P005 → Interwoven

Date: January 2025 — June 2025
Course: VIS 160A & B Senior Project in Computing Arts
Arduino, LCD Screen, Servo Motor, Ping Ultrasonic Range Finder, String, 3D Print

An interactive installation, where a mechanical hand tied to several screens with strings. It looks like the hand is controlling the screens, but the screens are also influencing the hands because they are tied to each other. To bring the audiences into this interchanging relationship, an Ultrasonic Range Finder is used to detect the presence of the audiences. When the audience comes closer to the installation, the servo motors will be activated to drive the movement of the hand and the string.

Showcase

Envision

TIMELINE

Week 1 - 4

Research appropriate sensors for detecting string movements (e.g., tension or motion sensors).
Finalize material choices: test yarn for weaving and visual effects.
Order all necessary materials, including projector, sensors, strings, motor, and screens.

Week 5 Midterm

Test on the hardwares, like motion sensor, motors, and screens
Begin writing basic code for sensors to detect movement and relay data to Arduino.
Develop initial prototypes of the hand (3D printed or using readymade objects).
Show functional interaction between string movement and sensor feedback.

Control the Servo with a Button

Test on the Ultrasonic Ranger Finder

Week 6 - 7

Watch and learn tutorials on how to use and code for the motor
Having a working prototype that connects the sensor and the motor.
Demonstrate partial hand prototype and string moving.
Test the responsiveness of the sensors with movements.
A Finger Prototype made with Cardboard and Rubber Band

3D Model of a Finger made using Rhino

3D Model of a Servo Spool made using Rhino

Week 8

Fabricate the hand parts and the spool
Integrate hand model and strings into the physical setup.

3D Printed Finger model

Week 9 Final

Put all parts of the finger together and test on the mechanism

Control the parts with a Button

Replace the Button with the Ranger Finder

Week 10

Test the geared dc motor

Tested on DC motor

Week 11

Modify the hand model and print them out
Test on the new hand model

Modified Finger Parts

Printed finger parts

Connected with Rubber Bands and Fish Wire

Week 12

Decide to swtich from multiple small screens to a big screen with a cover board
Connect the fingers with the hand palm
Finish the mechanism of the moving hand

Machanism of the hand

Closeup of the servo motor

Week 13

Deciding the formats of the visuals
Using p5.js to frame the test visuals https://editor.p5js.org/DaisyAcl/sketches/pDycaa3Yh

Screenshot of video layouts

Notes of Visual Brainstorm

Visual Ideas + References

A surveillance camera rotating silently, scanning its surroundings without alert. When the audience approaches and triggers the string, a red light begins to blink and the camera sharply fixes its gaze towards the audiences. //Safety Under Surveillance

Reference 1.1 : Camera looking around with no red light

Reference 1.2 : Flashing red light looking at YOU

A large human eye wanders across the screen, as if scaning or searching for something. When the audience moves closer, the eye suddenly locks onto them, creating a direct and unsettling moment of contact. //Watcher and Watched

Reference 2: Human Eye moving between frames

A person stands still tossing a boomerang up and down while a dog watches with eager anticipation. Once triggered, the boomerang is thrown into the distance, and the dog sprits to chase the boomerang. The boomerang swings back to the person, and the dog failed to reach the boomerang. //Boomerang

Reference 3.1: Dog chasing boomerang

Reference 3.2: Man showing no emotion while playing with the dog

A person in a cow costume floats slowly toward a spaceship, caught in a surreal beam of light. When the setup is triggerred, the costume is pulled into the spaceship, and the human inside falls down to the ground. //Cosmic Cow

Reference 4: Cow Custom sucked by the space ship, while human falls to the ground

An open eye stares forward while a hand repeatedly clicks a mechanical pencil beside it. The pencil stucked, with the hand repeatly clicking with frustrations. Once triggered, the pencil begins to extend rapidly, moving dangerously close to the eye. //Unblinking

Reference 5: Mechanical pencil ‘pointing towards’ eye

A cocoon slowly wrapping itself in silky threads. When triggered, the silk begins to unravel in reverse, pulling the cocoon apart, and reveals the inside. //Echo Chamber

Reference 6: Silk threads unravel the cocoon

Week 14 UPDATE 1

Connect p5.js and Arduino through SerialPort
Using Range Finder to control the switch between visuals and hand

Attempt to use AI to generate video of cosmic cow

Connect Arduino with p5.js

Week 15 - 16

Try to make AI generative videos

//Safety Under Surveillance (Looping scene

//Safety Under Surveillance (After being triggered

//Boomerang (Looping scene

//Boomerang (After being triggered

👽 Area 51 Vending Machine

Loop: Someone presses a soda button on an Area 51 breakroom machine.
Trigger: A small alien hand reaches out from the slot holding the can… then vanishes again.

//Cosmic cow (Looping scene

//Cosmic cow (After being triggered

//Goldfish (looping scene

//Goldfish (After being triggered

//toaster (looping scene

//toast (after being triggered

//Fan Blade (looping scene

//Fan Blade (After being triggered

//Flying Spaghetti Monster （Looping

//Flying Spaghetti Monster (After being triggered

//Sushi (Looping

//Who is leading (Looping

//Sushi (After being triggered

//Who is leading (After being triggered

//Pyramid (Looping

//Pyramid (After being triggered

Week 17 - 18

Connect the button with both P5.js and Arduino
Test the Serialport with the push button

Use the button to control both Servo and the videos

Button control the hand and the screens

button:
NO - pin 2
COM - GND
SERVO:
yellow - pin9
red - 5V
brown - GND

Week 18

Cut the cover board
Making the clear box
Painting the hand

cut the cover board and align the videos to each frame

Make acrylic clear box and woven red yarns inside

assemble and paint the hand

Week 19

decorating the cover board

Decorading the board with yarns

the board with decoration

Week 20 - 21

Showcase setup

DAISY LI 李翱辰

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Animation Practices
3D Modeling Practices

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