I modified my prototyping plan from last week.
Week 10 - Finalize the device and decide how to convey the artefact.
Week 11 - Development and exhibition writeup.
Before I get to work on creating my artefact I wanted to make sure that my device was conceptually sound. I wanted to take some of this week to materialize an idea to have an excellent foundation to work with.
I started with revising my functionalities. I feel like my previous outlined functionalities were not fully completed and had some holes. So I created a bullet point list of everything I wanted my artefact device to do.
Specifications
Simple functionality
Easy to set up
Can be used on any body part
Light and sound feedback
Connects to a phone over Bluetooth
Uses machine learning to correct tunes
I used these bullet points to narrow down the functionality and look of the hardware and software.
Hardware
With hardware, my main concern was how comfortable the device could function and sit on the user. Having the variety choice of any body part meant that it would have to be flexible in its attachment. I first sketched some ideas down on paper relating to my previous Miro boards.
The first page is imagining what the general shape of the device would look like. A 'sticky' device would be more of a block, while a sleeve and a cuff would wrap around the entire appendage. For the cuff to be put on independently, I would have it curl and uncurl based on commands. The sleeve, however, only works for arms and legs. I was leaning toward the 'sticky' device at the start due to the ease of access. On the second page, I started by listing potential features surrounding my device, such as carry cases and chargers, company names, app access, etc. I considered a smooth design that reminded me of a pebble. I also thought about an idea with extended parts to wrap around the user's arm/leg/etc. This can be seen at the bottom of the second page. Ultimately I liked a cube-like shape with a music symbol in the middle. The music symbol would light up to indicate different things to the user.
I took to tinker cad to do some iteration as it was the most accessible 3d modelling tool I knew how to use. I planned to potentially take the design to fusion 360 after I finalized the design.
The top rectangle is the charging port. I didn't create it based on any charging ports that currently exist and instead made it so the device could fit directly on a plug. The holes on the top and bottom emit invisible lasers that help with tracking the device. I got this idea from learning about how VR headsets work in my Mixed Realities design class, where invisible lasers are used to help fine-tune the user's positioning. This would help ensure that the user's movements are all recorded and play the correct sounds. The music symbol on the front is a light indicator for the device. The lines that run down the sides show that the device is segmented and will slightly curve around whichever part of the body it is on. This is to get a more comfortable fit and help keep the device attached. There is nothing on the bottom except for the lines. Each corner also moves for a better fit for the user.
Software
Voice Commands
"Start" - Start recording on the current layer
"Stop" - Stop recording
"Library" - Browse the list of instruments and modulation.
Tap Commands
Tap - Switch between viewing/editing the track or a section.
Swipe up - View a specific beat for editing
Swipe down - Go back
Movement Control
Recording/editing - Moving the device up creates higher pitches notes while moving down makes low notes.
In any other instance, moving the device allows the user to control the software.
I decided that using a website link or QR code that comes with the device would be the easiest way for a user to set up the software. I decided to create a fake company name using a company name generator to have a backstory to work with. I used this website called Namelix: https://namelix.com/, which also provided me with a simple logo.
Using this name, I came up with the product name 'Musice Key'. This is because key is a part of musical terms, and also the device's design made me think of a key.
Artefact Development
I was initially determined to use Python to code my artefact due to learning it in my computer science degree. I started setup for something called Kivy, which allowed people to quickly build and run python phone apps. I also found a python module named Pyo, which would help me create sounds and modulation. I wanted to create a phone app that would do everything my device intended to do.
However, the learning curve was steep, and implementing simple tools took up to 2 hours. While looking into these mediums for app building, I found something called ‘Android Build Development,’ a library full of android code that people could use to build an app. It was in a different coding language, but I decided to give it a try.
I managed to get the base code of ‘Hello World’ displaying on my phone. I needed to learn Javascript to understand how to build the code, but I had found two classes that allowed me to change audio pitch and track the phone's location. I planned to use the data from the phone location to affect the frequency.
But ultimately, it all seemed too hard for not only the time I had left but for this assignment. I wanted something that I could be passionate about creating.
So I went back into the studio for more feedback. The initial rounds of feedback were about potentially using Arduino and an accelerometer to change the frequency outputted. However, this would only be one part of my idea - changing pitch based on movement. It didn't feel like it encompassed my entire vision. There was also discussion around 3d printing the device or designing the interface. This also presented the same problem of only featuring one side of my design. Eventually, we came to a genius idea of creating a mock 'instruction manual' of my Musice Key. This presents the hardware and also the software which I was keen on.