NBC 2009Mar29

Sensebridge Meeting March 29, 2009

People

Eric, Skory, Mike, Peter, Matt, Rachel Denise, Bat, Ted, Nag, Nana, Nabil, Sarah, David, Mikolaj, Daniela, Mike

Introductions

• Eric - compass vibro anklet with Skory, engineer, works on sensors
• Skory - compass vibro anklet
• Mike - remotely operated vehicle telemetry stuff
• Peter - here to see what people are working on
• Matt - wants to work on "eyes on the back of the back"
• Rachel - working on vest with distance sensors in the back - to sense through touch what is behind you. Wants more help! Progress so far: thought work, testing of motors
• Denise - UCSC, works on device which goes on glasses and clarifies consonant noises for Deaf people
• Bat - no tech background, botanist, visiting friends here
• Ted - has been working on compass belt project
• Nag - from Seattle, hangs out with PNA hackbot (?) people - also working on compass belt, wants GPS input to them - two belts, one points to house, one to mountain, so can "triangulate" location.
• Nana - happened to be here. Did map making.
• Nabil - she's here because we're all really cool :-). Also, likes to make her brain do cool stuff.
• Sarah - a rocket scientist. Designs space robots for a living.
• David - made Arduino powered breathalizer - but tells you how much more to drink for desired level :-)
• Mikolaj - has thing which shines light in north direction. He got this group started.
• Daniela - artist. Interactive art, with sensors, especially things which sense the invisible.
• Mike - starting new "science & engineering huddle on Thursdays at 7pm", basic material design things, ground loop issues, etc. Design from concept to finished product.

Show & Tell

• Choker - show your heart beat
• Ring - show noise levels / wifi levels with lights
• Persistence of vision fan
  • persistence of vision weed wacker
• Demo of compass anklet
  • troubles with 2-axis magnetometer
  • signal filtering / using an accelerometer
  • maybe position just below the knee?
• Stepper Motor battery charger, powers light, totally silent ("science of vision flashlight"), also has field power supply
• Infrared goggles - your eyes ARE sensitive to infrared, so if you block everything else your eyes will adapt (if things are really bright in IR - need to be outside)

Batteries

• Eric will come around with group order form for sparkfun batteries later
  • orders from: Eric (assortment+charger), Skory (2+charger), Rachel (2+charger), Mikolaj (2)

ORDER SUMMARY:

Status        Product                                    Qty      Total
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Item in Box    PRT-00731 Polymer Lithium Ion Batteries - 100mAh            2      $13.90
Item in Box    PRT-00726 LiPoly Charger - Single Cell 3.7-7V Input            3      $50.85
Item in Box    PRT-00339 Polymer Lithium Ion Batteries - 1100mAh            10      $107.60
Item in Box    PRT-00341 Polymer Lithium Ion Batteries - 860mAh            1      $8.95
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Subtotal                  $181.30
                            Shipping and Handling            + $11.35
                            -----------------------------------------------------
                            Grand Total:                  $192.65
Skory + Rachel owe 2*10.76+16.95+11.35/4 = $41.31
Mikolaj owe 2*10.76 + 11.35/4 = $24.36

• could also use AAA batts - for convenient replacement

Cybernetics Meetup

• 54 people have expressed interest on meeting.com for "cybernetics"
• we are a subset of that, we're trying to build stuff - if you're into that, then show up. Eric will draft something and send it to meetup.

Daniela's project

Daniela has a project - zero gee. Uses "maximis B", a graphical programming language. Building a "crystal ball", which will float, and use magnetic sensors. It will go in parabolic flights. She's in a group of 20 artists all working with sensors. The crystal ball will create sculptures in software - and those sculptures will eventually be built. Recommendation: play with ferrofluid.

Eyes in the back of the back

• Rachel plans to cut up a T-shirt
• plans to use motors/vibrators as the display
• 1 dimension: just a line across your back, which responds to stuff "behind" it (need narrow sensors)
• discussion of doppler radar (pound30 sensors, a few years ago), LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors, etc.

Armature Ideas

• Umbrellas? - google maps inside your umbrella
• Displays inside your shoes?
  • top of foot
  • things in the holes in Crocs (there are already plastic things which pop in and out)
  • Stripper Boots - heels have lots of room for stuff!
    • goddess project has done this - minimal websurfing?!?
• Piercing to hold electronics
• Off the back of glasses
• Something built into a phone to help Aspbergers with facial recognition
• Build something into a cast?

Discussion on compass armature

• much discussion of the proper place to wear the vibro-compass
  • corset
  • anklet
  • bracket
  • belt
• design to be resized at least a little - then quite flexible in actual location...