Interaction (Connector V2)
| The word ‘interaction’ in the ITP and digital media world has become somewhat of a dirty word. Describing works as being ‘interactive,’ nowadays, means almost nothing and ends up sounding trite. I think this is because it has been often misapplied and is not really understood. So, I was excited for this week’s Softness of Things topic: interaction. Could we maybe get a-hold of a good definition of ‘interaction’?Despina enlisted Dr. Paul Pangaro (an expert in Cybernetics) to help us wade through the science of interaction and come up with some answers. As it turns out, there isn’t really a good concrete definition for interaction, all you can really do is look at a situation and asses HOW interactive it is… and there are tools to help with that.One exercise that really helped me understand the systems I create, is to diagram the feedback system using four stages: goal, action, environment, and feedback. These four areas create a loop that can be constructed from any perspective or context. The idea is simple when one loop is sitting there by itself, but when multiple intelligences are interacting and mixing their own loops, things get more complicated. It is the presence of multiple loops, I believe, that make an system more or less interactive.
So I went back and looked at a few of my projects and analyzed their Cybernetic systems. One project in particular caught my attention: my Connector project (the one with the rolling ball and LED’s). The Connector project was successful as an experience for the user because there was a really tight feedback loop: When you tilt the box, the ball rolls and you feel it instantly. It felt great and was fun, but not interactive. There is only one loop inside itself. What would happen if it had two loops working inside it? Interaction hopefully. I was interested enough in a ’smart’ ball rolling game that I decided to make one. This is how it works: (Also see schematic pdf) There is a brass ball which rolls on two rails. The rails are divided up so that they make an array of seven switches that are triggered by the ball rolling on them. Depending on which switch is activated (by the ball being on it), the whole platform, that supports the rails and ball, is tilted to a certain degree with a servo motor. The user still holds and tilts the game to make the ball move, but the game fights back… makes it harder… interacts. By adding a little a.i. into the game, the system becomes more interactive with the user. You find yourself cussing at the little wood box more… playing with it. Most of the success of the Connector game still carries through, but is augmented and supported with the interactive addition. Link: |
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