- Continue to look for ways to reduce production demands in order to meet the deadline for presentation, while preserving the heart of the project.
- Reserve a suitable site for the installation and schedule an earlier presentation date.
- Determine the wireless heart rate monitoring technology most viable for this project and find a way for a computer to receive the signal.
- Write a program that defines the ‘behavior’ of the light in relation to the space and the participant.
- Decide on the device that will shine the light and move it across the ground. Work out how this device will be mounted and controlled.
- Through experimentation, determine an appropriate unit of stride distance for the light to move per heartbeat, such that an average user will neither be pushed to over-exertion too soon, nor lose interest due to too slow of an initial pace.
- Determine a reliable method of sensing when the subject is no longer following the light to trigger the phase two of the system’s behavior.
- Provide explicit encouragement for the participant to follow the light, while still allowing some latitude for the participant to interact with the installation on their own terms.
Influences:
Amigdalae: An ‘observed artwork’ wherein the subject’s biometric correlate to emotional reaction modulates the soundtrack in real-time to the video they watch. In Peretti’s view, the resultant biofeedback loop is indicative of how our responses our controlled, rather than free.
Shadow tag: This informal children’s game revolves around recognition of an ‘other self’ projected on the ground which becomes the active agent of the player throughout the game. The avatar is defined by shadow here rather than light.
Dance Dance Revolution: An arcade game with a floor-surface interface in which one follows a choreographed pattern of illuminated steps at an increasing pace. Notably, the game tries to encourage an emotional involvement on par with the physical participation.
Labyrinths: A static outline for multidirectional movement across the ground within a constricted area, believed to assist in bringing the participant to a more focused, spiritual state of being. Despite external appearances of going nowhere, following the zigzagging path helps the user forget about their location, whereby they can concentrate on linear movement through successive moments of intensified presence.
Therapeutic biofeedback: In modern times, biometric technology meditates physiological self-awareness in order to assist the subject in increasing conscious control of otherwise autonomic processes. Throughout history, various world religions have practiced the cultivation of self-awareness and control of the body and mind (e.g. Yoga and Zen Buddhism).
Cardio-fitness programs: Guided fitness routines, the hosts of which typically exude exaggeratedly positive attitudes, presumably to mitigate the pain of the participant. In a equally disingenuous manner, during exercise in general, ones own biomomentum can leave one feel emotionally manipulated, simultaneously aching and euphoric due to endorphin rushes.
Technical Foundations:
Physical computing, programming and real-time audio processing will all be important in transforming the raw heart signal into a control mechanism of the light movement. Wiring, Arduino, and Processing are all related languages which I may be utilizing as the base for the coding.
A basic aspect of the light movement will be motion conforming to a isometric grid, always moving straight or 60 degrees relative to the last direction (so as not to disorient the participant), with special behavior at the room edges.
I have considered researched three methods for the monitoring the heart signal:
1. Electronic stethoscopy/ piezoelectricity:
I plan to build a contact microphone out of a piezo disk, connect this to the Arduino chip, and affix this new unit to the Polar chest strap.
2. Electrocardiography and VLF band radio transmission by wireless HRM:
Although I am certain that I will not be constructing a receiver for any VLF band data, interfacing the Arduino BT chip directly will the Polar T31 electrocardiograph strap will function as a back up plan in case the contact mic signal is too noisy to adequately filter.
3. Finger photoplethysmography/ pulse oximetry:
This option for my project is now obsolete. However, I would be likely to pursue this method in a full implementation of Follow Your Heart!
In order to make the projection cover as large an area as possible, I intend to mount a reflector at about 45 degrees some distance away from the horizontal projector, thus achieving greater linear distance between the projector and the floor/screen.
Sensing when the subject has subject has ceased to follow the light is important for moving the system into phase two, wherein the light will return to circle the subject and then lead them out of the room. I have considered three ways in which this may be accomplished:
1. Heart rate drop: This method assumes that the subject has stopped following the light once their heart rate wanes, thus it requires no additional equipment. However, there is no direct physical monitoring of the subject, therefore a false positive or a delayed reaction is most likely in this method.
2. Accelerometer: A chip attached to the Arduino board could measure the subject’s movement then compare this to the rate at which the light is moving. I am uncertain that this method would in any way account for direction however, so in theory a participant could keep the system in phase one without following the light.
3. Infrared detection: Thermal motion tracking could certainly ascertain the subject’s position in the room. However, such a system may be beyond the scope of this preliminary version of Follow Your Heart!
Equipment:
Project installation area: $0
Polar T31 transmitter and wrist receiver (used): $20
Arduino Bluetooth platform: $155
Piezo buzzer package: <$10
Projector: $0
Large mirror and mounting material: $50
Accelerometer : $30
Opaque sheet material for windows: $5
Estimated project cost: $270
Timeline:
4/16 Purchase Arduino BT.
4/18 Acquire buzzer package.
4/20 Consult at mechatronics lab for interfacing Arduino BT with contact microphone.
4/21 Begin writing pseudocode for light behavior.
4/23 Arduino is likely to have arrived; arrange time to interface unit.
4/26 Convert pseudocode into appropriate programming language.
5/1 Have developed a housing for Chip and a comfortable way of attachment to strap.
5/3 Integrate and refine different modules of Processing code.
5/8 Arrange to test projection’s fit to exhibition floor.
5/14 Adjust movement-unit distance per heartbeat to best fit experiment results.
5/17 Refine aesthetic of projected light visuals.
5/22 to 5/29 Ahead of schedule presentation date.
Bibliography:
http://cogimage.dsi.cnrs.fr/seminaires/resume_amygdalae_2005.htm
http://www.emant.com/index.php?tid=694006
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Electronics/VLF-reception_with_the_PC
http://www.processing.org/reference/index.html
2 comments:
I love Billy Blanks! I Like the idea of manipulating the user with those hyper-positive attitudes... working with that concept sounds really fun.
One thing that I'm not clear about is how the user will be tricked or teased into following the light projection--and, after all that effort, will they be rewarded with some sort of audio/visual/sensory "prize?"
also, your blog makes me think of this rimbaud poem:
Animals Once Spewed Semen
Animals once spewed seman as they ran,
Their organs streaked with blood and excrement.
Our fathers pouched their members out, and spent
Long hours contriving to display their span.
The medieval woman, saint or whore,
Asked for a gallant with a proud display;
Even Kleber, to look at this pants (they
Lie, perhaps, somewhat), had resource, and more.
Man and the proudest mammals have one source;
Their giant cocks and ours are both the same...
And yet a sterile hour now sounds; the horse
And roaring bull have covered up their flame;
No one dares undo his gential force
In those wood where sex was once a children's
game...
sorry, just how did you connect a piezo mike to your arduino? if you can describe it by words, i'd be very happy. I am planning to get one myself, but I have no idea on whether I should buy some amplifier or not.
Thanks
Mariadele
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