A Couple of Graduation Day Photos
13th October, 2009
These and several more have been available on facebook for a while now but here is a proper blog post with shots from my graduation day.
A T-Shirt for sale with everyone’s names printed on it!
Dissertation (PRID301)
29th September, 2009
Abstract
Social interaction within virtual environments is on the increase, in accordance with both the rising prevalence of personal computer technology and the numerous forms of traditional communication being converted to formats suitable for the digital era. This is evidenced firstly by the growing popularity of various virtual social communication activities such as online social networking, and secondly the increasing sophistication and depth of interaction these services provide.
Consequently, there is a continual demand for the improvement of the interface through which these interactions can take place. Current interfaces are highly limited as to the depth and type of information they can respond to from their user. The field of biofeedback contributes aspects that could be crucial to the development of improved interfaces. Although its original purpose was to be a form of medical treatment, the field readily overlaps with the fields in human-computer interface design. The acquisition of physiological data that was originally only intended for use as a feedback loop for patients can actually be used for a much wider variety of purposes as an interface to virtual reality.
With the introduction of biofeedback technology as an interface, there will be a profound change in the means and methodology with which humans can interact with their virtual environments, and subsequently socially within them. Its gradual adoption is enabling the production of interfaces that are both more intuitive to their users and capable of garnering a wider variety of input relevant to particular activities, for instance prospective virtual social environments of the future.
This dissertation examines how the adoption of biofeedback technology into the interfaces for virtual environments will affect social interaction within them by exploring the way that the technology can be adapted to meet the already recognisable requirements for this interaction.
Download
The Development of Biofeedback Interfaces and their Effect on Social Interaction in Virtual Environments
Finished Final Year Project
30th May, 2009
Presented in the last half hour of the first day… Here are a couple of photos I took while waiting after setting up in the middle room of Babbage floor 2.
Project Update
20th May, 2009
A typical picture update of the project from both aspects, the 3D and the physical interface.
Digital Atmosphere
Terrain Spikes
Testing the spike generator for visual feedback on the terrain:
Pulse Rate Sensor
Sensor in the Handle
Electronics
12th May, 2009
Although I’m still waiting to find out if the PCB I requested a week ago is ready I have been able to get on with trying to produce the remaining electronics.
I’ve found out that the Analogue-to-Digital-Converter of my USB board is pretty sensitive and simply connecting my circuits resulted in extreme noise rather than a smooth stable reading. So in order to solve this I’ve placed some beefier 1uF (rather than the 0.1uF on my GSR circuit) capacitors between the output and the ground which seems to stabilise it perfectly.
Powerful LEDs
Hopefully they will illuminate the centre of my handle, which now has acrylic beads glued into the holes in order to catch the light. I took this photo with my light on, not in the dark…
Thermistor Circuit
Note the purple capacitor across the thermistor. Without it the circuit gives out a perfectly stable current, but the ADC doesn’t seem to think so.
A Few More Production Shots
6th May, 2009
Just a couple more photos I’ve taken along the path of producing my biofeedback interface handle.
Simple biofeedback measurement and amplification:
After I had started making finger grooves:
Turned Wood
4th May, 2009
I decided to take a quick shot as a preview of the turned banksia nut wood before further processing. The material of the first one (bottom) was too soft to produce my modified bullet shape design, so I reverted to the simpler shape for the second nut.
The two banksia nuts turned into the handle shape.
The next stage will be to hollow out the centre of the handle to allow light and wires through.
Diane Gromula Artworks
3rd May, 2009
Two pieces highly relevant to my own project’s field are Excretia and The Living Book of Senses.
The biomorphic font changes according to biofeedback input from the user.
Extra Stuff (Click to find out more!)