Bad Mood Destroyer
Feat with Ziyi Shi
Nov 2022
Ideation
We designed and developed a real-life slingshot, inspired by the 'angry bird' soft switch from a previous class experiment for soft electronics. Our goal was to improve upon the original design and create a device that could act as a mood destroyer. Using a conductive rubber sheet as the bouncing element, we were able to measure the force and distance of each shot and reflect this data in P5js. We also incorporated a baffle in the design to complete the circuit upon impact. As we are graduating, we hope this project serves as an outlet for the stress, anxiety and negative emotions we are experiencing during our job search.
Prototyping
1. 3D Model and 3D Print
We used Rhino to make the model. We dug a hole in the basement to be the ‘home’ for the slingshot and two holes for circuit threads. 3D printing worked well! We got our slingshot and basement!
2. Circuit Playground and Conductive Rubber
We utilized the Circuit Playground as the microcontroller for the project, as it was capable of holding conductive thread and providing visual feedback through lighting upon activation. This added an element of positive reinforcement for the user.
This was our first time working with conductive rubber, and while it provided the desired readings, it proved to be a challenge when connecting to the Circuit Playground. Initially, we attempted to sew the conductive thread directly into the rubber, but found that it resulted in holes and the potential for tears. We then considered alternative methods before ultimately finding success in tying the thread to the rubber, despite it being a counterintuitive solution.
Additionally, we encountered an issue during the connection process when using copper tape, resulting in a buzzing sound that almost damaged the chip. Despite these challenges, we were able to overcome them and create an interactive experience that met our desired outcome.
3. P5 js
In order to achieve the goal of creating a "bad mood destroyer" device, we explored different concepts using Open Processing. Our aim was to design a particle system that would react explosively to the tension in the conductive rubber. After experimenting with various options, we settled on a galaxy sketch to use as the visual representation. To link the device's physical interaction with the digital representation, we used Arduino to process the readings and filter them through an if loop, separating the rubber stretch data and the button-on collision data. The motion effects of the particle system were then adjusted to correspond with the rubber stretch data, requiring experimentation and adjustment to find the optimal mapping range and coefficients.
link to sketch: https://editor.p5js.org/JiyunYao/sketches/i8AjaZYEY
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