Very Light Tea

MTI-P1-Very Light Tea-Demo

Rag Kandala (2015) - https://vimeo.com/139578509

//***********************
//Audio+Smoothing Stuff
//***********************
const int numReadings = 10;

int readings[numReadings];      // the readings from the analog input
int index = 0;                  // the index of the current reading
int total = 0;                  // the running total
int average = 0;                // the average

int micPin = A0;
int micVal;
//**************
//NeoPixel Stuff
//**************

#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h> //include the neopixel library
//declarations
#define PIXEL_PIN 3
#define NUMPIXELS 12
Adafruit_NeoPixel ring = Adafruit_NeoPixel(NUMPIXELS, PIXEL_PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800); //initialize neopixel object
//colors
uint32_t ringColor;
uint32_t blank = ring.Color(0,0,0);
uint32_t coldBlue = ring.Color(10,10,255);
uint32_t doneGreen = ring.Color(10,255,10);
int r; int g; int b;

//************
//State Logic
//************
int state = 0;
int timer = 0;
#define THRESHOLD 130
int signalTimer =0;
int signalLength = 100;
boolean signalLost = false;

//state 0 - on
int lightState[]={1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0};
int minPos=0;
boolean startAnim = false;
int onTimer;
int onDelay=20;
int onEnd = 725; //750-870
//state 1 - build
int buildEnd = 3200;//ends @ 3650; 2850-3200
//int buildEnd = 380;
//state 2 - bubble
int bubbleEnd = 500;//ends @ 4150
//int bubbleEnd = 450;
int bubbleTimer=0;
int bubblePtrn[4][NUMPIXELS] = {  {1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0},
                        {0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0},
                        {0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1},
                        {1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1}  };
int ptrnState=0;
//state 3 - off
int offTimer=0;
//int offDelay = 150;
int resetDelay = 150;
int bright;
int showPixel;

void setup(){
  ring.begin();
  ring.setBrightness(50);
  ring.show();
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop(){
  //smoothing
  micVal = smoothing();
  delay(1);        // delay in between reads for stability  

  //state animations
  if(state == 0){state0ON();timer++;}
  else if(state == 1){state1Build();  timer++;}
  else if(state == 2){state2Bubble();  timer++;}
  else if(state == 3){state3OFF();  timer++;}
  else{checkSignal();timer++;}
  debugger();
}

void checkSignal(){ 
  //checking signal frequency
  if(micVal<THRESHOLD){signalTimer++;}
  else if(micVal>=THRESHOLD){signalTimer=0;signalLost = false;}
  if(signalTimer>=signalLength && !signalLost){signalLost=true;}  
}

void state0ON(){

  if(micVal>=THRESHOLD){startAnim = true;} //check if audio has changed
  
  if(startAnim && onTimer<=onDelay){
    minPos = map(onTimer,0,onDelay,0,NUMPIXELS);
    //updatePixels
    for(int i=0;i<NUMPIXELS;i++)
    {
      if(i<=minPos){lightState[i]=1;}
      else{lightState[i]=0;}
    }
    //drawPixels
    for(int i=0;i<NUMPIXELS;i++)
    {
      ring.setPixelColor(i,blank);
      if(lightState[i]>0){
        ring.setPixelColor(i,coldBlue);
      }
    }
    ring.show();
    onTimer++;
  }
  else if(onTimer>onDelay){
  lightState[0]=1;
  minPos=0;
  startAnim=false;
  onTimer=0;
  }
  if(timer>=onEnd){
    state=1; timer=0;
    resetLED();}  
}

void state1Build(){
  checkSignal();  
//  if(timer<=buildEnd){
  if(!signalLost){  
    r = map(timer,0,buildEnd,10,255);
    g = map(timer,0,buildEnd,10,0);
    b = map(timer,0,buildEnd,255,10);
    bright = map(micVal,0,500,10,70);
    ringColor = ring.Color(r,g,b);    
  }
//  else if (timer>buildEnd){
  else if (signalLost){  
    ringColor = ring.Color(255,0,0);
    state=2; timer=0;
    ring.setBrightness(50);    
  }
    for(int i=0;i<NUMPIXELS;i++)
    {
        ring.setPixelColor(i,ringColor);
      }
      ring.setBrightness(bright);      
      ring.show();
}

void state2Bubble(){
  if(timer<=bubbleEnd){
      if(bubbleTimer%150==0){
        ptrnState++;
        ptrnState%=4;
        r = random(255);
        g = random(255);
        b = random(255);    
        ringColor = ring.Color(r,g,b);
      }
  
  for(int i =0;i<NUMPIXELS;i++){
    if(bubblePtrn[ptrnState][i]>0){ring.setPixelColor(i,ringColor);}
    else{ring.setPixelColor(i,blank);}
  }
  ring.show();
}
  else if (timer>bubbleEnd){state=3;bubbleTimer=0;timer=0;}  
}

void state3OFF(){
  bright = map(offTimer, 0, resetDelay,100,0);
  showPixel = map(offTimer, 0, resetDelay,NUMPIXELS,0);
  
  if(offTimer<=resetDelay){
    for(int i =0;i<NUMPIXELS;i++){
      ring.setBrightness(bright);
      if(i<showPixel){ring.setPixelColor(i,doneGreen);}
      else{ring.setPixelColor(i,blank);}
    }
    ring.show();
  }
  else if(offTimer>resetDelay) {state=0;offTimer=0;timer=0;}
  offTimer++;  
}

void resetLED(){
  for(int i=0;i<NUMPIXELS;i++)
    {
      ring.setPixelColor(i,blank);
    }
    ring.show();
}

void debugger(){
  Serial.print("raw: ");
  Serial.print(analogRead(micPin));
  Serial.print("; avg: ");
  Serial.print(micVal);
  if (state == 1 || state == 4){
  Serial.print("; signalT: ");
  Serial.print(signalTimer);  
  Serial.print("; signalS: ");
  Serial.print(signalLost);  
  }
  Serial.print("; State: ");
  Serial.print(state);
  Serial.print("; timer: ");
  Serial.println(timer);
}

int smoothing(){
    // subtract the last reading:
  total= total - readings[index];         
  // read from the sensor:  
  readings[index] = analogRead(micPin); 
  // add the reading to the total:
  total= total + readings[index];       
  // advance to the next position in the array:  
  index = index + 1;                    

  // if we're at the end of the array...
  if (index >= numReadings)              
    // ...wrap around to the beginning: 
    index = 0;                           

  // calculate the average:
  average = total / numReadings;         
  // send it to the computer as ASCII digits
  return average; 
}

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Process: Exploration of Concepts

When I was exploring the problem space I tried to understand the noise pattern for a range of natural and man-made noises. Ultimately I ended up choosing tea boiling for 2 reasons:

1) Boiling water is a very violent process that is hidden to some degree by the tea kettle but I wanted to make it experienceable somehow.

2) I wanted to create an aesthetic experience that was detached from utility.

Process: Exploration of Form and Interaction

Unfortunately for this project I was not able to explore the form language as deeply as I had hoped. My intention for the form was to create a device that appeared to be delicate/petite (to contrast the violent bubbling process) and appeared similar in shape to radios/speakers so that hints that it is sound related.

For the interactions I coded a few of patterns on the NeoPixel ring to see what patterns had fit the qualities of the water boiling at various stages.

//Early Exploration of LED Patterns
const int numReadings = 10;

int readings[numReadings];      // the readings from the analog input
int index = 0;                  // the index of the current reading
int total = 0;                  // the running total
int average = 0;                // the average

int inputPin = A0;

//neopixel
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h> //include the neopixel library
#define PIXEL_PIN 6
#define NUMPIXELS 12

Adafruit_NeoPixel ring = Adafruit_NeoPixel(NUMPIXELS, PIXEL_PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800); //initialize neopixel object
uint32_t ringColor;
uint32_t blank = ring.Color(0,0,0);
int r=25;
int g=0;
int b=25;
int maxLEDS=0;

int lightState[]={1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0};
int minPos=0;
int LEDSpeed = 20;
int timer=0;

void setup(){
  // initialize serial communication with computer:
  Serial.begin(9600);                   
  // initialize all the readings to 0: 
  for (int thisReading = 0; thisReading < numReadings; thisReading++)
    readings[thisReading] = 0;
    //Initialize Ring
    ring.begin();
    ring.setBrightness(50);
    ring.show();
    Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop(){
  //Get input signal
  int val = cleanSignal();
  timer++;
  Serial.print("raw: ");
  Serial.print(analogRead(inputPin));
  Serial.print("; avg: ");
  Serial.print(val);
  Serial.print("; timer: ");
  Serial.println(timer);
  delay(1);        // delay in between reads for stability  
  ringPattern(val);
}


void ringPattern(int micVal){
  g = map(micVal,33,1023,0,255);
  maxLEDS = map(micVal,33,1023,0,NUMPIXELS);
  LEDSpeed = map(micVal,33,1023,40,100);
  ringColor = ring.Color(r,g,b);
  
  //updatePixels
  minPos++;
  minPos = minPos%NUMPIXELS;
  for(int i=0;i<NUMPIXELS;i++)
  {
    if(i>=minPos && i<minPos+maxLEDS){lightState[i]=1;}
    else{lightState[i]=0;}
  }
  //drawPixels
  for(int i=0;i<NUMPIXELS;i++)
  {
    ring.setPixelColor(i,blank);
    if(lightState[i]>0){
      ring.setPixelColor(i,ringColor);
    }
  }
  ring.show();
  delay(LEDSpeed);
}

int cleanSignal(){
    // subtract the last reading:
  total= total - readings[index];         
  // read from the sensor:  
  readings[index] = analogRead(inputPin); 
  // add the reading to the total:
  total= total + readings[index];       
  // advance to the next position in the array:  
  index = index + 1;                    

  // if we're at the end of the array...
  if (index >= numReadings)              
    // ...wrap around to the beginning: 
    index = 0;                           

  // calculate the average:
  average = total / numReadings;         
  // send it to the computer as ASCII digits
  return average; 
}

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The design challenge for this project was to find a nonsensical ambient noise and translate that into a digital output (e.g. light, motion, etc.) through signal processing. For my project I chose to listen to tea boiling and translate the noise into patterns on LEDs that was expressive and reflective of the water boiling in a tea kettle.