25
edits
Changes
no edit summary
== Midterm Project ==
A Happy Scaredy Plant
=== Visualizations Rough Concept === I didn't like my other idea. Mostly because I don't want to have to locate a Bible. So, something fun instead: Happy Plant. When you shine a light on it, it jiggles. I'm stealing the parts from a vibrating back massaging device, and trying to learn how to make a photoresistor work... Rough Visualizations:
http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af128/zaydami/for%20school/happyplant.png
http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af128/zaydami/for%20school/happyplantcircuit.png
=== Concept Final Design === I decided it would be more dynamic if the plant began by shaking, and would only stop when the viewer shines a bright light upon it. The project becomes reinterpreted from a "Happy Plant" that enjoys light, to a "Scaredy Plant" that is afraid of the dark. I think this is thematically more complex and interesting as well. I have always wondered how plants feel about the dark, since they need light to survive. Are they afraid that the sun might not rise again? With a vibrating motor and a photoresistor, I've given the plant the ability to express its fear by quivering in its... roots. I think people will relate to their own fears of the dark with this project. What would happen if the sun were blocked out by nuclear war? What does it mean if the only emotion the plant can express is fear? (By contrast, does it express relaxation?) And aesthetically, what's the significance of combining something organic with a battery powered mechanical device? Here is my circuit (coming soon):I also included a switch that I cannibalized from a toy. === Photo Documentation ===