Instructable #DIY
You can download the complete instructable, with audio files and Arduino sketch, from here ! :D
instructabletinydj.zip | |
File Size: | 7368 kb |
File Type: | zip |
/ELM
Schematic!
/ELM
Final Video! #Happy #TinyDJ #Cool
/JB
Almost finished prototype !
Today, we finished merging the platform with the wooden toy : buttons, led, and sound are all in place, except for the motor that still don't always work. We also tweaked the script a little bit : now the left button starts sound lights and motor, and the other one makes the color of the lights change ! I also stayed later so that the musics can play randomly from the SD card :D
On Monday, we will take care of the motor and finish giving the toy a new look.
See you on Wednesday for a demo and video of the final prototype !
/ELM
On Monday, we will take care of the motor and finish giving the toy a new look.
See you on Wednesday for a demo and video of the final prototype !
/ELM
Video + Pics!
/JB
Progress towards a finished prototype!
So this morning Emilie spent some time on the motor and got it to work. The setup was according to this schema:
What we're contemplating now is how to make it more interactive, as of know we are highering and lowering the speed of the motor using a potentiometer. But it is very sensitive making it hard to get desired speed of the plate spinning. The initial idea was to make it scratchable, meaning we wanted to alter the sound when we touched the plate. We find it hard to believe that our prototype will be sturdy enough to withstand this during a demo though, so for now we're going to first integrate what we got into the platform and hopefully expand this during the week, we'll keep you posted.
We also got some great work done with the integration of the knobs that will control volume and speed, see pictures above! :)
/Jim + Tim
We also got some great work done with the integration of the knobs that will control volume and speed, see pictures above! :)
/Jim + Tim
Morning Hack! #RGB #LED #SDcard
Further expansion to our DJ-toy, started integration with toy, and got some new lighting to work.
/Group
/Group
First prototype! #sucess #sound #SDcard
So we finally got the SD-card and speaker to work together. Initially we had some issues with this, and had to play around with a lot of different guides on the internet.
/Group
/Group
Sketch + components! :)
/JB
Our new platform! #happy #fun #cool #DJ
Ylva got us an old seventies toy kitchen. It is perfect ! Two plates, like for a real DJ, and a storing space for the components. We are going to crank it up a little, and it will be awesome, especially with the components Matthias bought for us !
/JB + ELM
/JB + ELM
Mockup session! 21/9-15
Feedback on our mockup :
- Maybe there should be some sound when we put food in the oven.
- A "pling" sound (like a microwave) when the food is done.
- Ylva mentionned a glove with which you can scratch on any surface.
- There is also a project called "scratching carpet" where you make sound with your feet.
- Parents listen to their favorite Spotify playlist while their child is playing with the toy !
- Maybe there should be some sound when we put food in the oven.
- A "pling" sound (like a microwave) when the food is done.
- Ylva mentionned a glove with which you can scratch on any surface.
- There is also a project called "scratching carpet" where you make sound with your feet.
- Parents listen to their favorite Spotify playlist while their child is playing with the toy !
/Group
Morning Hack #3 | 2015 - 09 - 18
Today we continued tinkering with the Arduino, and we started connecting a speaker to it. At the end of the session, we got a piano working ! It is great inspiration for our Tiny DJ project.
/JB + ELM
Storyboard | DJ + Cooking
/JB + ELM
Moodboard | Cooking + DJ
/JB
Super-cool website
/ELM
Group work on sketches | 2015 - 09 - 14
Today we compared sketches and the different ideas. We all more or less had the same ideas : having a toy that enables playing like a chef AND playing like a DJ. The strength of our interaction design is to enable both play purposes. Therefore there is different feedback depending on the actions, and the toy with be fun both ways.
It was difficult to illustrate the interaction and the technical components with a sketch, so it is a little bit messy, with arrows everywhere. Moreover, we have to think with 3D and materials, which is not the case with screen-based sketches. But we still came down with one final idea. Our toy will have several main features : - The cooking/DJ plates will be turning knobs (without lock), which will simulate the scratching of a DJ plate. If we can, it will be half-transparent with LEDs underneath so that we can simulate a fire on the stove. - There will be a set of turning knobs for the "Chef" part, using the original knobs on the toy we will buy. One of them will interact with the oven, so that a light comes on and off inside. The other ones will control the LEDs for the fires on the stove. - There will be a set of buttons for the "DJ" part : different musics and lights will play when clicking on the different buttons. - Finally, there will be a speaker onside the toy, connected to the electrical components. For now we're thinking of a Raspberry PI, an Arduino, and some wires, but we may need more components. They will be powered by a cable that runs inside the toy, and goes out by a hole on the side, so that it can be plugged on the wall. |
Checklist of the materials we need :
- The toy (first Blocket photo)
- An Arduino, with a power supply (cable and plug)
- Speakers for the music
- Turning knobs (rotary switches) : 2 (homemade ?) big ones (plastic rubber and metal ?) ; several smaller ones
- A driller to make holes for the speakers and the turning knobs
- Lights : little (red ?) LEDs for the cooking plates ; bigger yellow-orange lights for the inside of the oven (/!\ parents may need to be able to replace them !)
- Electrical components : wires, breadboard, resistors, other ?
- The toy (first Blocket photo)
- An Arduino, with a power supply (cable and plug)
- Speakers for the music
- Turning knobs (rotary switches) : 2 (homemade ?) big ones (plastic rubber and metal ?) ; several smaller ones
- A driller to make holes for the speakers and the turning knobs
- Lights : little (red ?) LEDs for the cooking plates ; bigger yellow-orange lights for the inside of the oven (/!\ parents may need to be able to replace them !)
- Electrical components : wires, breadboard, resistors, other ?
/ELM
Interaction | Sketches
And an inspiring link : http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-powerd-by-your-SmartPhone-Part-1-Sound-and/
/JB + ELM
Morning Hack #2 | 2015 - 09 - 11
In the hack session on friday 11/9 we started messing around with the Arduino. This was very interesting and gave the whole group a good understanding of the power and possibilities with the Arduino.
|
/JB + ELM
Cool website | #newideas #inspiration #cool
/JB
Playtime | Lecture | 2015 - 09 - 08
During today's lesson , we got acquainted with the new electronics gadgets. We will use these to our projects. During the lesson we managed to get a pinwheel to spin, and an LED to flash. Very amusing and inspiring lesson. Very practical and instructive. We got new ideas and inspiration for further development of our project idea.
/JB + ELM
Blocket | Kitchen toys
We have searched on the web for potential purchases of our project. This is our hottest candidates.
/ELM
/ELM
Design ideals | Lecture | 2015 - 09 - 07
Conclusion to our survey :
Kids are very active. They like to discover and experiment, especially with their mouth when they are young. That's why security is essential when designing a toy. However, parents tend to trust the toys stores.
This particular age group likes everything that stimulates their senses : lights, sounds, but also different materials to the touch.
The toys should be challenging, but not too much, so that they are still fun to play with. They have be different from real objects.
Brainstorming about out project :
We define a clearly stated demographic : our targets will be 2 to 4 years old children.
We though about turning the Tiny Chef toy into a Tiny DJ toy :
- the cooking plates would become CD plates, and buzz some music, or change color ;
- the oven could be a mini disco club ; etc.
However, since we are not electrical engineers, such a project may be a little too ambitious.
We're going to start simple, like connecting a knob to some sound, and then expand later if we succeed.
We also though about connecting (and protecting !) a screen (i.e. a tablet or a phone) via bluetooth.
It would display some content via a downloadable app : numbers for instance, and the speakers integrated with the screen would pronounce the numbers. It could also use a real DJing app.
Kids are very active. They like to discover and experiment, especially with their mouth when they are young. That's why security is essential when designing a toy. However, parents tend to trust the toys stores.
This particular age group likes everything that stimulates their senses : lights, sounds, but also different materials to the touch.
The toys should be challenging, but not too much, so that they are still fun to play with. They have be different from real objects.
Brainstorming about out project :
We define a clearly stated demographic : our targets will be 2 to 4 years old children.
We though about turning the Tiny Chef toy into a Tiny DJ toy :
- the cooking plates would become CD plates, and buzz some music, or change color ;
- the oven could be a mini disco club ; etc.
However, since we are not electrical engineers, such a project may be a little too ambitious.
We're going to start simple, like connecting a knob to some sound, and then expand later if we succeed.
We also though about connecting (and protecting !) a screen (i.e. a tablet or a phone) via bluetooth.
It would display some content via a downloadable app : numbers for instance, and the speakers integrated with the screen would pronounce the numbers. It could also use a real DJing app.
/Group
Interview with parent
In a spontaneous interview with the parent of two four year old twins the parent had already begun to get help in the kitchen by the twins. The twins knew the difference between the toy and the actual kitchen and knew that they are not the same thing. They both had respect for the real kitchen, being careful around the oven etc. and used the toy kitchen as a toy. She thought that this may have come from them being told that the real kitchen is dangerous or by the twins figuring it out by themselves by hurting themselves.
Field trip | Hågelby parken | 2015 - 09 - 06
Our group went to Hågelby Parken early on a raining Sunday morning to study young children's´playing behaviour.
We had small interviews with the parents of one boy and one girl, a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Because of the weather there weren't so many children or parents on the park on this rainy morning.
Boy 2-year old
First we talked with the mother of a 2-year old. According to the mother the boy liked to dig in sandboxes, play with cars. However, she said he likes everything that moves, sounds and makes music, and blinks.
The mother would like toys on which her son could practice fine motor skills and she prefers wooden toys over plastic.
Girl 4-year old
The girl is, according to the mother, very active. She likes jumping, climbing, playing with dolls.
General observations from watching the children
From the children’s behaviour we noticed that they were all very active and liked to move at the same time as talking.
Liked to imitate animals, and try to feed them with grass.
We had small interviews with the parents of one boy and one girl, a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Because of the weather there weren't so many children or parents on the park on this rainy morning.
Boy 2-year old
First we talked with the mother of a 2-year old. According to the mother the boy liked to dig in sandboxes, play with cars. However, she said he likes everything that moves, sounds and makes music, and blinks.
The mother would like toys on which her son could practice fine motor skills and she prefers wooden toys over plastic.
Girl 4-year old
The girl is, according to the mother, very active. She likes jumping, climbing, playing with dolls.
General observations from watching the children
From the children’s behaviour we noticed that they were all very active and liked to move at the same time as talking.
Liked to imitate animals, and try to feed them with grass.
/Group
Morning Hack #1 | 2015 - 09 - 05
We got to [play with] disassemble a tiny radio with flashlight.
Reverse engineering : components
On the outside :
- Top buttons : flashlight, scan, reset.
- Side widgets : headphones plug, flashlight, tone (bass or treble), sound wheel (with which the device can be turned off).
Inside the plastic shell, there are two printed circuits, one containing most of the components, the second one connected with the three top buttons.
Components : http://www.uchobby.com/index.php/2007/07/15/identifying-electronic-components/
- resistors
- transistor
- capacitors : get rid of noise ; several types : big black ones [10V, 100µF], small round orange ones, blue ones
- inductors (spiraled wires)
- microchip (integrated circuit) : where all the programming is stored
When unscrewing the sound wheel, we get the actual component that regulates the sound and turns it on and off. The sound wheel is continuous, it’s electrical/magnetic, not analogical. The batteries would last longer with a lower volume : you regulate the electrical current force.
Reverse design & interaction
With both batteries, we can get the stations and put the flashlight at the same time.
The device is compact, without lose parts (the sound wheel is screwed on for instance).
The grey plastic shell is made to put on the belt, so probably for an old generation (mid-twenties).
Is the shape is better for reception ?
Reverse engineering : components
On the outside :
- Top buttons : flashlight, scan, reset.
- Side widgets : headphones plug, flashlight, tone (bass or treble), sound wheel (with which the device can be turned off).
Inside the plastic shell, there are two printed circuits, one containing most of the components, the second one connected with the three top buttons.
Components : http://www.uchobby.com/index.php/2007/07/15/identifying-electronic-components/
- resistors
- transistor
- capacitors : get rid of noise ; several types : big black ones [10V, 100µF], small round orange ones, blue ones
- inductors (spiraled wires)
- microchip (integrated circuit) : where all the programming is stored
When unscrewing the sound wheel, we get the actual component that regulates the sound and turns it on and off. The sound wheel is continuous, it’s electrical/magnetic, not analogical. The batteries would last longer with a lower volume : you regulate the electrical current force.
Reverse design & interaction
With both batteries, we can get the stations and put the flashlight at the same time.
The device is compact, without lose parts (the sound wheel is screwed on for instance).
The grey plastic shell is made to put on the belt, so probably for an old generation (mid-twenties).
Is the shape is better for reception ?
/JB + ELM
Inspiring video + link
Older kids in this one video, but still inspiring:
http://www.step2.com/p/LifeStyle-Dream-Kitchen
http://www.step2.com/p/LifeStyle-Dream-Kitchen
/ELM
2015-09-03