Week 02

Assignment 01

Find an interesting Alt+Ctrl Interface

Explore the archive from GDC, Shake that button and beyond.
Find one interesting project/controller and write a short description of the project.
Include a link to it and embed a video.

Game: Guilty Smells - A smell enhanced videogame

Description

Guilty Smells is a “smell-enhanced” game created by Olivier Albaracin, David Somiah Clark, Milin Li, Nima Navab and Ana Tavera Mendoza.

In this game, you are a police dog on the search of foraign food.

It uses a custom made 4-channel scent difusser controlled by an Arduino board to release smells that the player needs to sniff to detect if their are either “american” or foraign food smell.

What I find interesting about this game is the uses of a sense that is usually completely ignored both in our daily life and art-gaming experiences. Smell might be one the most obliviated sense of them all, and yet when something disturbe our smell it can cause real distress.

The idea to bringing in diffusers to add up to the regular audio-visual-tactile experience of gaming is smart and inspiring and makes me wonder how this can be used in other ways, maybe for educational purposes (perfume making, wine tasting, food pairing) or for interactive art experiences that enhance the smell for a more compelling and immersive experience.

It also reminds me of a book called “Life in five senses” by Gretchen Rubin that talks about different ways of enhancing the different senses as a path to a happier, more mindful life and tuning in to the physical world.

Video

Assignment 02

Come up with a concept for your own Alt+Ctrl Interface

Explore at least one sensor in more detail. Figure out how to read the values from it with your Arduino. Print out the data from the sensor to the Serial Monitor or Serial Plotter
Think of different interactions and/or gestures that could be detected with the sensor you picked.
Choose an existing video game that could be controlled using the interaction/interface enabled by this sensor. You can also come up with a completely new game/game mechanic.
You don’t need to make it work yet. Just come up with the idea/concept for your alternative controller.
Write about your idea on your site.
You can draw sketches or other ways to illustrate your idea.
You can also make a prototype if you are able to, but I am not requiring it. It’s enough to just describe the concept.

Sensor: orce Sensitive Resistors - Pressure Sensing

Intro:

An FSR is simply a variable resistor whose resistance varies in response to pressure applied to the sensing area. It is made up of several thin, flexible layers. FSR are relatively cheap and come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Without any pressure in the pad we are reading an open circuit (0 OMS).

Expample of prices:

PAINEANTURI - FSR - ANALOGINEN - FSR 400 - 40X40MM 26,32 €
PAINEANTURI - FSR - ANALOGINEN - FSR 400 - Ø15MM ALUE: 0,2÷20N 20,67 €
SEN0293 - FSR - ANALOG - 10MS 6.15 €

Things to know:

The change in resistance is not directly proportionate to the amount of force supplied.
It can be used as a music instrument
There are different kinds and sizes. Squared, srtipes, circles.

Output numbers:

Resistance vs. Force:

Code

int fsrPin = 0;     // the FSR and 10K pulldown are connected to a0
int fsrReading;     // the analog reading from the FSR resistor divider
 
void setup(void) {
  Serial.begin(9600);   
}
 
void loop(void) {
  fsrReading = analogRead(fsrPin);  
 
  Serial.print("Analog reading = ");
  Serial.print(fsrReading);     // print the raw analog reading
 
  if (fsrReading < 10) {
    Serial.println(" - No pressure");
  } else if (fsrReading < 200) {
    Serial.println(" - Light touch");
  } else if (fsrReading < 500) {
    Serial.println(" - Light squeeze");
  } else if (fsrReading < 800) {
    Serial.println(" - Medium squeeze");
  } else {
    Serial.println(" - Big squeeze");
  }
  delay(1000);
}