Big update 3 of 3 Revisiting Light Sensors

Was reading this article:

http://www.instructables.com/id/SNF-Drumming-MIDI-Glove-using-Arduino-and-light-se/

And realised that a small part of what I wanted to do this guy had achieved, but he is using open source hardware called Adriano I am of course using the iPac2 but I think some of the ideas are good ones, and so I have decided I will look again at using LDR light resistors, this may mean that ultimately I end up with two different versions of my final design, one using Reed Switches and magnets and the other using light resistors, over all costs will run into around the same thing, so that isn’t an issue, what I do need to do is work out exactly how I will show off my functionality of both systems, the difficulty is that with one Ipac2 board, although set up to allow for co-op use, I will effectively half my amount of overall contacts, I could work out a system for switching over the systems while keeping the main hub in a contained unit, possibly using terminals.

The other option of course is to have one hand use all Reed Switches and the other use LDR but untimely I would like to show each system independently.

So this weekends tasks:

1.     Build a flex switch (if this works then build 8 more)

2.     Test the LDR idea (if this works workout the pros/cons of LDR over Reed Switch

3.     Finalise the design

4.     Source materials

Big update 2 of 3

While designing this system I have been grappling with how I am going to wire up all the components, wire of course isn’t known for its thread like properties, so my options were to either wire the components through tubes mounted on the top of the fingers, until looked into conductive thread :

http://www.coolcomponents.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=275

The next thing that caught my eye was this tutorial:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bi-Directional-Flex-Sensors/

Essentially creating a flex based switch this my add another level of functionality I hadn’t thought of before, it would also in some ways remove the need for sensors on any of the fingers. This tutorial also reminded me of a device I have yet to look at and really it is the grandaddy of this whole type of idea...

Link: http://www.cracked.com/funny-6165-nintendo-power-glove/

Now a collection of images:

Big Update 1 of 3

Spent the last few weeks scratching my head over the design of the gloves what I finally decided was that I would make a card board prototype of my first idea, a two material ribbed structure, essentially semi flexible ribs attached with a fully flexible material, my first thoughts were to use the nylon gloves I had been using as prototype testers for the components, I cut these down into fingers thumb and hand, I then used the dimensions of my hand that I had made a few weeks ago to make the ribs out of cardboard.

After getting into the first two fingers I reassembled the glove, this was to allow me to see the difference in dexterity unfortunately as I had calculated the lateral change in surface area, that is to say that flexing your fingers effectively lengthens the top and shortens the bottom of each finger. What I hadn’t allowed for was the change in width so although the cardboard ribs were measured to perfection they constricted movement, so back to the drawing board/ sketch book.

I’ve looked further into the idea of adding optical mouse control to one hand, and although it seems do able the relocation of the mouse buttons has proved to be a bit of a pain, what I really need is a better de-soldering tool, and a more comprehensive wiring diagram for the mouse I have.

A couple of links to go with post from the ever amazing Instructables.com

The first is a great article that goes through every step of home circuit board making followed by a ‘persistence of vision’ business card it an awesome idea and if I can get the costs down I might work out something similar for my own business cards.

Link: http://www.instructables.com/id/Circuit-Board-Lab-POV-Business-Card/

As business is a part of our brief, making business cards and websites and all of that, I might well look into showing off some of my electronics/ hardware/ engineering  skill in a business card format.

Here We G. G. G. Go, Wtih Version One Point Ohh

So the making begins in earnest. (Or at a pace that leave time for tea and biscuits.)

Dissertations are finished as far as I'm concerned it’s all about FMP form now on. So with that in mind its time to get down to business. Worked out the dimensions for my hands this evening then worked how much of fingers move, then drew the first (of many) wiring diagrams onto my hand with brio, the reasoning for this is that I get a more ergonomical design as I can make adjustments while looking at the mechanics of the hand.

This first set is for the primary function wiring, these being the Reed Switches that will give the main source of input control.

My next job (most likely tomorrow) is to make a 3D model on 3DsMax, and then a cardboard and nylon prototype. I wont actually wire this version up instead I will use string to workout how much wire I will need to in the final version.

The next job after that is to add the next levels of control, these being the optical mouse and secondary switches.

After that I will move onto designing the console/table top, this will be a secondary controller as although the user will be able to use the gloves with each other, they will also get extra functionality out a magnetized console, effectively allowing "typing" like gestures.




Right I've gone on long enough, here are some pictures of my hands covered in pen.

Musical stuff:
currently listening to this:
The Recvieing End Of Sirens: Between the Heart and the Synapse
If These Trees Could Talk: Above the Earth, Below the Sky
Manchester Orcestra: Simple Math(s)
The Damned Things: Ironiclast
Deaf Havana: Meet Me Halfway At Least
A Day To Remember: ALL SONGs
Rival Schools: Pedals (its no United by Fate but its still Rival Schools)

Sneaky Peek

Presenting my work so far on Tuseday, hate presentations, but still thought I'd stick this up here 21 (i think) hours early, if nothing else then it will mean I have a copy on a few backups.

Hopfully going to have the protoypes bugs worked out in time to allow me to use it to control the presentation.

REVELATION

Just discovered “Rhodium Plated Reed Switches” these switches are triggered by magnets, SO new plan, I’m going to fit these switches into the fingers of a pair of gloves, allowing me 8 contact points overall (I of course could have 10 but bear with me) on the thumbs I will wire in micro switches, these will be Ctrl and Shift buttons effectively giving me 24 buttons.  The next thing I’m going to try and do is wire the optical sensor from a mouse into the palm of one of the gloves, and on the other a magnet, the mouse will give me the look around view and the magnet in the other palm will be used to trigger 4 more Reed Switches and these will give me my 4 directions.
Well that’s the plan anyway.
…and we do all love it when a plan comes together.
Reed Switches

and of course I realise that gameing gloves exist, hes a link to a top of the range pair:
Gaming gloves
But mine use both hands, and have an in built mouse...

A Couple of Things...

So a week away, ideas have moved on and also I’ve got some shiny new ideas, mostly inspired through conversations with people back home, when I was explaining the idea of this project. Very quickly the control system got a little out of hand, as well as a little out of my ability, but I was able to take away some ideas that I will be exploring this week.
1: I started looking at how an optical mouse works when I found this article that goes through step-by-step how a mouse works.

Hack'a'Mouse

There are also a few on how an optical mouse can be used as a scanner, but for the purposes of my plans I only need it be re-purposed slightly, I then started to think of the mouse a bit like the old roller balls on arcade games like Missile Command.
This coupled with directional controls that are still up in the air between being pressure pads and motion control (PIR) sensors, or even Infrared/ Phototransistor based.
There was even the idea thrown out of adding functionality with gestures, this I think could be worked out using tilt switches.
So at the moment the primary controls are looking a lot like being gloves/ gauntlet based, as the flatter the surface can be the better for the optical sensor. So the under side of these gloves will be reflective and made of pannels. On the top of the glove I will add a tilt switch that will allow the player a function (reload was one that was mentioned but the FPS elements might have to be dialled back in some ways) as well as a low resistance button near the thumb that can be used as a trigger. All of this would be set into one glove, and a second glove could be made to add even more functionality, using tilt and button switches.
The directional controls will either be a set of pressure pads on the floor or if I use motion detection, they will be mounted along side the optical element on a consol.
The secondary control system will still I think based on the giant harp idea, as I think that it can also be used to shape the look of the installation, but of course I could also create the secondary player a set of gloves with tilt and buttons to control the audio features.
Hopefully early designs will start coming out of my brain soon, or well that’s this week’s plan at any rate.

2: I’ve been feeding my brain with tasty, tasty Podcats this week, and the How Stuff Works podcast from Stuff You Should Know has really been a mental meal, the podcasters Chuck and Josh are knowledgeable and quite amusing, even if the article the podcast is based on is not one of their own they don’t just read out the article they do a lot of outside research highlight of the series for me was the episode on Quantum Suicide, as I am a nerd for that kind of thought experiment type physics. So a link to their blog and a recommendation.

Stuff You Should Know