Things are beginning to come together nicely; after a somewhat terrifying moment when one of my servos broke down I have since bought new ones and installed them - they seem to be working ok. Phew!
The link that this post points too is my project website. I’ve slowly been shaping it over the past week and, although it’s not entirely finished and lacking some snowboarding content, I am pleased with how it is looking. Still, I have about two weeks left until the show to finish it entirely (although I’m aiming to have it done for the vivas on Tuesday).
So, what’s left… I have my project report to do for Friday and in terms of deliverables (excluding the viva) that’s me done! It’ll give me the weekend and Monday / Tuesday to really fine tune my object and prepare my presentation - probably the biggest / most important of my life to date. No pressure. Sheesh.
Tomorrow I’m focusing on starting (and finishing) my project report and polishing the iPhone app. the website I’ve created I think practically has everything Iw ant to say in my report but just in a more casual style so hopefully I can migrate some of the info across into a more coherent written document. I’ll try anyway.
Have settled on a design I like for the websites. The site here is an ‘about the project’ site which contains all the information of the project. I’ve still to properly fill it with content (I’ve done some) but I’ve decided to stick it online and just update as I go so that it’s obvious things are progressing (and it makes me feel like I’ve achieved something else today!)
I will also be creating a ‘demo’ site, i.e: the site that a user using the service would access. It’ll be available at demo.slopescope.co.uk once I’ve made it. I’m thinking of using the same / very similar structure and design for both the sake of simplicity and coherence and because I feel this particular design will complement the content.
It’s been a wee while since I updated this blog with anything properly uni related. So here’s the run down on what I’ve been doing with myself in regards the SlopeScope interaction design project…
Since the MkII hand in I’ve been primarily focused on getting the other elements of the project finished up a bit more; i.e: the website and iPhone app. This, annoyingly, I’m finding to be a real struggle. For some unknown reason I have lost the ability to design websites; every time I work on something I find myself hating it with a relatively short period of time. Still, I’m beginning to get somewhere and have the basics of a website kinda there, see below.
Viewing a High Definition video in the browser:
As you can see it is still very much in its infancy but at least it’s a start. I’m my biggest critic and I’m pretty hard on myself. My biggest worry here is that the website and iPhone won’t justify the concept of the project. I feel like these two elements have to be super well done as they are a core aspect of the user-service interaction. However, my project is primarily about the camera movement technology and how it relates to this conceptual service. I guess what I’m saying is that I can’t nail everything (although I’m definitely aiming for it)
Breakthrough in WiiMote code
The next piece of news I have is that, eventually, I received a response on the Arduino forum. I posted a thread asking for help in regards the jerky motion of the WiiMote. Some kind fella has done something very similar to what I’m doing (a Wiimote controlled pitch/pan system … OK exactly what I’m doing). His approach was radically different to mine however but seems to be a more sensible one.
His uses a constantly rotating servo which rotates faster or slower dependant on how near to the edge of the field of vision the source is; when it is sufficiently close to the centre movement stops. Another cool thing here is that he is doing it completely within the Arduino and reading directly from the expansion port on the back of the WiiMote. I still need to work out a little more of the hardware issues but this could be a lifesaver. Check out his demo video:
Now, herein lies the deal breaker. To do this would require a lot of work, in fact I’d probably be more sensible building a second unit but that means more costs (a cool £45 minus delivery + £15 [if I want a black WiiMote] + £20 [if I buy an extra 2 servos]. Yikes). The reason I say this is that if I failed to build it in time I’d still have my original which would suffice for the degree show but it’d be ncie to have a smoother, more constant demo - something I feel is important (but I’m scared I’m running out of time). This is something to discuss with Graham methinks.
Another bonus for rebuilding is that It’d give me the chance to implement the old iSight which Ali kindly lent me. The camera is of a FAR higher quality than my current ‘webcam’ (if you can call it that) and has things like autofocus which is a nice extra. However, it’s caveats are: it’s much bigger and would need an entire redesign of the case and that it get’s kinda hot. Potential issue here? *sigh* it’s never easy is it.
Tell Phase
Finally, I am ever aware that I haven’t really started thinking about my Tell Phase i.e: the video, images and story behind my project. I need to create a minute long video which summarises my project and captures what it is, what it does and who it’s for. A minute is painfully short though…
While the minute video is my deliverable I’m thinking of producing a second, longer, video to document how the finished project works; covering aspects such as the mechanics of the camera, Arduino code, the iPhone app and the javascript behind the website. I’d like this video also tot ouch on the concept as a whole. Basically I’d like to create a mini documentary on the project for my folio and to show people so they can understand all the details. This, for sure, will have to wait until all my other deliverables are at a sufficiently high standard.
Tomorrow I continue with the website and hopefully over the weekend will wrap it up so I can start to focus on my Tell Phase; I really want to nail this bit good.
After the success of documenting my work throughout the Zoom Phase I am disappointed to realise that I have all but stopped writing about what I’m actually doing or the thought processes I have been going through.
Just now a lot of my time has (stupidly) been spent working with some of the others on advertising material for our Degree show Fundraisers (‘Tache Bash for those not in the know). Whilst it is entirely necessary (and important) to make sure this is a busy event so that we can benefit as much as possible from ticket sales I have to remember that my degree is paramount.
I had intended on trying to catch up with my uni work tonight but I’m struggling to find something useful I can do. Recently I’ve been building and fine-tuning my iPhone app while I wait for components to be delivered. Once said components are here I can try my hand at building some of the tripod system; I can’t wait to be able to have all the elements connect together (albeit maybe crudely). For Make Part 1 I’m intending on having (basic) functionality and connectivity between elements which demonstrate the key interactions of the project.
Make Part 2 will build upon what I achieve in Part 1 and polish everything up. I really want the system to actually work even if it is not built to look like the final product; i.e: a prototype tripod which records realtime video which the iPhone app then picks up on and can be used to watch back the video (it’d be awesome if the users could also then post it to their Facebook or similar - maybe too much effort, could be a demonstration feature or something on a board or video). If I can get these two elements working then having a website which also interacts with the recorded data will just be a matter of data crunching and time spent on design elements - the back-end will practically already be there.
Excellent, now I just need a name for the whole project; any ideas?
