Any ideas for meaningful, DH-oriented wearable or physical computing?

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Any ideas for meaningful, DH-oriented wearable or physical computing?

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Asked 5 years ago by Bethany Nowviskie
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Bethany Nowviskie
Admin
I'm interested in wearables and physical computing -- in the sense of tactile, embodied interaction like that made possible by the Lilypad Arduino, a sew-able, programmable microprocessor. My problem is that, conceptually, I can't get past toys and art pieces -- like blinky, light-up merit badges, ambient orbs that respond to the state of my inbox, a tipsyflower made of shape-memory wire & breathalyzer parts, jewelry that whines when you walk north...

I'd like to design a project that I felt was meaningful in terms of digital humanities theory or research -- something useful within, or reflective about, the field. And I'm just stuck. Any ideas?

No experience in soft circuits or arduinos necessary: I've just got a weird kind of writer's block and am looking for inspiration.
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Posted 5 years ago Permalink
GeoffreyRockwell
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Last year we had a group of students in humanities computing (MA) and in design (MDes) in a reading course on interactives. Most of them did a final project together which involved building on the Monome -> Arduinome. They basically developed a basic platform for experimenting with interactivity built on the whole Arduinome design and then illustrated a number of different things that could be done with this platform. I was sufficiently impressed that I have commissioned two of the boxes (one nice touch - they designed an enclosure for the platform) so that we can begin a series of experiments in public interactivity.

Another student in the reading course created a jacket that could be used as a prop for magic shows. He is a performing magician - his jacket has lights under the fabric that he could trigger by playing with a jacket button. The light sequences were designed to add to his performances.

I don't know if these ideas are useful, and I would love to have you involved in the interactivity project.

One thing we did find in the course was that:

a) there was a real difference between how MA students do research and how MDes students do it.

b) the design students are used to iteratively sketching ideas in a way that got the students unstuck.

So, I guess I'm recommending that you talk to some design folk about how they think about design. A book I like that describes some design practices is Brenda Laurel's collection on _Design Research_.

Posted 5 years ago Permalink
Bethany Nowviskie
Admin

Geoff, thanks for the book recommendation, and these observations about iterative sketching and design thinking! I should add to this thread that I've been collecting resources for a while in Soft Circuitry, a collaborative Zotero group. This view shows that we've broken the collection up under the headings, "Formal Publications," "Teaching and Learning," and "Inspiration and Materials."

One thing I love about the LilyPad Arduino community is Leah Buechley's emphasis on soft circuits as a path to teaching young girls to hack things and code. I guess what I'm looking for (and maybe will have to write) is a similar approach to wearable computing and embodied interaction for serious (eh, semi-serious) DH.

Posted 5 years ago Permalink

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