Got Flash and EyesWeb talking :D

Now i just need to figure out how to get the message i want across

Update

After a week in Italy I got back on the dissertation. Monday I did a small bit of user testing with some children I know, it was very interesting and informative. I didn’t have any real prototype to show them though which annoyed me though.

I had to download a newer version of EyesWeb and re-do all of my code again, there was different names and locations for the objects so it took a while. I am still not 100% confident on the next step yet so am gonna do more research and ask some people about it.

I made a flash prototype yesterday - I do also think that I could use this as the final flash piece of my project. The prototype is a working prototype by using mouse clicks instead of the motion detection. I am going to use this prototype to do another bit of user testing later on today

Check out this prototype - http://www.graphicid.ie/dissertation/working%20flash.html

I have a meeting in UL tomorrow so I will update again after that

Back to Webcam/EyesWeb

After a few stressful weeks i came back and had a meeting with Mikael who convinced me that i should give webcam detection (using eyesweb) another chance.

Unlike previous attempts i was able to actually do something successfully. By using a tutorial and changing some elements around i was able to make a motion detection/background subtracter.

Here is the code



This code makes this



Turn into the following when you put a hand infront of it



Obviously this coding needs specific light conditions so i haven't been able to test it out 100% yet, I also tested it out using the semi-transparent screen in the IDC and it seemed successful, although i do still need to try it with a projection. Next step is that i need to find out how i can analyze the movement and convert it into midi notes.

Sensors?

My head has been wrecked thinking of how I can get a webcam to pick up the right motion in the horizontal wall. I decided to look elsewhere to see what other things I could use to detect this. I was using one of those paper towel dispensers with the sensor in the front and thought that I should look into that as it seems the perfect kind of technology for what I need.

I had a look around the internet and found the following website with something that might suit, http://www.glolab.com/dp-001/dp-001.html -- although that says one of them costs $22.95 and as I need 40 (one for each circle) it would be too much cost wise. I am currently having another look around to see if I can obtain these sensors cheaper or maybe make something similar up with other materials.

If I do use sensors for my project it will also mean that my project would be portable which will mean I will have a greater option of user testing.

My father works for a training company who are currently doing a course on security and monitoring. I was asked to digitize some technical drawings for them and noticed that they also use some types of sensors for their work. I plan to ask the person organising that course a few questions about sensors and see if he has any suggestion on how I could use sensors in my project.

Flash buttons

As my head as been wrecked with the webcam side of my project i decided to take a little break from it and decided to do a bit of the next step. I have made the visualisations along with rollovers. I am still trying to figure out how to get the buttons to play midi files.

You can see what i have so far HERE

3D prototype

Update

Sorry for the lack of posts on this blog.

I think I now have the final layout for the system - 5 across and 8 up. And the 5 below are now symbolised by actual halves etc...



As you can also see from above I have my 3d prototype almost finished.

I also handed in my first draft of the written dissertation last Friday. I am actually finding the writing part easier than the practical (a statement I thought I would never say). I am still trying to get my head around EyesWeb and looking around the internet at other technologies I could use to detect the position. With the webcam I got off the college not working on vista and my handy cam needing to be replaced I haven’t been able to do all the testing needed as I cant seem to link up my inbuilt camera to EyesWeb. I also e-mailed one of the other tutors in UL whom I was told was the EyesWeb expert but he informed me that the weakest thing with EyesWeb is the documentation, I might try and arrange a quick tutorial with him over the coming weeks if possible. Derrick, one of my fellow students, found a way to do some web detection through flash so I also might ask him for a quick tutorial on that for a fallback option

I will have my 3D prototype up by the end of the week.

Update - 26/05/08

I meet with Mikael and Eoin on Wednesday and Thursday. I talked with Mikael about the written report, which I have started to fill in with work I have already done. Eoin gave me some great papers to read which I am reading at the moment. Eoin also helped me by giving me more options on how I can do the project.

Both said I should do more prototypes and keep developing the project. I am currently starting a video prototype using 3D max. I am also starting to look at what EyesWeb can do; I have just started on some simple tutorials which I hope to alter to develop the coding I need to create for my project.

I am going to continue working on my what has been done before section of my written report and will continue to look into options for coding my project. I am also meeting with users that I hope to use for the user testing next weekend and I am going to try to compile a quick initial questionnaire to get their initial feelings on my idea so I can change anything major before I start working fully on the product.

Update

I finished my proposal this morning and just handed it up. I also just had a meeting with mikael to refine some of the technologies i will use. I have to e-mail Nora and ask her about the demonstration she showed the class before where a webcam can detect shadows and come to a conclusion what i should use for the horizontal plain.

I have also added more pictures.

Will keep you updated

Proposal Presentation

On Monday morning i had a presentation for my proposal report, which went pretty well.

It was suggested that i should make mathematical tasks for the children as it wasn't clear how i was going to tech maths with this product. I came up with the following scenario

Scenario
A is asked some simple fraction question - how many of the ½ circles are in the 2 circle. They are told to press the 2 circle and then the beat of that circle will loop and A should try and see how many of the ½ circles can fit while the 2 beat is playing. More questions will be asked in a similar way using different integers. Once these tasks have been completed A is told that they can play with the product and is shown how to operate the piece they have the freedom to play around with it and create their own song.

I am currently working on my proposal report which i hope to finish by the end of the week.

Refined idea

Well last night i did some sketching (as can be seen in the column ->) and realized that my floor section should only be one row as it would be difficult to interact with the wall piece if a user was a few rows away.

I think a dance mat type of technology would be used on this floor as it will probably be easier to use then using a webcam and the technology is easily available.

I am gonna work on my proposal at the weekend and will keep you posted...

Brainstorming and Change of Idea

After an e-mail from my supervisor, i realized that boxing can be seen as violent.

After some brainstorming myself once more i decided that the basis of my project would be teaching maths through music (hence the name Music Squared). After more discussion with some other lecturers i found that musical notes are made up with fractions so i could use music to teach 4th year class students (approx 11 years old) maths.

Trying to now convert this idea into a interactive project is the hard part now. I tried to come up with different ideas myself but kept hitting a brick wall.

Today i just had one of my first meetings with my supervisor and we both came up with a plausible idea.

The idea is to use an interactive wall and floor to create music. The floor would be the rhythm section and the wall will be the pitch. There will be an array of primary coloured circles - on the wall maybe making the colour lighter for the higher note and on the floor making making the circle smaller/bigger for the note length.

I will probably use webcams to detect the position of the users hand or foot -- i will need a semitransparent wall so i can back project the graphics.

This idea is still very fresh in my head so i am gonna do some more brainstorming and sketching over the next few days.

I'll be back soon with more developments....

First Idea !!!

I have finally got an idea for my dissertation project. I decided before christmas that i wanted to do a system to do with music for children. The following idea just came to me out of nowhere;

It’s a mix between boxing and music creation and I name it "Music Box". The rhythm would be determined by how long your jab stays in a particular area and the pitch would be determined by how high or low you jab. I will probably use a sensor glove to so this and incorporate it into flash.

I am now gonna brainstorm this further. I will be back soon with more news :D