Research Document // Judith van der Heiden

Minor Projects

The theme given for the minor was Radiation divided in four sub themes, Acoustic radiation, Radio radiation, Light radiation and Radiation Patterns. For each theme we had to make a project that would compliment or visualise its context.

Acoustic Landscape

Acoustic Landscape was my first project of the semester and was given in the context of Acoustic Radiation. I collaborated with fellow students Nora Mabrouki, Kars van der Heuvel and Koen van Geel. We used a The Ultrasonic Sensor sends out a high-frequency sound pulse and then times how long it takes for the echo of the sound to reflect back. The ultrasonic sensor uses this information along with the time difference between sending and receiving the sound pulse to determine the distance to an object. We wanted to use this device and use it to create a visual reflection of the invisible sound waves. To realise this we wrote a code that linked the detected distance to different shapes and colours which would display on a screen creating a design tool that is controllable trough the positioning of objects. We build a platform with a grid accompanied by several wooden blocks and placed the ultrasonic sensor in front of it. The sensor rotated 180 degrees in a loop to create a greater canvas. This way you could move the blocks on the entire platform to control the design displayed on the screen.

We experimented with the different shapes and colours but also explored the limitations of this device by using different type of materials which initiated an error in to its system. We found out that sound proof materials remained invisible to the Ultrasonic sensor and used it to cover some of the wooden blocks, creating blank spots on the design when put in front of the sensor. I think this is a good example of how we can use technology in relation to art. The ultrasonic sensor helps us detect what we can't see and as a designer we fulfilled the role to make it visable.

Wifi-Robot

Wifi-Robot was a project in the context of Radio Radiation. I worked together with Meike Brand and Nora Mabrouki. For this project we wanted to build a robot that navigates using WiFi-signals. It would be programmed to always set course to a place were the signal would be the strongest, it was its primary goal. The robot would become more erratic as he would come closer to his target which was a critical approach in our obsessive need for digital connections. Our research was very technical and we had to figure out how we would realise this little robot. We divided the research into this making process in two parts. One was the robots mobility and appearance and the second was the WiFi navigation. For the robots mobility we used a controllable toy car which we dissected until all that was left were the necessary components. The WiFi navigation was more complex and we started thinking about devices that we could hack and use in our advantage. After hacking several appliances we finally resorted to a WiFi detection t-shirt that would visualise the strength of the signal in the form of the iconic bars that would lid up accordingly. We hacked the shirt and connected it to the components of the toy car. Instead of lights popping up when WiFi was detected, the toy car would now move. Success! Unfortunately this would be the end of our process as we accidentally used a 9 volt battery which fried the circuit. We could not finish the project because of the short time frame but still investigated how we could have made the robot work completely. This way all or work was not done in vain and we would still learn something from it.

The Fibonacci Sequence

The Fibonacci Sequence was a project me and Meike Brand did for the theme Light Radiation. We did an extensive research on light primarily focussing on its visual capacity and how to use it as a design tool. We experimented with different materials that in some way would distort the light in attempt to have more control over its visual appearance. In this processes we were hands on looking for the right setup to create an aesthetic play of lights by using manipulating filters. The manipulation of light was something we found very interesting and we were extensively looking for ways to accomplish this. In our research we came across something called strobe animation. It consist of analog illustrations that are designed to animate when spun under a strobe light. We wanted to build a sculpture that would come to live using this technique, using light as an illusion. We experimented with this by making sculptures in Cinema 4d and researching shapes that would work in this set up. This was however quite a science to master and it was difficult to create a sculpture that would truly animate in these circumstances. We finally found a very specific formula that would create our desired sequence which was based on Fibonacci growing patterns that can be found in nature. We made the decision not to recreate this digitally but to look for this patterns in organic objects such as flowers vegetables and fruits. We used the stroboscopic light to expose the fibonacci growing patterns that consist in these plants, creating a sequence of its natural phenomena.

Ripple tank

Ripple tank was a project linked to the theme Radiation and Patterns. I became very interested in the Cymatic patterns visualised trough the vibrations in water, it intrigued me that water, a transparent fluid, can create such patterns and can actually exhibit an image. The pattern it makes communicates something about sound waves and displays a beautiful interaction between them. I started researching in this department and came across a scientific experiment called the ripple tank. A ripple tank is a shallow glass tank of water used in schools and colleges to demonstrate the basic properties of waves. I experimented with this ripple tank and found that it would create beautiful patterns when using multiple wave sources. I converted this experiment in to a digital format where the ripple tank would function as a pattern making design tool. I used the Kinect Hack to realise this, beaming the ripple tank on to the floor and create ripples around the people that would enter the platform. Together they could create patterns that would change according to the position they were standing, exposing the basic proporties of wave interferrence.

I had a great experience working in the minor Digital Craft. The setup of small projects, executed in a short time frame, effected my working methods and overall creative process. There was a focus on experimentation which encouraged me to explore the subjects in a more hands-on way rather then a theoretical/conceptual approach.