Prototyping RFID reader with attitude

another video test

video test

Prototyping (a reader but also LED flowers)

I've been working on this electronic mockup to be able to play around with rfid reading converted into light and sound. I'm writing different code for different tags to be able to feel the difference between the interactions. I'm using twelve ultrawhite diodes that i'm assembling in different constallation, and I'm (for now) using a piezo element that makes small clicks when it reads. Further on we'll try to use some light bulbs and make Una's icons interactive (changing icons depending on your actions).

The result of milling

This on was to try out what it would be like to have a more tactile touch surface. The conclusion was that a smooth surface is better.


This is for the one were the diodes are hidden behind a touch surface. There is supposed to be a circular shape covering the middle.

This one has the diodes as visible dots around the touch suface. One circle and one strait.

Summary of the last week

Saturday: Coffee and scenario sketching, taking scenario pictures. Decided to focus more on parkingmeter and door access. Working on light scenarios.
Sunday: Discussing shapes for different locations, making them in 3D. Going deeper into interacting on location focusing on movement/gestures, icons, physical elements and feedback and more.
Monday: Using the milling machine to mill out prototypes. Working on prototyping and in the workshop. Discussing directions later in the day. Decided to focus only on door acces because we wanted to look more into the interaction and not the system. Una went deeper into interaction scenarios with the door. This will contain a perfect combination of our three main issues: the graphical, the physical and the hidden!
Thuesday: Working on prototyping and in the workshop.
Wednesday: Workshop in the morning about
1: Signalizing the area for touch.
2: Signalizing the act of touching
3: Signalizing the reaction from the touch
4: Signalizing the result from the touch
Thursday: Going to the IxD lectures. Working on prototyping, and making light videos. Trying to sum up the elements of interaction with light. Me and Una made lots of decisions for out final prototype that we are going to build tomorrow.

Lights
Me and Una has discussed the variations in light continuously; she has visualized them in illustrator and I’ve been prototyping and building. Mostly getting the Rfid reader up and running, light feedback and some sound the last couple of days. Now I think it is useful to sum up some of my thoughts so they could compliment the illustration that Una has made. I’m not sure how much effort I should put into documenting all the variations (because they are almost infinite possibilities) Instead I’ll try to sum up some element that describes the variations.

• The movement of the light; moving in a line, circle, square (+ other geometric shapes) or moving randomly, or defining a pattern based on movement.
• The quality of the light; if the light source is LED, light bulbs or other light sources.
• The intensity of the light; how strong the resistor is.
• The modifications of the light source; how you transform the light source. If you use reflectors to direct or increase/decrease the light area. If you blur the light through a material, matt/glossy or translucide/opaque or colored plastic, textiles, metallic grids etc. If you reflect it into a surface and then back on another surface to make a more ambient light.
• The dimming of light; disappearing and coming back, the smoothness of the flow.
• The size of the light ‘surface’.
• The speed of the light animations; short vs. fast, acceleration, pauses, intervals.
• The direction of the light; makes a difference in indicating the gestures, movement or touch area.
  
  Other thoughts on variations
• The pattern, speed, space, time of the user’s hand gestures; how the user can interact with the readers to perform a quick, efficient, smooth interaction vs. a more time consuming, secure and thorough interaction.
• The physical affordances; if the reader is visible or integrated, invites to interaction or if it’s just there as a seamless part of our world, (ambient or visible). We has discussed that it should be visible and transparent because RFID is still a new technology that people should be introduced to in a positive way. In x nr of years the interaction might be more seamless because people will have gotten used to it. Earlier on I made several shapes that could work as touch surfaces; touch & hover, touch & swipe, and slide. It should stand out to invite to touching.
• The physical material qualities; differentiating the touch surface from the panel. Using materials that are suitable for the location and the use.

Friday 18. May

Friday we had a mentoring session with Mosse. She recommended that we should focus on a specific set of locations and them narrow it down to one. We decides to analyze four locations. On friday afternoon we planned the weeks we have left as detailed as possible. We decided to always have a tree day plan and meet at 08.30 every morning (to be organized). We planned to draw the scenarios and act them out the next day. On Una has described the results of going out into town on her blog.