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Nightingale

Made by Jacqueline Chien ·

Data visualization of the rate at which humankind destroys and replants trees worldwide through themes loosely inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's The Emperor and the Nightingale.

Created: December 12th, 2015

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Nightingale

A data visualization project that provides another way to process the effect humankind has on the environment. Utilizing data from The World Counts, it invites people to take an abstract look at what is happening to the world.

http://www.theworldcounts.com/themes/our_environment

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Aesthetic Influences

Gears & clockwork have always fascinated me by how complex machinery can be created through the culmination of many simple movements. Famous examples (such as the Prague Astronomical Clock) are both visually beautiful and engineering marvels.

The Emperor and the Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen is a story from my childhood that juxtaposes the power of artificial mechanisms with the unparalleled essence of nature. I wanted to use my knowledge of fabrication to bring themes from this story to life.

Long, long ago, it was widely known that the emperor of China lived in the most beautiful palace in all the land. But beyond the palace gardens lay a forest home to a humble nightingale, whose song was so enchanting that travelers and locals alike named it the most beautiful thing of all.

Upon learning about the bird, the emperor ordered it to be brought to his court. The nightingale sang beautifully again and again, becoming the emperor’s most cherished treasure. One day, the emperor was gifted a bejeweled mechanical bird that could sing tirelessly for days. The nightingale was quickly forgotten and returned to the forest.

Years passed. The mechanical bird broke and could not be repaired. The emperor lay alone and destitute on his deathbed, afraid of Death’s approach. Frightened, he asked for the mechanical bird to sing to him, but alas, it no longer could. Just as Death marked his claim, the nightingale returned to the emperor and sang. Death was so moved by the beautiful song that he allowed the emperor to continue living.

The emperor humbly lived the rest of his life alongside the companionship of the nightingale.

Chinese shadow puppetry became an aesthetic inspiration because the setting of The Emperor and the Nightingale ambiguously takes place "once upon a time" in China.

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#include <Servo.h>
Servo night_wing;
Servo night_body;
Servo windup_wing;
Servo windup_key;

int windup_eye = 3;

void setup() {
  night_wing.attach(11);
  night_wing.write(0);
  night_body.attach(10);
  night_body.write(0);
  
  windup_wing.attach(6);
  windup_wing.write(0);
  windup_key.attach(5);
  windup_key.write(0);

  pinMode(windup_eye, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(windup_eye, LOW);

}

void loop() {
  for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
     windup();
     windup(); 
    delay(7200);
  }
  nightingale();
  nightingale();
  delay(3600);
}

// 3600 seconds to run
void windup() {
  for (int i = 0; i < 90; i++) {
    windup_wing.write(i);  
    windup_key.write(i);
    if (i % 10 == 0) {
      digitalWrite(windup_eye, HIGH);
    } else {
      digitalWrite(windup_eye, LOW);  
    }
    delay(10);
  }

  for (int i = 90; i >= 0; i--) {
    windup_wing.write(i);
    windup_key.write(i);
    if (i % 10 == 0) {
      digitalWrite(windup_eye, HIGH);
    } else {
      digitalWrite(windup_eye, LOW);  
    }
    delay(10);
   } 

   digitalWrite(windup_eye, LOW);
}

void nightingale() {
  for (int i = 0; i < 120; i++) {
    night_wing.write(i);
    delay(10);
  }

  for (int i = 120; i >= 0; i--) {
    night_wing.write(i);
    delay(10);
  }

  for (int i = 0; i < 130; i++) {
    night_body.write(i);
    delay(10);
   }

   for (int i = 180; i >= 0; i--) {
    night_body.write(i);
    delay(10);
   }
}
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48-739 Making Things Interactive

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Making Things Interactive (MTI) is a studio course based on physical prototyping and computing. You will develop novel sensing, interaction and display techniques through projects and short assignm...more

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Data visualization of the rate at which humankind destroys and replants trees worldwide through themes loosely inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's The Emperor and the Nightingale.