Just finished presenting the ZigBee Internet Gateway at Sketching in Hardware 2010, held at the Encounter dome at LAX airport. My presentation covered the basics of (essentially) bringing web services to the Arduino via a ConnectPort and XBee radios from Digi International. The Gateway is intended for use in schools, design firms, hacker spaces or art venues. Some engineers from Sparkfun wanted to know if this was something I’m selling. Nope, it’s all going to be free.
Adi Marom
Adib Dada
Asli Sevinc
Laewoo Kang
Liangjie Xia
Matt Ganucheau
Michael Martinez-Campos
Michael Lewis
Morgen Fleisig
Richard Upchurch
Sarah Dahnke
Sebastian Buys
Print This Post
|
Sociable Objects Workshop Spring 2010 NYU, Tisch School of the Arts Interactive Telecommunications Program v1.0 |
Instructor: Rob Faludi rob@faludi.com 212-989-6888 |
Course Description:
Sociable objects are devices that share. They can talk to each other, gain information about their context and react accordingly. Recent advances in wireless mesh networks have created the potential for a massively interconnected world of easy information sharing. Cheap communications, high reliability, unique addressing, small size, standardization, and routing features combine to enable exciting new interactions. Developers of toys, wearables, performance devices, portables, network objects and sensor arrays can take advantage of radio mesh networking to design more interesting, better informed and more complex behaviors for their projects. This course explores devices that connect with and respond to each other. The technical focus will be on ZigBee wireless mesh networks. Interconnections with other platforms and devices will be examined as appropriate. Students will gain an expertise in all functions of the ZigBee system to facilitate smart and novel behaviors in their projects. Through a series of weekly exercises, students will build skills and explore the challenges and delights of mutual connectivity. As a final project, the class will construct dynamic device networks. Prior experience with basic electronics and physical computing is helpful, but not required. Most labs and projects involve group work, so students should be ready to collaborate extensively as they experiment on the cutting edge of device interaction.
Note that this course will be taught as a hands-on workshop, with projects taking place both in and outside of the classroom.
Goals:
Students will learn technical skills in wireless networking, programming and serial communication. They will gain a deeper understanding of how collaboration can enrich information in devices and enhance creativity in people. Assigned projects will explore networking, collaborative efforts and the sharing of data and behaviors between disparate systems.
Class Schedule:
Assignments:
Imagining Sociable Objects: Think of a system of things that communicate. Mock it up and present it to the class. Clearly and physically show what it is, how it would work and communicate the experience of using it, interacting with it and living in a world where it was real. Focus on a great idea and a great presentation. Please, no scrolling through a web page. Give us the story.
Doorbell Projects: Working in pairs, create a basic doorbell using ZigBee and Arduino, enhance this doorbell with roundtrip feedback so the visitor knows that the buzzer has rung. Next, create a doorbell with a nap mode with a silent alert for regular visitors but an eventual wakeup for insistent visitors. Finally, create an advanced doorbell of your choosing, perhaps one that only responds to a secret code, one with a history feature, one that sends an SMS or Tweets, one that provides a text display, or anything else that builds a better doorbell. Use this assignment as an opportunity to get comfortable with round-trip communications, and to think about enhancing practical interactions.
Simple Sensor Network: Using ZB XBees we will create mesh networks that cover large areas including the boards, enclosures, mountings and documentation. The end result will be a robust infrastructure that anyone could understand, use and extend. Each student will take on an area of responsibility to collaborate on making this network.
Observation Assignment: A one-week project chosen from a deck of project cards. Cards will be selected at random, with a white elephant process to exchange with classmates. Each project must be completed by the next class, including your documentation. The goal will be to notice something new about the world, and to begin preparing you for your final project ideation and iterations.
Sensor / Actuator Project: Generate an interactive system using the on-floor ZB XBee mesh network. One group will create a network of sensors that detect something about the world and use it to generate a data feed. The second group will obtain that data and produce a network of outputs or actuators that respond. The two groups will need to collaborate internally and with each other. Consider choosing work roles. Remember the importance of clear communications protocols in the data handoff. Be careful not to take on more work than can be done in a week, including troubleshooting. Work in stages, getting simple success as early as possible. Help each other as often and much as you can.
Final Project: work in groups to create a system or device of your choosing. Your creation should use multiple nodes to create a sensing network, display network or complex interaction. This is potentially a challenging assignment in a short period of time so consider what you know about collaboration. Keep moving forward.
Documentation:
Grading:
Class participation & attendance 30%
Presentations and assignments 20%
Projects and documentation 30%
Final Project 20%
Office Hours
To Be Announced
Laptops
Can be open during lectures but should be closed when your fellow students are speaking or presenting.
Making the Most of It:
For best results, come to class early, participate in discussions, ask lots of questions, offer copious and constructive feedback, stretch yourself and have fun.
SELECTED READINGS
Math and Communication Protocols:
Robert Faludi is a professor in the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and in the Interactive Telecommunications program at NYU. He specializes in behavioral interactions through physical computing and networked objects. He frequently consults on interactive projects including recent work in entertainment, architecture and toys. Faludi is currently developing device networking and customer engagement systems for GroundedPower, a smart energy monitoring start-up. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Wired Magazine, Good Morning America, and BBC World among others. He is a co-creator of LilyPad XBee wearable radios, and Botanicalls, a system that allows thirsty plants to place phone calls for human help.
Dharmarajan Ayakkad
Eun Joo(EJ) Lee
India Amos
Michael Doherty
Morgen Fleisig
Zoe Fraade-Blanar
Print This Post
|
Sociable Objects Workshop Summer 2009 NYU, Tisch School of the Arts Interactive Telecommunications Program v1.1 |
Instructor: Rob Faludi rob@faludi.com 212-989-6888 |
Course Description:
Sociable objects are devices that share. They can talk to each other, gain information about their context and react accordingly. Recent advances in wireless mesh networks have created the potential for a massively interconnected world of easy information sharing. Cheap communications, high reliability, unique addressing, small size, standardization, and routing features combine to enable exciting new interactions. Developers of toys, wearables, performance devices, portables, network objects and sensor arrays can take advantage of radio mesh networking to design more interesting, better informed and more complex behaviors for their projects. This course explores devices that connect with and respond to each other. The technical focus will be on ZigBee wireless mesh networks. Interconnections with other platforms and devices will be examined as appropriate. Students will gain an expertise in all functions of the ZigBee system to facilitate smart and novel behaviors in their projects. Through a series of weekly exercises, students will build skills and explore the challenges and delights of mutual connectivity. As a final project, the class will construct dynamic device networks. Prior experience with basic electronics and physical computing is helpful, but not required. Most labs and projects involve group work, so students should be ready to collaborate extensively as they experiment on the cutting edge of device interaction.
Note that this course will be taught as a hands-on workshop, with projects taking place both in and outside of the classroom.
Goals:
Students will learn technical skills in wireless networking, programming and serial communication. They will gain a deeper understanding of how collaboration can enrich information in devices and enhance creativity in people. Assigned projects will explore networking, collaborative efforts and the sharing of data and behaviors between disparate systems.
Class Schedule:
11.Production workshop with technical reviews
12.Final Presentations
Assignments:
Imagining Sociable Objects: Think of a system of things that communicate. Mock it up and present it to the class. Clearly and physically show what it is, how it would work and communicate the experience of using it, interacting with it and living in a world where it was real. Focus on a great idea and a great presentation. Please, no scrolling through a web page. Give us the story.
Doorbell Projects: create a basic doorbell using ZigBee and Arduino, enhance this doorbell with roundtrip feedback so the visitor knows that the buzzer has rung. Next, create a doorbell with a nap mode with a silent alert for regular visitors but an eventual wakeup for insistent visitors. Finally, create an advanced doorbell of your choosing, perhaps one that only responds to a secret code, one with a history feature, one that sends an SMS or Tweets, one that provides a text display, or anything else that builds a better doorbell. Use this assignment as an opportunity to get comfortable with round-trip communications, and to think about enhancing practical interactions.
Simple Sensor Network: Using ZB XBees we will create a mesh network that covers the ITP floor. Everything will be created to be permanent including boards, enclosures, mountings and documentation. We will test for redundancy, stability, extensibility and usability. The end result will be a roust infrastructure that anyone at ITP can understand, use and extend. Each student will take on an area of responsibility to collaborate on making this permanent installation
Card Assignments: one-day projects inspired by a phrase from a deck of inspiration cards. Cards will be chosen at random, with a white elephant process to exchange with classmates. Each project must be completed by the next class,including your documentation, so think small. All projects need a name, public documentation, and have to be demonstrated by the deadline. Scale your ideas to fit the time allotted and you’ll be impressed with what you can accomplish.
Sensor / Actuator Project: Generate an interactive system using the ZB XBee mesh network we created, . One group will create a network of sensors that detect something about the world and use it to generate a data feed. The second group will obtain that data and produce a network of outputs or actuators that respond. The two groups will need to collaborate internally and with each other. Consider choosing work roles. Remember the importance of clear communications protocols in the data handoff. Be careful not to take on more work than can be done in a week, including troubleshooting. Work in stages, getting simple success as early as possible. Help each other as often and much as you can.
Final Project: work in groups to create a system or device of your choosing. Your creation should use multiple nodes to create a sensing network, display network or complex interaction. This is potentially a challenging assignment in a short period of time so consider what you know about collaboration. Keep moving forward.
Documentation:
Warmups:
Some classes may include a warm-up intended to enhance the collaborative atmosphere.
Grading:
Class participation & attendance 30%
Presentations and assignments 20%
Projects and documentation 30%
Final Project 20%
Office Hours
To Be Announced
Making the Most of It:
For best results, come to class early, participate in discussions, ask lots of questions, offer copious and constructive feedback, stretch yourself and have fun.
SELECTED READINGS
Math and Communication Protocols:
The XBee Terminal Max is an improved version of the original XBee Terminal for Processing that features a much bigger screen, scrolling text areas, interactive serial port management and helpful reminder messages.
Thanks to Max Whitney for generating many of the improvements and Tom Igoe for the original code.
Gave a talk (more of a conversation really) about Smart Energy and What Lies Ahead at ETech, the Emerging Technology Conference in San Jose last week. Slides for the online casinotalk are online.
Also gave a workshop called Socializing Stuff about wireless objects that was a hands-on introduction to 802.15.4 and ZigBee radios. Wrapped it all up at the last-night Fest with Wireless Wearables and the LilyPad XBee before renting a car and heading to Point Reyes to unwind by the foggy Pacific. Lots of cows and no cell phone service are the perfect complement to a week of tech.
An improved version of the original XBee Terminal for Processing that features a much bigger screen, scrolling text areas, interactive serial port management and helpful reminder messages.
Download for:
You can also download the original source code, in which case you’ll also need the controlP5 GUI library.
Thanks to Max Whitney for generating many of the improvements and Tom Igoe for the original code. Oh, and a handy tweak from Usman Haque.
Faludi on the Blogs… Botanicalls on the Blogs