Mike Walker, 22 year ol, some experience with Arduino
General thought on functional prototyp
I have mainly done it through Arduino and Processing and it can be either really simply way to test something or really complicate way to test something. But it is fun to use and that really the main reason I wanted to do things with arduino. So it looks cool and fun to use. then you start using it and starts tearing your hair ou
Why is so hard?
Arduino is hard just becasue if you don't have any sort of training or programming. It about the electronic parts for me. I remember in High School I got taught what a circuit is but not really how to build a circuit. If I did physic then I might have the change. This is the problem I faced most, whenever I did a project with arduino there was a tutor there to help me and if I have a problem with electronic then they can give me advice and they can fill that gap in my knowledge. Otherwise, I have to put a lot of effort learning how to use arduino. I think its gets in the way a little bi
I think that is the barrier that I have experienced learning with arduino, to a certain extents, you can only learn about the code if you could go far enough with the electronic. Also its means that you're at the stumbling block with the code.
What were your expectation before dealing with arduino?
I was at the DDP project. It was quite handy coz there was a guy who help me. He already started learning it. So he knows it. Although, we didn't have a tutor but we have him instead. I guess my expectation was gonna be difficult. I know I have to face with wiring and I have to get into grip with how this will behave and how to make it senseing things how can I apply the logic in coding. I guess what I learnt was how to apply electronic with product design.
I don't really know what I expected. I just expected it to be fu
Was it fun?
it was! Im quite a logical person. When you're doing electronic prototype, there is a lot of logic involve and that is the first use I found for myself is that I can apply logic quite well. Someone was doing the coding. I was working out things like - if we turn it this way, what should the sensor reads and how should it react. I was applying the logic and giving it the human terms. I wasn't able to write a line of code but I was able to say - It should do this.
What's your evaluation of your first project? was it satisfying?
That was only a taste of it. It was more like watching someone else do it. So, that is why I wanted to do the next project. Its called the time experience. In that we actually started with lesson in Arduino. That is why I took the course, I need to learn the language and how to wires things. I got a very basic experience of doing it. It was like when you are doing the design project. If you're learning through learning then your would have to skip things and you would have people fills that steps for you. You don't really have to and you need to push through the project forwards as well as your learning. Most of the time a design project at school goes ways faster than your ability to do things with the prototyping.
If you're lucky then you would have someone there to write a line of code that you aren't able to write or they can tell you that you did something wrong. If you're unlucky then your have to deal with the limitation and only make the prototype to a standard that you can make a prototype.
Would you ever consider using it in your project on your own?
I definitely use but I would have to know that I can .... but again, I would have to find help or do a quick bit of learning. Apparently all I can prototype was to the limit of my knowledge which then becomes the limit of my prototype essentially I think that a bad thing in an ideal world I would learn everything first but that's not really how you do these things. You need to learn on the go so, these things need to be faster.
Its almost like if you are doing a mockup, you just doing the prototype. I see the hardware as the barrier where you want to learn is the code. Because the code is normally where the creative application comes in. You do new things with code.Apply them in new ways. The hardware is just gonna get in the way of that.
Is it because you need to learn how to use the hardware?
When you buy new hardware, you have to learn how it works first. For example, I did a project where we used infrared LED as suppose to normal LED. I think there is a whole exploration phrase where you just go and play with the stuff. I remember we were sticking receiver to a fixed point and running around with the infrared and LED and seeing what happens. What are the difference in measurement and stuff like that. So, I think every time you get a new kit you have to check how its work and kind of update your knowledge.
Does learning all these stuff help you to improve your product or its just a way to make prototype?
Take this infrared example, that's just to make headphone. we used infrared LED inorder to get what we wanted. We only interested in the result interm of the product. We didn't interest about how the infrared works. A lot of time its just the prototype. You almost faking what you want the real product to do. The important of knowing the hardware is really only important just to make the prototype itself.
Is it nesscessary to learn all the stuff?
I think it is now but I dont think it is necessary if I don't have to use the infrared. Its a tricky question. It would be nice if it just work the way you wanted it. We took the infrared because we want to make crazy things that I wasn't capable of doing. I need Jussi (Technician) to help me do it. We wanted to measure the distance someone was from the receiver. If you wanted to do new things with it, in this instance was we were using it to measure distance/ proximities. If you wanted to push the technology and you wanted to use it in alternative application then you have to learn a little bit about it. If you dont learn about it you will only be taking it at the face value. You're not playing with it. There is a time where you play with the stuff that you buy.
I think that I really important. Its important if you wanted to have a good prototype in the end.
If you have to do a project that wanted to use physical computing such as Arduino, How would you do it?
I think I need the concept. I don't really have an opinion whether you need the concept first. You can try to play with it and some amazing accident might happens but in my experience I always have the concept first. What I want the things to do, what I want the user to experience. Then I find out how can I use arduino or processing to do it. That takes my knowledge of arduino and that might actually ruin it.
Would you approach a project in this way or would you see Arduino as something that you could use but you don't have to use it?
Yes, I dont think I have to use it. I never think I reached a point in a project where I know "Its Arduino time". Its more like this will be really useful for that to design something that will have the input and the output from the user and if those things can be sensed by Arduino. Then I will choose it and start prototyping with Arduino. There might be better things. I think the main thing with Arduino is time. The is my only problem. I might not do Arduino if I only got a couple of weeks to prototype because I can only create something very very simple in that time.
By saying time you mean - times it takes to learn all the skills you need? or to actually make it work?
I think for me, I am still learning so I think its all of it. Its all takes time. From Idea to making the prototypes work to how I want, it will takes a long time. So I have to factor that in. The way Arduino existed now, if you are at my stage which is some where between beginner and intermediate, student project are not long enough to do something with arduino. I would say its better to mocking up stuff. You wanted to fake that there is an LED blinking on something - you can do this very easily with Arduino. But when there is something complex such as sensing proximity and people. This is going to take a long time to workout. Because there is a tuning that you need to do before you can get it to work
how did you find the help online?
Its good for coding advice. The hardware one were very difficult. There were clear diagrams but I think you still need to know a bit about how those diagram are drawn and what's it means.
What were your main frustration? Do you even trust that your product is going to work?
I trust that it is going to break! that is one of the most fustrating things is that no matter how hard you try or how hard you code. Things will go wrong. A wire can be nudged by someone and suddenly nothing works and then you have to spent time going through each one and then you might actually end up making it worse as you are going to it. Then you might start changing the code and then it might mess it up even more just because of the one wire that went loose. That is a pain in the ass unless you're really got a grip of it and you takes a step of care that you need. I think students are always going to fuck up their things halfway through
How did you attempt to fix the problem?
Ask my technician .... If it the code then I can do it. I just sit through it. Arduino tells you where there is a problem with code. It would be really nice if that happen with hardware. that would be really nic
Do you find the hardware more problematic or they are at the same level?
I think code can be very tidy as long as you keep it tidy. Wires, their nature is much more messy. Espcially, if you are using the component that you never used before. Code is all one, its just syntax unless you start using people library. It quite easier to control rather than the mess that you created with electronics. We got pretty deep into that mess in the Nokia project. It hard to keep up and tiring with all the stuff.
I think the learning curve with electronic is constant. I think it impossible to know if everything work. You can be very good if you are proficient with code.
But do you really need to know everything about electronic?
No, definitely not. As long as you have a bit of help from someone that knows more than you. I got through pretty big project with Arduino.
Would you approach the electronic in the same way as you are approach the code?
I think I am more discipline with the code. I used flow chart and its help me a lot but this way of thinking is not really present in the hardware. May be it existed but I do not really know how it works. I don't really think about the hardware like that. I am more looking at the port on the board. Where can I stick the wires and what are my limitation that is given to me by the board. I would say I would benefit from having something to help me to plan things out how to do electronic.
Is there a real difference in the feedback from Video prototyping and the functional prototypes?
Yep, a video prototype, they will understand it and see how it will be. If it immersive enough you can begin to make people feel the way you want them to feel. However, It's all very very fake. they might have feeling there but its not tangible. If you have a functional prototype and even it is really really rough. you might not get the full experience but it is tangible so suddenly it means a lot more to you then on the screen. I think when we showed our thing to nokia, we showed the video first and I think that really liked the video, they really interested by it and it was the moment when they wanted to talk about it but then the smile didn't come out until they try on the prototype. It was almost like a confirmation of the experience. It's like people goes and watch film with CGI and 3D. Nothing that you see is real but they still feel things but then you know that it is not real. So, if they watch a video prototype then they know that it doesn't exist but if you know them a functional prototype then suddenly it seem possible.