PHYSICAL COMPUTING

PCmount condensor microphone

Audio is a somewhat difficult input to use unless you have an amplifier to make your values usable. The “Super Snooper Big Ear Audio Amplifier Kit" from Jameco ($10.95) proved to do the trick for me. It was able to give me a basic reading which I was able to decipher. In my case, the original microphone was lost and I had to replace it with a "PC-Mount condenser Microphone Element"

GR

This project comes from a desire to accessorize the phone booth, allowing it to become a more communicative and interactive space.
I have given the phone booth back its audio and visual seclusion, but in exchange created an exterior performance to graphicly depict the conversation inside.

The door is temporarily attached to the phone booth and is resting on two large casters which imply a sense of mobility. I made a strong attempt to pull the physical characteristics from the existing phone booth by using metallic framing as well as the color of the panels. The LED panels are made of 4 (3) LED series circuits. These light up as a digital response to the signal sent form the Adruino board. Only one circuit at each sampling time is turned on high which keeps a real-time visual connection to the conversations highs and lows. The microphone (super snooper) is using a suction cup to adhere to the mouthpiece of the phone, again reinforcing the temporary attachment to the booth.

The project has developed with attention to a reaction to bodily expression, ranging from the most subtle to the most indiscreet and how technology can be responsive, the responsiveness serving either as a point of correction or correspondence to the expressions. In this basic demonstration I am designing a sort of remote control via the hands gestures (clenching or relaxing). The clenching gives an impression of stress so I am creating a sort of instrumental therapy for the user. When the crease between the thumb and the pointer finger is sharpened, a flex sensor will send the signal telling a small speaker around the ear to respond with a personally programmed noise, note, voice over, etc. maybe reminiscent to a happy memory. The hope is that a simple request will result in a personal, and on-demand "happy reminder" on the go.