scrapyard challenge
robot drawing :: 2006
collaborative workshop robot drawing
Scrapyard Challenge 2006
is a junk hacking workshop run by Katherine Moriwaki and Jonah Brucker Cohen. This one lasted a single day at STEIM in Amsterdam and introduced me to the joys of conductive fabrics. The morning saw us creating simple robots with motion generated by off kilter stepper motors, and hooking wearable concepts up to a MIDI interface in the afternoon, culminating in a jamming session in the evening.
a simple drawing robot
I played with the amount of fabric and yarn in a fret on scarf forms, trying to get differences in output according to conductivity, and then went onto make this two part interface of a sleeve and scarf/neckpiece. When the sleeve touches the scarf, the circuit is closed and a note is played. Each of the four strands is a separate circuit, giving four possible notes. Really, it became a kind of air guitar, with the strings draped over the body, and the immediate motion suggested being strumming. A more interesting interaction occurred when a different person wore the sleeve - actions became more intimate, whether caressing, or violent.