utopias2017-blog

[utopias2017-blog]

This is 3 different sets of code - 1 written for each body. I have written the dimming codes manually (not using sensor date) to attempt to keep the work bright whilst still getting that dimming and fading effect. 

I think this might be the one to use for now. I think it still allows the work to be viewed as a whole whilst offering the allusions to visibility and invisibility that I was looking for when I started to conceive of the installation. The thing that I’m excited about with this work and the introduction of the coding into my work is the ability for the work to morph and shift as I continue to explore the relationship between the digital and the physical. The work can be static one day and the next can be responding to sound input and then respond to viewer proximity etc. I think that this fluidity will allow for multiple readings of the work giving it greater depth. I also like that this ability to evolve mimics the themes of the work. 

[utopias2017-blog]

Proximity neon 17-02-01 set on fade speed 100. I wanted to see what it would look like if the work was moving super fast. It actually looks better on the video than in person. 

[utopias2017-blog]

This is the same code as before but set on a slower fade speed (500) in order to try and calm the effect down slightly. There is still the issue of the work running on a low brightness which ruins the intensity of the neon. The only way I know to get around this would be to stop using the sensor data and manually write the code. I can try that. 

[utopias2017-blog]

This is proximity neon 17-2-01 set on fade speed 300. 

This is a lot brighter than the previous code. Maybe a little too frantic?

I love the way that the sensors are controlling the light which creates a much more randomised effect than anything I could generate by manually writing the code. 

[utopias2017-blog]

Since deciding that the sensors are too sensitive (!) or rather too inaccurate to use in the way I’d originally intended, I realised that that might in itself be useful. Maybe I can use the volatility of the sensors to produce some interesting effects if I tweak the code and stop expecting them to work in the way that I want. 

This is an adjustment to the inverse proximity sensor code. I don’t think that the flickering shows up particularly well in the video but I think its definitely worth documenting. The only problem is that the lights are running at between 10% & 30% of their capacity so you’re never getting the full effect of the brightness. 

[utopias2017-blog]

This is a new code that I’m trying - Input Anything. I originally wanted to use it to represent data that I’ve collected during my research but now I’m not sure that’s necessary. I think the visuals don’t have to be such a literal representation in order to convey the concept- I’d rather use my creativity to develop a light pattern that says what I’m hoping to say. 

I think this is a good development. I like the flickery / shakey element of the code - it reminds me of that Annette Messager work where the animated toys shudder on the floor. 

I need to develop the code further so that each piece moves independently from the others - I don’t want it to feel cyclical. 

[utopias2017-blog]

These codes are:

BODY 1: control green

BODY 2: dims on / off

BODY 3: dims on / off

This is getting more interesting. I think the dimming codes on body 2 and 3 are moving in the right direction but they feel a little too smooth to me. I want the codes to create an effect somewhere between this control green code and the dims on / off codes. I want it to feel unnerving and flickering but not so much so that it detracts from being able to see the installation as a whole.

[utopias2017-blog]

TWEAKING THE PROXIMITY CODES: 

THIS SECTION OF THE CODE ALLOWS ME TO TWEAK THE RESPONSIVENESS OF THE SENSOR-

//Ultrasound sensor settings: #define MAX_DISTANCE 250 // Maximum distance supported by Sonar sensors. in cm #define MIN_DISTANCE 50 //cm

//PWM settings #define MAX_DUTY 100 #define MAX_BRIGHTNESS 95 //should be less than MAX_DUTY #define MIN_BRIGHTNESS 20 #define FADE_SPEED 10 //higher the slower, minumum 1

BY EXPERIMENTING WITH THESE NUMBERS I CAN GET AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO A SMOOTH AND REFLECTIVE DIMMING / BRIGHTENING THAT APPEARS TO HAPPEN IN REAL TIME. 

Full code below:

#include <TimerOne.h> #include <NewPing.h>

#define SONAR_NUM 1

//Pins: #define trigPin1 5 #define echoPin1 3

#define PWM_POS_PIN 9

//PWM pins:3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11.

//Ultrasound sensor settings: #define MAX_DISTANCE 250 // Maximum distance supported by Sonar sensors. in cm #define MIN_DISTANCE 50 //cm

//PWM settings #define MAX_DUTY 100 #define MAX_BRIGHTNESS 95 //should be less than MAX_DUTY #define MIN_BRIGHTNESS 20 #define FADE_SPEED 10 //higher the slower, minumum 1

//Variables int duty = 0; unsigned int distance_cm[1]; //Sonar unsigned long printtimer = 0;

NewPing sonar[1] = { // Sensor object array.  NewPing(trigPin1, echoPin1, MAX_DISTANCE) };

void setup() {  PWM_initialize();  ultrasound_sensor_initialize();  Serial.begin(115200);  Serial.println("Start");

}

int test = 0; void loop() {

 ultrasound_sensor_update();

 set_distance_duty();

 if ((millis() - printtimer) > 500)  {    printtimer = millis();    Serial.print("Sonar:");    Serial.print(distance_cm[0]);

   Serial.print("\tDuty: ");    Serial.print(duty);    Serial.println();  }

/*  distance_cm[0] = test;  test += 10;  if (test > 500)    test = 0;  delay(300); */ }

int zero_count = 0; void set_distance_duty() {

 int dist = MAX_DISTANCE;  for (int i = 0; i < SONAR_NUM; i++)  {    if ((distance_cm[i] < dist) && (distance_cm[i] >= 0))    {      dist = distance_cm[i];    }  }  if (dist <= 0)  {    if (zero_count < 5)    {      zero_count++;      return;    }    else    {      zero_count = 0;    }  }  else  {    zero_count = 0;  }

 if (dist <= MIN_DISTANCE)  {    duty = MIN_BRIGHTNESS;  }  else  {    duty = map(dist, MIN_DISTANCE, MAX_DISTANCE, MIN_BRIGHTNESS, MAX_BRIGHTNESS);  }

 SetPWMduty(duty); }

[utopias2017-blog]

This is me testing the ‘Inverse Proximity’ code. 

The idea of this code is that the light gets dimmer as the view gets closer. 

What you can’t see in this video are the sensor readings which are frustratingly inaccurate. Occasionally this affects the code making the dimming lag behind the real-time actions. I think this may be a fundamental issue with the inexpensive sensors I’m using but for a good IR sensor its over £200 so I’m leaning toward using the pre programmed codes I’ve written rather than the interactive ones. 

The idea of the pieces being interactive is symbolic and interesting in that sense. I like the idea of the work bodies becoming less visible the closer you get to them, parodying the loneliness / phoniness / illusion of intimacy that the online world provides. However I also think there’s a flaw in making the pieces dependant on the audience. Without an audience the pieces would simply be static and that doesn’t reflect my concept. There is also the risk that the interactive code gets missed by the viewer - that they don’t realise they are controlling it. 

[utopias2017-blog]

Testing the various coding options. This is:

Body 1 - control unit - Green

Body 2 - static

Body 3 - static

I think this may be too strong an effect, its hard to get a sense of it from the video but the flashing off that light is very intense. I think I want to program something a little more subtle. I have four of these flashing codes though so I do want to document / trial them all.

[utopias2017-blog]

Testing the various coding options. This is:

Body 1 - control unit - Orange

Body 2 - static

Body 3 - static

I think this may be too strong an effect, its hard to get a sense of it from the video but the flashing off that light is very intense. I think I want to program something a little more subtle. I have four of these flashing codes though so I do want to document / trial them all.

[utopias2017-blog]

Testing the various coding options. This is:

Body 1 - control unit - Yellow

Body 2 - static

Body 3 - static

I think this yellow is better than the previous Blue setting - less flashy. 

I think this may be too strong an effect, its hard to get a sense of it from the video but the flashing off that light is very intense. I think I want to program something a little more subtle. I have four of these flashing codes though so I do want to document / trial them all.

[utopias2017-blog]

Testing the various coding options. This is:

Body 1 - control unit - Blue

Body 2 - static

Body 3 - static

I think this may be too strong an effect, its hard to get a sense of it from the video but the flashing off that light is very intense. I think I want to program something a little more subtle. I have four of these flashing codes though so I do want to document / trial them all. 

[utopias2017-blog]

The work after the initial installation and prior to the coding. I still have minor adjustments to make to the wiring and I also want to mop the floors to try to accentuate the reflections.

[utopias2017-blog]

All of the pieces are installed! 

I’m a lot happier with the layout now I’ve pulled the front two bodies out. 

I’m so pleased with how these have turned out - it’s the most ambitious project I’ve done in terms of materials, components, scale and time. It’s taken months to turn this from research, sketches and digital renderings into real physical work. 

The last component to finish is the coding which I’ll document on the ‘Coding Development’ tab of the blog. 

I think the installation works. To me it feels tropical, lush and surreal whilst also being grounded in cement and wire. It think fits in the white cube enviroment whilst also  staying true to my desire for my work to be accessible / pleasing on an aesthetic level so as not to be exclusive / intimidating. 

I think that the research will feel more apparent once I’ve added in the coded elements of the work. As a static piece of work I think there are allusions to the digital and the physical, I like the mix of the natural and the man made and I think the bodies and the lushness of the plants do serve to point toward this idea of a utopia - whilst the cement and wiring exposed the flaw in that paradise. I’m hoping to accentuate this duality with the addition of the coding to control the light. 

[utopias2017-blog]

Body 1 mounted.  Its so cool to finally see the work lit up as one piece. So many decisions made using a concept and digital renderings and its such a relief to see the work up and intact. 

I want to sort out the smaller control wires behind the work - maybe once I have identified them I can twist them together to mirror the other thicker wire which I think work better visually. I’m really pleased I decided to go with the black conspicuous wiring though - I feel that it calls attention to the cyborg nature of the bodies. Headless, handless and powered using electricity. I love the way that the light reflects on the smooth concrete surface. 

[utopias2017-blog]

Mounting the glass was super time-consuming; this body took over 3 hours to mount. Because of using nuts and bolts to secure the stand offs to the acrylic, I had to raise the bodies off the ground high enough to reach underneath and tighten the nuts. This made the installation a lot more precarious than when I’ve previously used acrylic glue and mounted directly onto the ground. Because of the scale of the work I didn’t want to use acrylic glue for these pieces; it’s not that strong and liable to snap / come loose with friction so its a lot safer to use nuts and bolts especially since the work will be travelling down to free range. 

By laying out the mounting template next to the work I was able to reference where the stand offs for the glass would be positioned one each section. I then had to carefully slot the glass into the stand offs, place the glass onto the acrylic, and then insert and tighten an acrylic nut and bolt to hold the stand off in place. There are around 35 stand offs on each body. 

Once the glass was mounted I then mounted the power supplies and wired the sections to eachother. It was really helpful to have pre-planned this using the mounting templates as I could cut and strip the wires away from the fragile glass. 

I had also pre-portioned the stand-offs and electrode sleeves for each power supply which meant I could work systematically and didn’t have to keep reaching for supplies.