If there was something I didn’t expect, it was that we would be working on projects with Arduinos in this study program. The overarching theme was Physical Computing—connecting the real world with the digital world to create a bridge in an artistic sense. Our task was quite simple: we were supposed to create an object using an analog sensor, an Arduino, and an LED.
To ensure a certain level of consistency, this project was set under the theme of "Street." Our group (Lynn, Pauline, and I) took an old construction site lamp and modified it. Our goal was to create a lamp that reacts differently depending on the viewer’s distance. For this, we worked with an ultrasonic sensor. The coding and the initial wiring of the components did not pose any difficulties. The problems only started when we began soldering. Our circuit board was simply not soldered very well, which caused our setup to stop working.
The solution was to make the setup as simple as possible and use as few soldering points as necessary. This project introduced me to a whole new world of technology and showed me how I can apply it in artistic and design contexts. It gave me a new approach to combining design with interaction between the analog and digital worlds. I also gathered many new ideas on how I can further develop my work using the concepts I learned—such as in product design.