a guitar tuning. The choice of notes – E, A, D, G, B, E – corresponds to the standard tuning of the six strings on a guitar. When an LDR is covered, it changes the resistance and triggers the Arduino to interpret this change as a command to play the designated note through the corresponding buzzer.

The Arduino continuously reads the analog values from the LDRs and, upon detecting a significant change, maps the input to trigger the corresponding buzzer connected to a digital output pin. The code is designed to be modular, allowing for easy adjustments to resistor values or the addition of more sensors and buzzers for expanded musical possibilities. 

When the digital switch is pressed, the notes which are played are recorded in an integer array. As soon as the switch is released, the notes in the array are played back using the regular tone() function. 

// check recording state
 if (digitalRead(SWITCH_PIN) == HIGH) {
   Serial.println("Recording");
   recordMode = true;


 } else if (digitalRead(SWITCH_PIN) == LOW) {
   if (noteCount > 0) {
     Serial.println("Playback");
     recordMode = false;
     for (int i = 0; i < noteCount; i++) {
       tone(playback_PIN, melody[i]);
       delay(200);
     }
     noTone(playback_PIN);
     noteCount = 0;
   }
 }

Future Improvements:

The array can only hold a maximum of 50 notes, and a future improvement could be adding some warning (LED flashing?) to indicate that the array capacity has been reached. There’s also no error handling at this stage, so there could be some unexpected errors if more than 50 notes are recorded.

Demo:

Concept:

Our idea for the musical instrument was drawn from the classic guitar mechanism. By integrating Light-Dependent Resistors (LDRs) as the sensory input and buzzers as the output, we’ve created a playful experience. Each LDR is strategically positioned to represent a distinct musical note, and when covered, it triggers a corresponding buzzer, simulating the act of plucking strings on a guitar. There’s also a digital switch, which, when pressed, records the notes being played. When the switch is released, the notes are played back.

Items used:

• • Arduino Uno
  • 6 Light-Dependent Resistors (LDRs)
  • 6 Buzzers (Speakers)
  • Resistors (for LDRs )
  • Jumper Wires (for connecting components)
  • 2 Breadboards
  • 1 Momentary Switch

Technical Implementation:

In our musical instrument, each Light-Dependent Resistor (LDR) is assigned to represent a specific musical note, creating a musical sequence reminiscent of a guitar tuning. The choice of notes – E, A, D, G, B, E – corresponds to the standard tuning of the six strings on a guitar. When an LDR is covered, it changes the resistance and triggers the Arduino to interpret this change as a command to play the designated note through the corresponding buzzer.

The Arduino continuously reads the analog values from the LDRs and, upon detecting a significant change, maps the input to trigger the corresponding buzzer connected to a digital output pin. The code is designed to be modular, allowing for easy adjustments to resistor values or the addition of more sensors and buzzers for expanded musical possibilities. 

When the digital switch is pressed, the notes which are played are recorded in an integer array. As soon as the switch is released, the notes in the array are played back using the regular tone() function. 

 // check recording state

 if (digitalRead(SWITCH_PIN) == HIGH) {

   Serial.println("Recording");

   recordMode = true;

 } else if (digitalRead(SWITCH_PIN) == LOW) {

   if (noteCount > 0) {

     Serial.println("Playback");

     recordMode = false;

     for (int i = 0; i < noteCount; i++) {

       tone(playback_PIN, melody[i]);

       delay(200);

     }

     noTone(playback_PIN);

     noteCount = 0;

   }

 }

Future Improvements:

The array can only hold a maximum of 50 notes, and a future improvement could be adding some warning (LED flashing?) to indicate that the array capacity has been reached. There’s also no error handling at this stage, so there could be some unexpected errors if more than 50 notes are recorded.

Are we really going to accept an Interface Of The Future that is less expressive than a sandwich?

The warning about avoiding the body’s natural interfaces inspires reflection about the effects of immobile futures. Despite the simplicity and accessibility of touchscreens, the absence of tactile interactions raises concerns about the long-term impact on human development. Some of the consequences are already visible, such as an increase in bad posture, poor eyesight or decreased attention span. The rant invites to contemplate the depth of interaction design in the context of adult capabilities, expressing the notion that a fully-functioning adult human deserves interfaces that go beyond the simplicity of existing touch-based interactions. However, it is interesting to imagine the alternatives. As discussed in the second reading, many more expressive options are simply not optimal, such as voice or gestures. Even besides their limitations, just thinking about having to control the multiple windows on my laptop with a hand gesture in a cafe or another public space makes me uncomfortable, not to mention the discomfort associated with voice commands. I think this is where a lot of difficulties emerge as well – as a society we are already on a path to a screen-based future, and some deep habits have already been formed. This is where the challenge arises. We’re already heading towards a screen-centric future, and deep-rooted habits have taken hold. Transitioning to more expressive interactions would face resistance, as significant changes are often taken pessimistically and lack widespread support. This reluctance makes achieving a shift towards more expressive interfaces even more challenging.

The portrayal of advanced and seemingly magical technologies in movies, such as those in the Marvel cinematic universe, often sparks fascination and a desire to bring such innovations into reality. The way characters interact with sophisticated devices, particularly through hand gestures, presents a captivating vision of the future. These depictions emphasize the incredible capabilities of the human hand, showcasing it as an organ with immense potential beyond its conventional functions. Hands become channel for unlocking extraordinary powers and controlling cutting-edge technologies, blurring the line between science fiction and reality. The realization of such innovations would not only revolutionize our daily interactions but also underscore the profound importance of the hand as a tool for both mundane tasks and, potentially, for accessing a realm of possibilities that were once considered purely imaginative. The fusion of technology and human anatomy serves as a testament to the boundless creativity and innovation that continues to drive our collective imagination.

The example of child can’t tie his shoelaces, but can use the iPad, depicts an analogy between the way tools are designed for adults and children and the complexity of literature aimed at different age groups. The comparison highlights the notion that tools designed for adults should leverage the full capabilities of mature minds and bodies, just as literature for adults delves into deeper complexities compared to children’s literature. The reference to Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss serves to exemplify this point, suggesting that while a child may not grasp the nuances of Shakespearean works, they can easily understand the simplicity of Dr. Seuss. The analogy extends to tools, emphasizing that limiting interaction to a single finger, as seen in some interfaces, is akin to restricting literature to a basic vocabulary. The argument suggests that such simplified tools might be accessible to children or individuals with certain disabilities, but fully functional adults deserve and can benefit from more sophisticated and nuanced interfaces that make use of their developed cognitive and physical capacities. It prompts a consideration of the balance between accessibility and the potential richness of interaction in the design of tools for adults.

Team members: Javeria and Nafiha

For our assignment, we drew inspiration from a synthesizer and a sampler to create our own musical instrument. Our instrument incorporates three buttons, a piezo buzzer, a potentiometer, and a bunch of wires and resistors. It is designed such that each button triggers a distinct melody, and by adjusting the potentiometer, the pitch is modified, consequently altering the played melodies.