Professor: Douglas Repetto, douglas@music.columbia.edu
TA: Johnathan Lee, jlee@music.columbia.edu
Our Motto: "Why, then how."
Today we'll continue talking about some of the pieces from last week. Then we'll get out some gear and have a low-level look at how some of these technologies work.
I tend to divide interface/sensor technologies into two broad groups: passive and active. This division is somewhat arbitrary, and in practice the catagories depend more on how the sensors are used than what they measure.
| sensor | passive | active |
|---|---|---|
| light sensor | beam breaker | flashlight control |
| temperature sensor | ambient temperature | breathing |
| pressure pad | floor mat | trackpad |
| button/switch | door opening | keyboard |
| accelerometer | mounted in a tree | mounted on your head |
| distance sensor | presence/absence | distance measurement |
And so on (we'll add to this list in class). The idea here is that there are (at least!) two broad ways you can approach the idea of an interface between "the world" and "the machine." One is to passively sense aspects of the environment, such as temperature or light intensity. The other is to actively produce the environment that the sensor is sensing. So as usual, intentionality is a key question. There are many things you can sense, and the how is usually fairly straightforward. The why, however, is up to you.
Your assignment:
No assignment this week. Work on your midterms!