'Control'

 

Proximity control unit from Rapid Electronics - £6.19

Control chip uses ultrasonic detection to detect a body or object between 10 and 80 cm's from the sensor and lights an LED.

Could possibly be used to adjust volume or increase brightness of lights within the sensory system? (or similar circuit)

Similar to the controls of a theremin (demonstrated by Bill Bailey Below)

The idea of controlling an electrical product without touching the product is intersting when applied to the scenario of a sensory system, as it would allow more control and interaction with users with limited mobility or limited functionality within their hands.
Multiple control systems could also be introduced within the system each controlling a diferent element to allow for group interaction.

Touch Screen (4 wire resistive touch screen)

Resistive touchscreen which can control both in the X and Y axis, Can be used with parts of the body or a stylus. Available in a range of sizes.

Transparent surface allows for lighting to be placed behind the surface to give a more emersive experience, lighting around the users fingers etc. (Used within the Kaoss Pad).

Control Knobs

A range of control knobs could be used to control a range of features, each providing a different tactile feel to the user, could also be heated or cooled to add further tactile features.

A very intuitive way to control a produc, could cause problems for users with limited mobility.

'Product Spec - Domestic Sensory System'

Domestic Sensory system Product Spec:

Necessary:

• ·         Be affordable (£150-£300)

• ·         Provide multi sensory engagement (Primarily sight, sound and touch)

• ·         Be relatively compact  

• ·         Be impact and tension resistant

• ·         Be intuitive and easy to interact with

• ·         Suitable for use by a range of less able people

• ·         Product must be water/moisture resistant

• ·         All electronics must be heat shielded or low heat output.

Desirable:

• ·         Engaging for all users. Able bodied and less able.

• ·         Able to be permanently installed and fit in to environment of use.

• ·         Have additional modules for extra sensory stimulation

o   Fibre optics

o   Vibration

o   Extra lighting

o   Alternative surface finish (tactile)

• ·         Encourage interaction between multiple users

• ·         Provides educational stimuli

• ·         Themed

• ·         Each sensory element able to be turned on/off individually.

Brief:

                To design a product or service to allow a range of able bodied and less able users to recieve multi sensory stimulation to soothe and calm the users in a domestic environment, whilst promoting interacton between users.

'Laser Difraction'

www.dragonlasers.com

Video showing the potential for 'laser diffraction', utilising a single laser to create a matrix or range of laser dots projected onto a surface. 

Could be useful within a sensory system if used alongside a lighting system to create effects, potentially themed, such as a solar system/cosmic clouds.

'Black Light'

 

Black Light Demonstration

Interesting use of black light to give the illusion that flourscent items are glowing.

The black light effect rely's on the room being completely black to provide the best effects of certain objects floating.
Could be used with a black light and invisible U.V. Paint on walls or within wall paper to provide a simple glowing pattern. Alongside this it could be used on alternative products such as clocks to provide movement.

This effect could be themed within the wall papers etc, for example space and stars, underwater etc. With the U.V. pattern being invisible without the use of the black light.

'Experia'

Experia, is one of the largest suppliers of sensory equipment within the UK, providing a sensory room design service as well as selling the products individually. Specialising within 'wireless sensory equipment'.

Experia claim that 'Sensory equipment is widely used in therapies for sensory integration and stimulation, to help those with sensory dysfunction or sensory deficiency to learn to use information from all of their senses and develop them for learning and improvement.'

Company Website

Cut Glass

Bulb Fiction - Vienna Design week 2010

Opportunity to conduct experiments using cut glass to see if the patterned surfaces effect the light patterns cast when light is projected through the glass.
With good results it could be possible to produce filted placed infront of coloured lights to reflect and refract the light and create patters for minimal cost.

Reflection Refraction

Light installation - vienna design week 2010

Interesting use of a single light source and glass to reflect and refract light. Potential for the light to cast patterns and shapes around the environment of use. 

Could also be used in conjunction with coloured glass or liquids within containers to make the light feature many different colours. Easy way to use a single lightsource to create the effect of multiple lights.

Light Bulb!

Electron stimulated luminescence bulb

Stimulates phosphor to produce a bright natural light. developed as a replacement for CFL's and LED's.

The manufacturer claims that the new bulb is as energy efficient as both LED's and CFL's. and has a life span of a smilar time yet boasts 'superior light quality' and is also dimmable.

Would light quality have a major effect on the sensory system?
Do different types of light have different sensory effects?
Light Wavelengths ?

Source

'Bend Desk'

Bend desk - Designed by Media Computing Group

Clever interactive desk with a bent screen, which allows for user to use touch control to interact with software.

Good potential use to encourage group interaction in a sensory environment

'Alpha Sphere' - Multi Sensory Furniture

'AlphaSphere' by Sha

Relaxation furniture for use by everybody, to help relax and increase creativity.

Features systems for: color, lighting, sound, warmth and vibration.

Large space consuming product, could potentially be refined into a smaller seating arrangement for the domestic environment. However there would be limited group interaction whilst within the seating unless carefully arranged within their environment of use.

Source

'Modular Lighting'

The Twist together lamp

Fun, playful modular lamp combining a range of bright, bold colours to create fun visually exciting lamps.

Modular element allows users to bring multiple elements together and interact with the products together or for a single user to be able to utilise many modules to create a more sensory experience.

'Fibre Optic Lights'

'I've Got Kurage' Fibre optic light - Schemata studio

Interesting use of fibre optics for a domestic lighting solution, allowing adjustment of the lighting by simply bunching up the fibre optics more or less. 

Fibre optics generally used within sensory systems are normall just bunched to produce a soft brush, or a collection of long strands, which seems to offer limited interaction.

Source

'Social Seating'

'Social adaption seating'

Initially design with a party environment in mind this 'social seating' features the ability to be used as seating or tables. Observing that people will sit almost anywhere the seating encourages users to sit in small groups, or move the chairs to accomodate larger groups. 

Seating could be introduced to sensory systems to encourage interaction between multiple users, whilst also making the experience more comfortable for each individual user. However, this could limit wheelchair users usage of the product without them being removed from their chair.

Source

'Snoezelen Controls'

Many of the control systems designed for use with sensory equipment (snoezelen equipment) seem to be very large cumbersome objects which are ot very aesthetically pleasing and often do not fit in with their environment. Whilst it is understandable that simple control systmes will be preferable for those with limited mobility, should they be as bulky and disconnected from the product they control?

Sound Reactive Lighting

Disco-Panel

Impressive array of lights and mirrors used within a nightclub environment reactive to the sound.

Whilst the effect is too intense for a sensory environment, a softer, smoother programme could be written with potential for the user to interact with the system possibly changing colour schemes and patterns.

Sigur Ros

Sigur Ros - Hoppipola

Sigur Ros, a group of musicians renowned for making some of the most calming and soothing music in recent times. Could be used within a sensory environment to add an audible soothing element to the environment, potential to have sound controlled lighting to create effects linked between music and lighting.

Rosehill School's Sensory Room

Rosehill Sensory Room

Interesting look into what is advertised as 'the best sensory room within the U.K.' used for teaching the schools autistic pupils.

'Lightracon'

'Transparent concrete'

Fibre optics within the concrete moulding allow light to pass from one side of the concrete to the other, Interesting opportunites making 'hybrid' materials.
Could be particularly interesting when used within a building, with people walking on either side of the wall making shadows and other effects.

This material could also be usefull in creating a temporary sensory room, combining fibre optics in a similar way in a more lightweight material forming panels which could form a partitioning wall allows for lights to be shon onto the rear face, creating a more diffused effect on the inside. 

Source

LazerPod Range

The laser pod range

A clever use of LED's and 'lasers' to create a series of cosmic cloud and star formations in a room.

The technology used within this product could be adapted to suit the needs of 'less able' user with the potential for control systems to be put in place allowing the user to control the colour, intensity and pattern of the lighting.
Potential for other modules to be added to the system for other stimulation, such as sound and tactile stimulation.

Source

'The Sixth Sense'

My Coursemate Showed me this amazing video by Pranav Mistry, developing technology to make an extra element of interaction to everyday life. The use of colour recognition to allow the user to interact with nothing more than coloured attachments to the users fingers and gestures.

The possibilities of a system controlled by nothing more than a users hands are endless, especially for users with limited mobility.

Klexl Virtual Painter

Klexl Virtual Painter

Projector and Stylus system allowing children to 'paint' on the walls without marking the surface, the allowing the image to be saved and projected again at a later date or printed. 

However... the projector system is positioned behind the user causing shadows on the surface their trying to 'paint' on, which could effect the user experience.

Source

'World Mood Light'

 

'Mood lighting' using simple arduino system to search twitter and detect the 'mood of the world'

Interesting virtual interaction between arduino and twitter, potential for interaction between user and arduino sensors to create similar effects with LED's

RGB Cube

Use of LED's to produce a range of colours in a single product.
combination of multiple LED's makes interesting effects

Shows the potential of simple circuitry to create simple effects using LED's, taken out of the cube form and applied to different shapes etc could provide basic sensory stimulation. 

Laser Harp

 

Closer Look at the Laser Harp

The concept of using a laser to control a sound shows the potential for the concept within a sensory system, if a similar concept was placed alongside of within something similar to a laser pod it would add a whole new dimention to the product. However the technology to produce this sort of instrument is relatively expensive and bulky. (Laser module, Oscillators etc)

Jean Michele Jarre

 

Jean Michel Jarre - Rendevous

Interesting use of lasers to control sound as part of an 'instrument' (laser harp)

The distance from the lasers source effects the pitch of the sound produced.

Total Immersion - Augmented Reality

 

'Augmented Reality'

The opportunities for intercation with everyday physical objects explored, potential to make everyday life within our surroundings far more interactive whilst making every day items such as newpapers more immersive for the user.

This kind of system could benefit sensory systems in that it could allow the user to control the system using other items. For example a user could introduce a ball to the system, the system recognises this and changes its light patterns to a circular pattern.

However this technology is only within its early stages and is likely to be relatively expensive as it uses a series of camera's, projectors and computers.

Kaoss Pad 3 - Touchscreen Interaction

 

A closer look at the Kaoss Pad 3 and the way touch screen effects the user intercation.
Complex combination of touch screen, rotary potentiometers and linear potentiometers to create useful sampling systems for DJ's and musicians.

The interaction with this product is relatively complex for those who are not used to using sampling equipment etc. However, if broken down and used individually on a more basic level it could provide a whole range of interaction within a sensory system.

Matt Bellamy - Kaoss Pad interaction

 

Matt Bellamy (MUSE) Kaoss Pad intro, Touchscreen interaction controlling sound.

Misa digital 'guitar'

Touch Screen Controlled guitar, Interesting interaction to control sound.
4 Wire resitive touch screens available to be used with simple electronic systems to control lights and sounds? Featuring x-y control.

Introduction

This blog will document the digital research element of the creative interaction module, looking at Sensory rooms and their users as well as looking at the application of different lighting techniques and interaction methods.

The main purpose for this research is to inform a design project for a sensory system for use within a domestic environment by those with learning difficulties, those who have suffered brain injury and also to relax able bodied people.

The research which follows is in the order that it was discovered.