Midterm Project: Sentiment Vermin

For my project I designed a way to create emotional communication between "lesser" creatures and humans. In order to do this, I used sound to connect us with a simple cricket, a creature we sometimes forget is alive and breathing. Using photocells, I created a contained space that senses the presence of the cricket that is translated to the sound of a beating heart. A sound we only hear in very intimate settings. The purpose of this project is to increase our awareness of other living creatures. Despite our differences in size, shape, and complexity, we are living. The sound of a heart brings us together as living creatures and helps us feel empathy for "lesser" creatures.

The design is simple. The photocells, which are wired in series act as voltage dividers for a blinking LED. I programed an arduino to blink the LED in a similar fashion as a heart beat. The delay of each beat is determined by the sensor value. The sensor value is in turn, determined by the position of the cricket. An additional white LED is at the top of the glass container to function as a lamp. The shadow of the cricket is read by the sensors and therefore determines the speed of LED flashing.

The sound of the heartbeat is controlled optically by the flashing LED. In between the input and outputs is another photocell. The circuit is opened and closed by the flashing LED. The sound of the heartbeat is simply made by a low frequency tone (20hz) going through the audio input. Connected to the out jack are two speakers. The result is a low frequency tone that is turned on off by the LED inside. Thus creating the illusion of a heartbeat controlled by the position of a cricket.

low frequency tone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMfbNvxc4Tw

There were a few problems with this circuit. The main problem is that the lamp causes the cricket to freeze. This is of course because crickets are nocturnal. Because the cricket does not move, the heartbeat remains static. It appears that the sensors really aren't doing anything because the heartbeat doesn't change unless the cricket moves. Though if the cricket is not moving, it would make sense that the heartbeat remains static. The only issue is that the art object becomes less interesting and less interactive. Overall, I am proud of the concept and aesthetic of my project. Perhaps a different bug such as a fly would yield more interesting results.

Human as pests

I have begun creating my project. I used the same fritzing schematic that I used in the voltage divider tutorial that is also on a previous blog post of mine. Instead of a potentiometer, I used photocells stringed together. I programed an led to blink in the same fashion as a pulse. Instead of a simple on-off-on-off pulse, I have written the code to blink in an on-off(pause)on-off. To increase the speed of the heart beat, I made the delay of each two beats to read the sensor information. I also included a light at the top of the container, so that the shadow of the bug is what will trigger the increase of pulse speed. This is what my code looks like:

int sensorValue = 0;
int sensorPin = A0;

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
 
  pinMode(9, OUTPUT);    
}

void loop() {
  sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin);
  digitalWrite(9, HIGH);
  delay(150);
  digitalWrite(9, LOW);  
  delay(150);
digitalWrite(9, HIGH);
  delay(150);          
  digitalWrite(9, LOW);  
  delay(sensorValue);  
  Serial.println(sensorValue);
}

This is what my circuit looks like on the breadboard:

I wired everything to a circuit board and after trial and tribulation, the circuit works. However I have not caught an insect to see if the final product really works in relation to my concept.

Midterm thought process

Many ideas have come into my head while pondering this project. Carlos has helped me choose a direction for this project. My initial ideas do not have any conceptual grounding. My first idea was to experiment with cassette tape. I wanted to research how tape works and create a work of art using this analog format. I was inspired by the works of Stockhausen, John Cage, and the Music Concrete movement. I wanted to research how to make tape delays, mellotrons, or tape loops. This is an intersting idea but I feel as though it does not serve the purpose of this project. This project has to make more of a statement or raise some sort of question.

I am interested in biology and human interactions with the environment. Carlos talked about a work of art called the Melbourne Mussel Choir.This public environmental piece by Natalie Jeremijenko creates sound through the minute movements of mussels. These movements are associated with water quality as the mussel opens to filter water. I began to think about human interactions with living organisms and sound.

This idea popped into my head pretty spontaneously during class. Perhaps the movement of an organism could be mapped to sound. Sounds in which us as humans to relate to. I thought about empathy. Why do human's generally lack empathy for "lesser" organisms. In what ways can humans relate to these creatures through technology. I thought of the intimacy of heartbeat. Something you might hear while getting a checkup, or visiting a loved one in the hospital, or even just simply listening to the heartbeat of someone you love. A heartbeat is tied to emotion, as we all feel our heartbeat quicken when we feel emotional.

Perhaps the sound of a heartbeat could be mapped to the movement of a small animal. A creature in a contained space, surrounded by photocells, could regulate the pace of a heartbeat. My idea looks like this: A small jar with an animal that humans lack empathy for. Perhaps a fly or a spider in a contained space. A small grid of photocells placed at the bottom will be wired in series. These photocells will control the pulse of an led. This led will trigger another photocell that is between the junction of an audio input/output. Similar to my optical tremelo pedal. A low frequency tone will play from an outside source such as an ipod through a speaker. The fluctuation of volume, as conducted by the movement of a critter, will then simulate the beating heart of an animal.

Reading Response 3

• Natural Born Cyborgs: Introduction, Andy Clark
• Potential Contribution of the Arts to Research Agendas in Ubiquitous Computing and Gesture Understanding, Stephen Wilson

1. Because much of technology is "still postulated as the center of attention", how long will it really take before we can have new technological experiences without the use of hardware as a distraction?

2. Will the spacial environment become the next interface in ubiquitous computing?

3. Is cyborg a term that is within the confines of being human. Is a hummingbird using spiderweb as a tool for its nest an act of cybernetic behavior?

• “Man-Machine Coupling 2012″, RM Page (PDF)
• Affective Computing, Rosalind Picard (video, 19 mins)
• Seeing with your Tongue (video, 10 mins)

1. Because language is "a slow code for precise communication of concepts which the human mind is capable of generating." according to R.M Page, is our human mind capable of more rapid communication such as telepathy?

2. If technology can reach a point where it can read our emotions, can it also use the power of psychology to influence emotion or possibly manipulate. Will there be a point where technology systematically experiences emotion?

3. Can we remap our brain using electrical impulses to develop other senses?