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Website Link.

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I was reading this article https://medium.com/@creativeai/creativeai-9d4b2346faf3  Found some interesting things. just pasting them here. 

Inspired by the conference, in 1948 Wiener published his seminal work “Cybernetics: or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine” [29] and Shannon published “A Mathematical Theory of Communication” [30]. Such works laid the foundation for today’s information age by providing a scientific theory for concepts such as “information”, “communication”, “feedback” and “control”.

Wiener defined cybernetics as the science of adaptive, feedback-based control [31]. The name comes from the ancient Greek word for steersman. Cybernetics takes the view that control in complex environments must be conversational. It requires not just action but also listening and adaptation: To steer a boat across a lake, you have to use your tiller and sails to adjust to changing winds and currents. The cybernetic model of control is circular, decisions depend not only on how well people carry out their intentions but also on how the environment responds.

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1% H

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72% H

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PROTOTYPING_02-Hacking_Part1

To create a control system for visuals I was hoping to use sliders and potmeter as the control variables to control the designs generated. While discussing with Dennis, he suggested the possibility of using the internal potentiometer within a servomotor 

Hacking the Servo-Motor to use the internal potentiometer to read a value which can then later be used for a function trigger.

Soldering an addition wire to the pot, and linked it to analogRead. 

Then we used a multimeter to find the max and in-between values of resistance. it ranged from 0-2.8V. we then compared that with the 0-1023 analog value and estimated a range of value between 570-580. (approx)

Later, we then opened the serial monitor to see if it indeed worked. It did and we were able to see values ranging from 0-664 which was a more accurate number. Another trick we later discovered to find the max value was to set the servo motor to run a sweep example and then create a long enough to see the max value.   

With this function working, what is now possible is for the control knob (servo potentiometer) can be used to be moved, but can also trigger actions with an applied rotation.  Imagining it as the control knob on the machine, when put into mode 3, the system stops the function myservo.attach() and triggers myservo.detach(), where the knobs can be turned by itself without the human doing so. 

We then discussed visualizing platforms that can work together with this mechanism, Dennis and Pepejin suggested OpenScad, Processing, etc.

OpenScad allowed code to be turned to 3D models which can be controlled by changing the code values. this was my starting point. looked on a few examples and works to see what is possible, but the main problem was the difficulty in automatic most of the action, each model required code and also required human input to change it. 

I quickly recalled software that I came across earlier and decided to try to use this as a platform, Luckily the software supported to read serial .input from the Arduino.

--------------Will be continued in the next post--------------------------------- 

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PROTOTYPING_01

Some updates.

I have divided my focus into 3 main things at the moment. 

1. Product Prototype, and Resulting creations ( possible product designs created in Mode3)

2.UI, User Interface. To help communicate the working and process and navigation through the different modes (will be posting another post on it)

3.Hacking Interactions. Using Arduino and sensors along with the combination of the interface.

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Can Machines Think ?

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Future Product Catalog. 

Please View the images in fullscreen as Tumblr makes the thumbnails pixelated

I created some 3D models and rendered them to help visualize the product. I wanted to play with real-life materials like metal, frosted glass, and lighting. I found the combination of subtle lighting and frosted glass very interesting and mysterious. I also added legs to one design to see how that turns out. It turned out quite eerie. 

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I realized there is another way to create the surfaces, by keeping the reference object between the pins and not behind. Unfortunately, only small surfaces can be created in this method as the length of the pins are too short . But bigger objects can be created if the distance is bigger.

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Update 4-12-19

LIDAR VISUALIZATION

I was seeing how LIDAR sensors used in self-driving cars generate maps of its surroundings by seeing the world in dots. I got the idea of taking the pin toy and possibly using that as a surface for visualization. The future design assistant tool can use such visualizations to suggest ideas to the user or can even generate forms for itself. I was curious to know what are the other options besides 3D that can be used to give to this AI tool to visualize. 

Prototyping.

I will try to get one of these and try to use Foam or some other material to create visualizations. They can be seen as different views of the same object as in a 3D software but in the real-world with a tangible material. In a future scenario where the Design tool can be portable and scan its surroundings, this form of visualization can be used to recreate spaces, products, etc. and can also be used as a medium of ‘thinking’ / communication with the user. 

I will keep my prototyping and other updates posted.---------------------------

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Update 4-12-19

Quick Update

After the exercise on Monday, I got a lot of interesting ideas and possible scenarios. I am working on creating some visualizations to be used for creating future products and I am trying to make them look uncomfortable/strange. This part of the process is quite difficult as I have to balance the product from looking extremely strange/uncomfortable and an accepted tool for creativity.

I have around 5 variations with different functions and friction, I will post them in the upcoming posts, I’m still working on the visualizations.

Allard mentioned many interesting sources:

1.Borges Explained

Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics"

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

I find these rules very interesting and also shocking as these were first published in 1942, almost 77 years ago. I also found

Tilden's "Laws of Robotics"

A robot must protect its existence at all costs.

A robot must obtain and maintain access to its own power source.

A robot must continually search for better power sources.

Concept: I hope to use these rules in one of my concepts where artificial intelligence can choose to skip these moral and ethical rules when switched to Mode 3.  The bizarre products that arise as a result of this are what I also hope to explore. what products would arise when we give machine learning algorithms the freedom to skip such moral laws and create products.

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Prototyping_Dennis

Quick prototypes.

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UpdatedProcess_01 DesignAssist

In a future scenario where creativity and design process can be assisted, my scenario visualizes a collaborative intelligence between humans and intelligent machines. In this future, the design is not yet automated but instead assisted. A personal design advisor and assistant that is coded with the foundations of design fundamentals. Form, color, aesthetics, and functions. The algorithm learns over time, slowly replicating your design decisions. the algorithm is eventually able to suggest the best design decisions that fit your intention. Depending on the level of influence you wish to have on your designs, the design-assist can be connected to the internet for learning design trends and developments. The creative tool has 3 modes. with increasing efficiency. Depending on the selected mode, the tool will analyze your process and ideas and read them and suggest changes or destroy them. The tool can create new designs with the help of the inbuilt 3D printer.

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Is Creativity a uniquely human trait ? can machines be creative? If so, will our creative decisions be no longer unique 

 Creative Machines How creative are we? Will it narrow down to a unique trait that only us humans own? or individual creative decisions that can be taught and learned by an algorithm?

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Product Concept Process 2

( To be read after  Product Concept Process 1 )

Down-Link

With the help of Up-Link collecting biometric data and EEG values, the system collects the user data and associates these values to visuals that best describe the user’s dreams. The accuracy of the data displayed increases over time as the system learns from the dream patterns and associations. 

These visualizations are not only previews of thoughts but can also be seen as interactive systems where the user can navigate through the dream. The Machine learning algorithm finds intentions behind the user’s dreams and displays reports at the end of each dream, these reports are the starting point for friction. The emotional state of the user’s brain can be easily identified by the system, by linking the intention of the user and emotional state of the brain, the system suggests actions that can lead to better results and better dream sequences. By being aware of our dreams and possibly controlling them and using them as an alternative world for exploration can give us infinite possibilities and advantageous in real-world scenarios. 

Over time, this system predicts the next dreams, dreams that the user has yet not seen. This is quite a bizarre situation and the level of control of the user slowly decreases over time. what the user is unaware of is not only the real-world consequences but also giving complete access to a foreign device that can learn your decision-making abilities and creative skills. with enough data the system no longer requires human input, the system creates variations of the data saved and generates dreams of its own. 

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Product Concept Process 1

Up-Link

Up-Link is an important product within my scenario, a device that lets the user share their biometric data to the system at all times. Primary biometric data includes EEG (  Electroencephalography ) EEG helps in gaining data that lets the system understand the state of the brain at that specific time. Heart rate monitor (BPM), SPO2 (Oxygen level in blood), BPM and SPO2 help in determining the state of the user’s body especially levels of stress. 

Dreams are very personal and sensitive data, In a future scenario where dreams are not just random figments of imagination but the truest reflection of oneself, The priority to secure these data/dreams will be high. Fingerprint acts as the biometric data that gives access to the dream data. Fingerprint also acts as the unique foundation on which dreams are generated. Accessing one's dream data can be equally useful as accessing someone’s mind and thought process.

Visualization. 

The system of biometric data works in harmony in visualizing our dreams and our thoughts. A simple example could be, The lines of our fingerprint can be imagined as landscapes and contours these are the foundation of our dream world, unique to each individual. EEG provides the current state of the brain which is responsible for the content within our dreams these can be imagined as water on our landscape. The heart rate monitor is responsible for detecting the heart rate of our user, which can be imagined as the rhythm of waves on the water surface. The SPO2 levels help indicate the stress of our user, this can be imagined as the nature of waves, they could be aggressive or calm depending on how relaxed or stressed the user is.

The biometric data is also stored within the system, this is an important part of my scenario, which will be later causing friction within this world. The storage of data and dreams, help the system in analyzing the dream pattern, the content and intentions of the user. 

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Process_08_Dreams. 

(To be updated/continued in later posts)

To understand the creative aspect of dreams and brain function I researched a little into dreams and their possible cause as well as consequences 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0CCt30WeTI

Kekulé's Dream Kekule a german chemist dreamed the visual of a snake biting its tail forming a ring, this helped him in inventing the benzene structure dreams allow us to explore the possibilities our brain offers to us while we sleep. Dreams occur during the REM state. Dreams are mental recombinations of the memories and events from the time we are awake.dreams have no reality check. Dreams can even defy the laws of physics thinking patterns. could this be our creative workspace ? or has it always been our own creative simulator?

Why do we dream?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W85Dwxx218

We dream to fulfill our wishes: 

the fulfillment of subconscious wishes. urges/desires 

we dream to remember certain memory processes that can only happen when we are asleep. A 2010 study done by researches found that the subject was able to perform better around a maze that dreamed of the maze while taking a nap when compared to those who did not dream. (source:https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2010/04/dreams-linked-better-memories) 

We dream to forget 

10,000 trillion neural connections within our brain. our neural connections are created and modified by the things we do learn over time. created by what we do 1983 neural biological research holds theory reverse learning while sleeping mainly during REM sleep, neural cortex reviews the neural connections and dumps unnecessary connections .without this unlearning process our brain could be overrun by useless connections and parasitic thoughts could disrupt the necessary thinking we need to do while awake 

We dream to keep our brains working 

Continual activation theory

We dream to rehearse 

common dreams are bad. contents of a dream are significant to the purpose. Primitive instinct rehearsal theory. dreams allow us to practice our flight or fight instincts we dream to heal psychological healing. enhance the ability to process thoughts.

We dream to solve

Unconstrained by logic and rules of conventional logic, in dreams, we are free.