l-arlidge-creativetech

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Creative Audio Final

https://soundcloud.com/arise/sidewalk

Fairly moody vibes. Creative Audio hand in. 

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

IoT Security

I feel as though my project has gone further than I first imagined. I have explored 3D Design, Data Visualisation, Electronics, Programming and many interesting ways to control IoT devices. I can now set up IoT devices, gather and interpret data into 3D software using parametric design tools, and use io services to monitor and control said IoT devices. I have also set up 3rd party apps to subscribe and publish to io services. The IoT devices all rely on the MQTT protocol which is the backbone of many IoT devices. http://mqtt.org/

I have been researching security for IoT devices. Because my project sits within the IoT spectrum I thought this an important thing to address. I have also been thinking about how my project could sit on a larger scale with an IoT secure dashboard.

It could be a large scale data gathering project for many devices very easily. This would enable a better picture of the cold housing environments around the country.

I wanted to imagine a potential solution while addressing my concern for security.

In the future IoT could enable Housing New Zealand to manage climate conditions within the State Housing programme to create solutions for people to keep their homes warm and dry. I am usually not about state intervention directly within our homes, but I believe warm dry houses are a necessity. I also believe the less fortunate should not be left behind technologically especially as we move further towards automated systems in homes becoming more common among the middle and upper class.

A system of large scale could be achieved very easily within 5 years, given the technology already exists. I believe IoT could save many people from the worry of heating. A massive injection of funds is needed to get every State house connected to the Internet for free or subsidised, IoT heaters need to be installed into all houses under State Housing as well IoT Temperature, Humidity and Gas sensors with control given to the tenant. 

Each house operates individually, yet also on a larger secure network. Each house is controlled by a tenant, but when certain conditions are met i.e the house falls below 18°C IoT devices can step in and trigger a heater to go on until the temperature is above 18°C.  IoT can aid in lowering power consumption by automating heaters, lights and other devices. Automation can potentially give tenants comfortable healthy living environments. It can also provide a level of security for tenants, Gas sensors can enable fire services to be immediately contacted even prior to tenant awareness of a problem (if tenants are asleep), potentially saving lives. I think it is time we did help those in need and the only way forward is a future proofed plan. I believe IoT is part of this plan, so long as security issues are managed.

Security is a massive concern for everyone  if IoT devices are left open to a security breach. Businesses and corporations worldwide already implement security measures for their networks but many IoT devices are left open. Many private homes remain unsecured. Why? People are unaware of new cyber threats. “The iPhone was just sitting on my desk — I wasn't touching it. We watched as my iPhone pinged servers all over the world.” 

I am on the fence about IoT, while I do believe mass connected devices do enable more efficient power grids and infrastructure, I also see the threats associated with this. I only began to look at this issue because I was interested in the security of the IoT devices I used to gather data and the IoT devices I am going to use in my exhibition. While the sensors were connected to the internet sending data to my io service I began to wonder, who else could see this or gain access to it.

Now I have had time to assess security within IoT I am concerned to say, many people could have seen the data if they knew how and where to look.

I am worried about security for my devices and any devices implemented in future projects. It is fairly easy for someone to gain your “key” which could be used to access your IoT devices using third party MQTT brokers and other malicious tools. As I discovered recently while exploring the internet, White Hat Tech is readily available to penetration test networks and devices on networks. This could be a positive thing. The same cyber threats can be cyber guardians. 

The power to fully monitor your own network is the only way forward for IoT within homes. Civilians have access to the technology, so why not begin to use it, not for malice, but for security, for peace of mind. The IoT world is like the Wild West at the moment, 16 Billion + devices connected, many important for our modern lifestyle. We secure our backyards, but not our networks. This really has to change.

I believe a system can be made that is both secure and user friendly. Enabling safety and peace of mind when IoT devices are concerned.

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

5000 GIF Animations

I have sorted through 5000 GIF animations. 

The truth is out there. Codename AiMm33 : Project ALPHA

Do not take this seriously. But do take it seriously. Because it is. Serious. 

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

All of the modules operational. Now to connect them to AUT wifi. I will include how I would take the project further in my final statement. In the case of the module on the left, and the sensor module (bottom) I would design and print a case for them to be housed in. I only had time for the module on the right to have an enclosure, but this is something I am passionate about. 

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Light In The Dark

I completely overhauled my website over the last few days and today I am uploading images and content. I have made a series of coloured buttons for the home page of the project, and now I am making sure all the links are operational. I have opted for solid coloured blocks as I feel they tie in nicely with the project, having links to the coloured LEDs I used in the IoT modules.

I am creating the final content, proof reading, and finalising all statements. As well as getting photographs of all the modules. It really is all systems Go. I am awaiting my final 3D prints this week so fingers crossed they arrive sooner rather than later.

I have previously set up an ifttt recipe which gathers all my tumblr txt posts and puts them in a folder for me on my google drive. Using this application, my job of gathering all my research and collating it is made a lot easier. Copying and pasting from Tumblr becomes tedious after a while.                      

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Website

I have been fairly busy planning and building the web functionality to show my project. The main page named “Light In The Dark” will contain all my statements and research about the project, I will use graphical buttons to link the information within my website. This will mean I can package the content in a neat and tidy way. The idea will be to use images which will make the information easy to find, i.e txt documents will be found under an image looking like paper and so on and so fourth. Hopefully I can manage this within the week as I still have to photograph the main project. 

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Lamp Base. 3D printed on an SLS machine. 

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Studio

I finished soldering and programming the Temperature gauge and all the LEDs are acting as they should, turning on when temperatures are reached etc. To save having to solder another board I will just add Coloured LEDs onto the board with the white LEDs and I will programme the first one, a green LED to turn on if the temperature is above 18°C and a red LED to turn on if the temperature is below 18°C. Green is good, Red is bad. Easy. 

I also managed to get a 4000mAh battery working, I salvaged it from a broken samsung tablet about two years ago and I can finally use it. That is a lot of battery and should let the module last a while before needing to be re-charged. I have put an onboard LiPoly/LiIon charger so it can be recharged with a micro USB cable. And the project will still operate as normal. 

I am also designing a lamp which is inspired by the object made from the data. I wanted to use the Grasshopper patch I made to make something with a strict design intent. I wanted it to be inspired by the data but also look designed and crafted. I have previously made a smaller object at the beginning of semester two but now I will make a larger object to fit the lamp base I have designed and had 3D printed.

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Here are the soldered and working light modules. The one on the right is still in prototype. It is working but with white LEDs. I will make a new one with Blue as the coldest reading, then Turquoise followed by Yellow, Orange and finally Red as the hottest reading. I am still disappointed I could not get the RGB LED working.  

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Here is the fritzing diagram for the IoT LED module. The IoT module will be inside the lamp while a seperate temperature gauge will be on display barebones.

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Studio

I have been struggling with issues getting the RGB LED working. I have however got non RGB LEDs working and talking with my live temp and humidity feeds. This is good news as I have been inspired to make something. I was inspired by VU meters on stereos, and so I have 6 LEDs going upwards vertically, I can specify what LEDs come on when it goes above a certain temperature or if it is equal to or below a certain temperature, so in this way you have a visual representation of the temperature. This is of course a seperate module outside of the lamp. 

The lamp is now lit by a single block of four LEDs, it is still a live feed from the temperature and humidity sensors but as mentioned above not RGB. 

I have already thought of a way to combat the RGB issue, but I cannot afford to buy an RGB philips HUE lightbulb just for this project. I will however take note of this in my final statement and I will go into detail about how to set it up and how it will work. The philips HUE system is robust and my non RGB lightbulbs work really well with the temp and humidity sensors. I had my room connected so my lights would blink if it went below 18°C :) 

I thought about making this part of the future of the project, If I could light up a street corner or a billboard with lightbulbs, each one connected to a temp and humidity feed in a  state house. And the message would be that there are ... ex amount of people living in cold conditions. It would make quite a statement with the right marketing and online campaign behind it, maybe too much for single Laurie to achieve. I would like to give back to the community in some way with my art, and I think a political message is rather fitting as I come from a background of wheat pasting and graffiti, which is often rather subversive. So if I could take this further I really would like to. 

I hope the AUT SLS printer is up and running soon as I really want the parts from that machine as apposed to PLA plastic. Fingers crossed. 

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Creative Audio

I am really down to polishing my tune now. I feel as though what I have made is what I intended to do. It has all the aspects I was looking for in the end. I am glad I let my original concept go as I thought it was overbearing on the music, and in the end I realised that is all I wanted to make. 

I am still hoping to be doing a screen record, and I will guide you through my making process, I might overdub sound later with the tune playing in the background and me speaking over the top, it will almost sound like a radio broadcast when the mic duck is on. 

Onwards. 

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Creative Audio

The class on Thursday really helped me, I took all the gains off of my channels, Started with an EQ of some kind on every channel which needed it, and every effects chain finishes with a compressor and the main output has a limiter so do a few other channels. I also made all my audio equipment nominal. I really squeezed a lot of sound out of the mix after going through every channel and soloing and re-listening, really listening. Now the output is at half way on my external soundcard and I am hearing a real difference and the mix is louder, especially the wooden clicks I was struggling with. 

I have also added some a vocal sample which I cleaned up with some de-noise and then I added some synth sounds coming from a plug-in called Aalto. It has a warm eighties synth feel, so I like to use it a lot.

That class has changed the way I approach mixing and my effects chain.

Over and out.

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Light In The Dark

I am now waiting patiently for my project to get 3D printed so I can begin to photograph the designs. The SLS machine is down so hopefully the issue can be resolved shortly. I have a backup plan in place in case of emergency. That plan is yell into a pillow, jokes aside, I will get the designs printed using PLA, while this may not be my preferred method it will still show proof of concept. 

I am now starting to think about the final outcome in terms of presentation and how I will display not only the designs, but the research. I will want my conceptual and contextual statements ready for print as well as a lead photograph for my website. I will also need to start creating the page on my website for the project. Still a lot of work to do. But really on the home stretch now. 

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Memo

I have started to see so many messages and stories in the gif animations I have started making more than one. I have decided I will make as many as I can and weave this into the backstory.

“When we tried to access the data it was fragmented so we only got these 20 - 30  second snapshots of Aimmee’s message to Frank.” 

I am somewhat forced down this pathway as when I tried to make a longer story I was informed by my computer with a rather annoying message box saying I did not have enough memory to store the data. I do however think it is for the better, as even I became confused with the message my 2 minute long animation was trying to tell.

My first complete animation starts on a recent trending meme of a little girl at a sporting event in the United States of America. It is actually rather tragic in my eyes to see a young girl of maybe 4 years old on a sugar rush of unhealthy proportions. I am a firm believer that children should not consume refined sugars, sugar is, after all, a powerful drug. I wanted this animation to bring attention to this. I also explore some recent social “norms” which may be detrimental in the long term as to how we interact with each other. On the whole I think my first animation does what I set out for it to do.

  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/sugar-has-similar-effect-on-brain-as-cocaine-a6980336.html

http://theeverygirl.com/feature/what-tinder-taught-me-about-dating-and-humanity-ok-just-dating

http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/counterfeit-community-the-exploitation-of-our-longings-for-connectedness-by-freiejohn-f-lanham-md-rowan-and-littlefield-1998-212p-5500-cloth-1895-paper/468C949C9714635B397128858AD98E5E

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

[l-arlidge-creativetech]

Started this on Saturday night, worked through until Tuesday morning, had a few hours sleep but should have had more. I think this is coming along nicely. It has the sound I want. I have most of the drums sitting on a bus channel but I need to tie in the drums from Maschine into the wooden clicks and hits. I have a few other things on seperate bus channels. I have done nothing to the recorded audio apart from a High Cut on the recording from Waitakere - Fairy Falls. I programmed the drums in Maschine and then the wooden hits are a midi file I made a few weeks ago, I used Kontakt to play the midi file, I used a neat instrument for Kontakt which is a library of wooden hits and clicks. very useful. I need to tinker more and evolve the project along the current trajectory it is on.