Arduino Exploration
Background
During my second year of studying Industrial Design, I was introduced to Arduino, an open-source electronic prototyping platform. My classmates and I explored interactive design by developing items like this smart camera and a BAC monitor.
Project Vision
In a photo-booth scenario, this smart camera uses an ultrasonic sensor to make sure a person is in the correct position to take a focused photo. This will allow minimal time and effort in taking a good picture.
Input
The user presses a button to start the sequence of events in taking the picture. The ultrasonic sensor detects the distance the user is from the camera.
Output
An LCD Board displays a message based on the position of the user (too far, too close, or ready!). The LCD board will then count down 3...2...1...Smile! and the servo motor turns to imitate a picture being taken.
Focus utilizes an ultrasonic sensor to ensure that a subject is the correct distance from the camera to take a focused photo. After the user presses a button, Focus detects the distance of the user, and displays a correlating message on the LCD board such as “Too Far” or “3...2...1...Smile!” once the user is in the focus range. This then prompts the servo to move and press that camera’s capture button, resulting in focused photos for the user.
Schematic
Below is one of our smart camera prototypes. We tested this device on fellow classmates, and it worked!
Takeaways
Interactive design is a growing field, and with resources like Arduino, it's an especially exciting time to be an industrial designer. My classmates and I had a great time experimenting with this project, which is why we decided to create a functioning BAC monitoring device. I'm certain that I'll continue to explore the use of Arduino in future projects.