For the project exploration assignment I have chosen the RoutePlanner (from the session “Student design competition”, CHI 2006). It’s a “portable personal training and motivational aide, which displays real-time statistical and locational data”. I don’t know if I fully have understood the product but as I understand it is something that tells you have long you have ran, biked or whatever you do and then even saves the different routes.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find any pictures and did not find much to read about it either but if the device does what I think it does, then I think it’s amazing. I believe it would make training so much more fun and it would be easier to vary your training by choosing different terrain and distances. Spontaneous tours with your bicycle would be easier to do since you would know where you are all the time. Simply a great tool for any runner, cyclist, walker and so on that I think would help a lot. I would definitely buy one.
måndag 23 februari 2009
söndag 22 februari 2009
Friday the 13th of February
Today we had a lecture about some functions on the SunSpot and then some former students came and show us their creations and gave us an insight about how they work. Their creations were really good and they are obviously skilled and talented.
Today was the day when we came up with our new project idea. The inspiration was our own Love Cube, but a bit modified. Instead of just glowing we thought that is could be some sort of communication support between people at clubs or bars maybe. Some kind of ice-breaker that made it easier to go up to a total stranger and talk just because you can see on the cube that you have something in common. The vision for the product was wide, too wide so during the weekend we had to narrow it down and maybe make it simpler so we actually can build a concept out of the idea.
Today was the day when we came up with our new project idea. The inspiration was our own Love Cube, but a bit modified. Instead of just glowing we thought that is could be some sort of communication support between people at clubs or bars maybe. Some kind of ice-breaker that made it easier to go up to a total stranger and talk just because you can see on the cube that you have something in common. The vision for the product was wide, too wide so during the weekend we had to narrow it down and maybe make it simpler so we actually can build a concept out of the idea.
Monday the 9th of February
We started the day with a visit to Alex Olwal for a short lecture and to see his work. I must say that the whole visit felt truly inspiring. The prototypes, concepts and products that he presented (both his own and others) were amazing. I especially liked the projection screen made out of compressed vaporized water. The projection screen was created by a machine that compressed and pushed out vaporized water through a narrow opening at the bottom. The result was a waterfall-looking projection screen.
After lunch we had a guest lecture by Zary Segal from Maryland University. He also spoke about his work, something he called the W (double you), and then gave us some creative assignments. The W is some kind of alter ego on the web, beyond the avatar. It is more a realistic representation of yourself on the web. Zary told us that one of their first approaches with the W was for fashion. The vision was to make it possible to try out clothes on the Internet, that is you let you W try out clothes and you will see if a sweater fits you or not on your screen. I have to say that I don’t believe in this. I tried one of those realistic “trying on dolls“, although much simpler than Zary’s W, and it did not work at all. The doll had generalized the human body to three different shapes and had some parameters for height, weight and skin color. I never came close to a realistic representation of me. I think the shape and looks of every individuals body is too complex to try to generalize in such a way, which you have to do even if you spend a year trying to make a realistic representation of yourself. Even less I think people have the ability to make that representation on their own using a web application. But people are actually using it so I guess “The Fashion W” works pretty good anyways.
At the end of the lecture each group were given an emotion. The assignment was then to explain this emotion in different ways. First just with words, then with an object. Then we were given a location and we would pick out situation at this location that produces this emotion. Eventually we had to come up with a product that supports the emotion in that situation. Excitement was our emotion and the location was the airport. The situation we chose was when you’re at the airport to pick up your girlfriend and waiting for her in the terminal. The support in that situation is to get even more excited, make the feeling stronger. So the product we came up with is called “The Love Cube”. It simply has a glowing light in it and the closer your girlfriend gets the stronger the light glows.
It was a very good and funny assignment that forced you to be creative. I loved it and the result was great!
After lunch we had a guest lecture by Zary Segal from Maryland University. He also spoke about his work, something he called the W (double you), and then gave us some creative assignments. The W is some kind of alter ego on the web, beyond the avatar. It is more a realistic representation of yourself on the web. Zary told us that one of their first approaches with the W was for fashion. The vision was to make it possible to try out clothes on the Internet, that is you let you W try out clothes and you will see if a sweater fits you or not on your screen. I have to say that I don’t believe in this. I tried one of those realistic “trying on dolls“, although much simpler than Zary’s W, and it did not work at all. The doll had generalized the human body to three different shapes and had some parameters for height, weight and skin color. I never came close to a realistic representation of me. I think the shape and looks of every individuals body is too complex to try to generalize in such a way, which you have to do even if you spend a year trying to make a realistic representation of yourself. Even less I think people have the ability to make that representation on their own using a web application. But people are actually using it so I guess “The Fashion W” works pretty good anyways.
At the end of the lecture each group were given an emotion. The assignment was then to explain this emotion in different ways. First just with words, then with an object. Then we were given a location and we would pick out situation at this location that produces this emotion. Eventually we had to come up with a product that supports the emotion in that situation. Excitement was our emotion and the location was the airport. The situation we chose was when you’re at the airport to pick up your girlfriend and waiting for her in the terminal. The support in that situation is to get even more excited, make the feeling stronger. So the product we came up with is called “The Love Cube”. It simply has a glowing light in it and the closer your girlfriend gets the stronger the light glows.
It was a very good and funny assignment that forced you to be creative. I loved it and the result was great!
tisdag 10 februari 2009
Prototype work
We have built a prototype of one of the cars. Basically we have just programmed the microcontroller to light a LED that represents the engine of the car (since the engine probably would be an on/off-system) and a motor that represents the steering. Then we have built a car body out of LEGO to make it more concrete.
I don't feel that this prototype actually helped us a lot. Since we are going to focus on developing the elements of the game maybe we should have built a prototype of the dynamic arena. Still, the car is the most fundamental part of the game and all the other stuff are really just extras so knowing that we are able to programme a working car made us feel better anyways.
We are still not happy with our project and are still open to other ideas.
I don't feel that this prototype actually helped us a lot. Since we are going to focus on developing the elements of the game maybe we should have built a prototype of the dynamic arena. Still, the car is the most fundamental part of the game and all the other stuff are really just extras so knowing that we are able to programme a working car made us feel better anyways.
We are still not happy with our project and are still open to other ideas.
Premiere
Hi!
I am Tomas and me and my group have begun building a car game. Our first thought was that it was going to be a game where you crash into each other and use lights to controll your car or maybe interfere with your opponents controlling. We knew that the concept is quite old, but we still thought we could make something original out of it. The point was that we were going to develop the interaction and the elements of the game. We were thinking of having a dynamic arena where the cars would battle and then lights would come up from underneath that you had to avoid. Then maybe some power-ups would be projected on the floor that you could take and use.
As you see the ideas are many but the plan is not crystal clear, we haven't decided on how the game should be yet, and we are not even sure we want to continue with the car game. However there is still time to start with a new project so if we find anything better we might just go with that instead.
I am Tomas and me and my group have begun building a car game. Our first thought was that it was going to be a game where you crash into each other and use lights to controll your car or maybe interfere with your opponents controlling. We knew that the concept is quite old, but we still thought we could make something original out of it. The point was that we were going to develop the interaction and the elements of the game. We were thinking of having a dynamic arena where the cars would battle and then lights would come up from underneath that you had to avoid. Then maybe some power-ups would be projected on the floor that you could take and use.
As you see the ideas are many but the plan is not crystal clear, we haven't decided on how the game should be yet, and we are not even sure we want to continue with the car game. However there is still time to start with a new project so if we find anything better we might just go with that instead.
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