Module 2 Activity Research

Weekly Activity Template

Brianna Wright

Project 2

Module 2

Physical Computing Project 2 - Wearable Smart Resistance Band

Workshop 1 Geurilla Prototyping I

First, we decided to draw out a diagram for our phone dimensions on figma, labeling the measurements.

Then, we made a design on figma of our first prototype and what it'd look like, with our measurements in mind.

After that, we had created it using the tutorial provided, and using both cardboard and glue to hold it together.

Then, we made a second prototype in figma, and our innovative idea was to try and create a stand that used less material.

Then we built it with the same materials, but using less cardboard and glue to create a more efficient phone holder.

Workshop 2 Geurilla Prototyping II

Here, we wanted to test out our gear idea we had researched, and we created simple shapes to represent the gears

Then, we tried to line up the gears to see the difference from biggest to smallest.

After that, we tried to stack them ontop of eachother to see how they would look.

Then, we tried to make actual gear shapes with the cardboard, cutting out the teeth of the gears, and making a range of sizes.

In the end we tried to stack them ontop of eachother again, with a tube surrounding the gears to hold them in place and because we had an idea to have the gears work in conjunction with the tube, the lines on the tube are meant to represent corners the gears would hit/cause friction on and move the tube, though we scrapped the idea because it was too complex.

Activity 1: My Research

I decided to use an old legging/stocking for our resistance band prototype wearable, it was the easiest thing to use, and had the key characteristics needed. (stretchy, a soft fabric, and easy to sew with some resistance when pulled too much)

Then, I cut the end, to prepare for sewing, as per the tutorial I was following.

And I gathered all of the necessary materials. (needle, pin cushion, thread, etc.)

When I was first attempting a backstitch, and I later realized that I wasn’t stitching correctly, and didn’t give myself enough thread to do the job.

So I had to start again from where I had left off (about a 1/3 or so of the stocking I was able to get done at this point). I did some research on backstitching techniques and I was able to fully complete the prototype, and tested it out a bit to see if it could withstand some stretching.

Activity 2: My Research

I had assembled all of my materials for this activity, (the Arduino, wires, breadboard, a digital barometric pressure sensor, tubes, scissors, glue, and some tape)

I used the diagram my team members found to attach the wiring in the correct spots on the Arduino and the pressure sensor. And I used the code my team members had found to prep the transfer and input of air pressure data from the Arduino for ProtoPie.

I had cut 2 holes in the prototype I created, and used both glue and tape to stick the tubes onto the prototype. One hole was for air to go in, and the other was for air to go out. It was difficult to use because the glue and tape were flimsy, and made the prototype fall apart at times.

After that, I attached one of the tubes to the air pressure sensor so it can pick up the data. And for the other tube in my hand, I’d blow air into it to see if the sensor is affected.

I connected the physical objects (my prototype, Arduino) to my digital objects (ProtoPie) and used the design my teammate created in order to test if the connection between the physical and digital objects would function. The ProtoPie software was able to successfully pick up the data from the Arduino, though the connection between my prototype trying to add air pressure and the Arduino wasn’t working correctly, so I was unable to make a change to the pressure that the sensor would pick up.

Additional Research or Workshops

For my additional research, I decided to look into the gear systems used in bikes to try and see if it could be applied to our project.

Then, I found some articles and videos online that broke down how the bike gear system worked, it explained that 'Bike gears use multiple gears in order to modify the user’s experience, so that they can easily change on the terrains and conditions of their environment, allowing them to move forward efficiently.
When switching gears, the chain shifts from one gear to another, and the chain is pushed/pulled from left to right, to the appropriate position, adding tension to the bike.'

I also looked into how Arduinos worked, I did some light research looking at the possible use cases of Arduinos, and tried to figure out how my group could broaden our scope/use the Arduino to our advantage with it's capabilities.

Also, while I was working on Activity 1 I had to do some research as to how to sew 2 pieces of fabric together using a backstitch, as it'd been a while since I have done it. The WikiHow article I found helped me immensely, breaking down each step.

Finally, I was looking at some tutorials online to help me figure out how to create a prototype DIY resistance band, I found 2 videos and I tried to apply my knowledge from both of them into my own prototype. I took the stocking idea from one, but I realized the creator just tied it together which I feel wasn't enough process work for a prototype. And the other one, which is the image shown, had included sewing a stretchy fabric, and since all I had at the time was a stocking, thats what I used.

Project 2

Project 2 Prototype

Resistance Band Final Prototype

For our final prototype, I feel that it was really nicely done, and it helped us narrow down our focus for the project. We used my version of the resistanc band prototype as a spring board that we critiqued, built off of, and improved upon.

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