The author used a modified traffic sign to cast an image of how feedback loops work from evidence – relevance – consequences – action. Also this example perfectly makes the point of how effective that feedback loop can affect a diver’s behavior. Before I read this article, feedback for me was just any platform that let users and customers share their user experiences, critiques and suggestions. I thought feedback should not have too many limitations and it did not require certain rules. The feedback receiver usually analyze and filter random data  to make a reaction later (like the feedback from online costumer comments). This reading introduced the four distinct stages from the feedback loop and adds the limitations to it. “The data must be measured, captured, and stored.The information must be relayed to the individual.The information must illuminate one or more paths ahead. And finally, There must be a clear moment when the individual can recalibrate a behavior, make a choice, and act.” Those limitations  make a well developed systems that put our own data in front of us and somehow compel us to act. Surprisingly, that data can change our behavior naturally. By presenting the selected data to the selected data receiver, it can tap into human’s natural behavior and make people to react naturally and dramatically. I strongly agree with Stanford’s Bandura that “People are proactive, aspiring organisms.” And because Feedback taps into those aspirations, it can add efficiency to a design project that tries to change people’s behavior by providing data.

1.about digital meets physical,
This is a motorized closet, it can unite with weather report. We do not need a big closet to hung shirts，because this is a motorized closet, if the weather is cold, this closet can puts the clothing you should wear in the front of the closet. In my design, this closet has four spaces, they can hung the clothes of different seasons.

this is a flow chart, you can see the order and you can know that how dose this work. Firstly, it need contact google weather to obtain the information of the outdoor temperature. Secondly, the receiver can make a decision through the information and spin the framework.

2.digital meets digital
this is a application that we can use google map to book a parking space. We all know that, in New York, the parking spaces are limited，if we can book a parking space, then it will be very convenient.

A network consisting of about 400,00 surveillance cameras covers the entire New York. Not only those cameras can improve the security， but also can share a lot of informations for the people. We can through those cameras know about how many spare parking spaces in this city.

About this application, it can receive the informations  from the Internet, and you can use it to sent the booking message to the internet. You can choose the date and time, about time, it contain starting time and end time. then you need search the nearest park on the google map, and you can choose the park within different metres. at the same time, the map will display two kinds logos, red and blue, red logo mean full,blue logo mean open. If you choose a blue logo, it will show some informations. In the end, you can choose the cancel or save to finish the booking.

I increase some other functions, for example, the user can share the place to Facebook, or search the route on the map and find your position.

My digital-physical project for the mashup assignment is called Cat DJ.

Unlike how humans who can use verbal languages to express their emotions, cats have their own way to communicate: their tails. Pet behaviorists have found that cats use the motion and position of their tails to show their emotions to the cat owner and other cats. But not every pet owner can understand this language as a pet behaviorist and know the feeling from their lovely cat.

I was looking for a project that can connect physical cat languages to something that can also express the same mood and at the same time let people better understand. Then I found music maybe the best way.

(Original sketches)

CAT DJ has two components: a physical tail ring to record the motion of the tail and a music player system that can detect and transform this motion into different kinds of music types to express the cat’s mood. When a cat wears this physical tail ring, the kinesthetic data recorded by the sensor on the cat’s tail will be transcribed to a motion graph and then transferred onto a voice frequency graph. The final graph will automatically select appropriate music that conveys the cats mood. If transferring the motion graph to voice frequency graph sounds too hard, cat owners can just simply classify the music they like manually into different groups that are compatible with the tail’s motion from the digital ring.

The interface design of Cat DJ music player.

When I finished this reading, I realized that feedback is very important for each user, in our mind; we hope to receive a feedback，whatever product we use，even a small feedback that we have done it before. This is feedback, how about feedback loop? I think they are different. The users can through the previous behaviors to received information from the feedback and give them a chance to change those actions, pushing them toward better behaviors. Feedback loops are powerful.

Connecting the problem of our living. There are a series problems need to be solved. here has a question as for how to solve those problems directly？And how to find the most efficient ways to solve the problems? Personally, I think about that people need feedback loop to change their behaviors and improve living quality, Just as this paper points out，humans are self-regulating creatures, with a multitude of systems working to achieve homeostasis, evolution itself.

“The true power of feedback loops is not to control people but to give them control”. I strongly agree with is point, just like parents teach their children, if the children have a mistake, the parents should not tell children that how to do it, but about the result that if the children to do it. Those are two different educational methods. Although, this example is not feedback loop, personally, I think there have the same function that receiving the information from other things outside and make them change the actions.

1.    Bug
This is a toy and this bug feels its way around sensing objects in its path and avoiding them. The robotic bug will travel forward until it hits an obstacle. It will then backup in a half circle and then move forward in a different direction.

How did they encourage user interaction and what made them successful? If they were a failure, please explain why?
1.    a micro robotic creature that reacts to its environment or that you control.
2.    an innovative battery powered, high-tech toy.
3.    Fun for all ages!

2.    Video suns-video game
The name of game is Video suns-video game, this is video game without video which uses computer numeric control to drive the action. Side-scroll your  way through hand-drawn levee, avoiding obstacles in a race against time!

How did they encourage user interaction and what made them successful? If they were a failure, please explain why?

This project is a wonderful combination of  Arduino and game design.
In this game, there has a color recognizer, it can recognize the black and white.

3.    Spectra—a glowing gas produces a unique pattern of colored lines.

There are six chemical elements：Xenon, Mercury, Nitrogen, Helium, Argon, Neon.
Look at the glowing gas-filled tube through the viewer. Notice the lines of color on either side of the tube. You can also see these lines in the reflection on the tabletop. You can use the dial to switch from one gas-filled tube to another,  and you will find that different colored lines appear for each gas.

When a gas is excited by an electric current, it glows with a unique combination of colors or spectrum. No two gases will make the same pattern of colored lines. Each gas produces a spectrum as characteristic of that gas as the finger print of a person.
When you look directly at the glowing tube, the light you see is the combination of all the colors produced by the gas. The viewer and the reflecting surface are made of diffraction gratings. Like prisms, diffraction gratings spread light out into its component colors.

Extra information:
Sunlight is produced by the glowing gases that make up the sun. Back in the 1860s, a close look at the spectrum produced by sunlight revealed a pattern of lines that could not have been produced by any known element. This previously undiscovered element was helium. Identified in the sun’s spectrum long before it was found on Earth. Examination of the spectra produced by starlight can reveal the composition of distant stars.

Invisible Postcard Messages

I liked this project because it had an interactive interface with a simple, nondigital design.  The postcards are coated with a phosphorous layer that allow you to write a hidden message.  When it is exposed to light given off by your computer screen, the message is briefly revealed under dark lighting.  Since the activation is controlled by you, you can send the card to anyone, anywhere and they can expose it when they want to.  It’s more user interactive and dependent than other “secret” messages that are temporary, or very light sensitive and can’t be easily mailed/exchanged.

Dodecado

These are blocks of light that can be used to create sculptures.  They have magnetic sides and transfer electrical current to each other in series so only one has to be plugged to a powerdeck.  They light in different colors, have a beautiful shape and fit well in your hand to encourage stacking and building.  They are sturdy enough to maintain a shape and can easily be molded and replace a common desk lamp.  I think these are very successful in aesthetics and function.  If I had one suggestion it would be to give it a wireless battery option, and that would allow it to be a truly free form sculpture.

FIberglass Musical Light Instrument

This artist (did not get his name!) created this beautiful instrument with fiberglass, heat sensing touchpads, and programming to sound and also vector art.  This instrument can be programmed to control not just music, but whatever else you ask it to, such as channels flipping, lights, etc.  The crystal sculpture he created invites you to touch it and you get an immediate response back in the form of sound and light.

What Inspired Me?

This little boy approached me in a crowd of people and asked if I wanted to try an automatic hand sanitizer he built out of Legos and a heat sensor.  He said he built it because there’s already a simple pump in the bottle and it’s easy to make something else pump it for us.  This inspires me because it shows anyone of all age and background can try to make things better, more convenient, or simply because it’s fun to make.  Similarly, the man shown above created “secret tv watching” by removing the polarized glass that covers monitors.  By putting the polarized lens on on glasses, you created an individual watching experience.  When asked why he did this, he answered “I’m just a dad, just trying to teach kids about polarization.”  This is inspiring because making/inventing doesn’t have to be all about making products, gaining notoriety, or getting funding. It can just be about teaching others about something you think is cool.

My take-away from this experience is to work with a subject matter that you’re interested in because you’re truly interested, not because it utilizes the most cutting edge tech fad.  There were a lot of projects I saw that were interactive in whimsical ways (secret tv…think of what you could broadcast in public) and people trying to re-use material in an ecologically thoughtful way. One person was reusing thrown own pieces of wood and the Dodecado people made their packaging material function as a pen holder or drink holder after it’s opened.  This reminds me to try to be environmentally responsible and reusable in my work because this is something I find important.

I started my first experience in Maker Faire in this Sunday. It was very impressive event for me. The 3D Printing gives me a new perspective of how designer can do for their prototypes and tons of interface design give me a lot ideas about how technology can build up a newer, closer and stronger relationships with human in today.

I will share three interface design that I saw in today and describe what they did, how they encourage user interaction and what made them successful.

“MakeBlock” is a project from a Chinese local company. It is an open source construction platform to turn idea into success. they provides various mechanical parts and electronic modules to let user to build small robot or interface system work with physical shapes. It even can be compatible with many industry standard parts.

One new experience for the user form this project is that it provide a platform for user to design anything they want and rebuild their innovations into a physical form. users can get their sense of accomplishment from realizing their ideas, also they can learn principles and functions about interface design and physical computing from this program.

The only advise from me for this program is that I would like to see a kids version of this project which is easier to start for kids and does not require too much fundamental knowledges. It will let kids have opportunity to create and interact with basic physical computing and interactive design.

“Make Anything”(maybe this is just that company’s name), a project that make interface device with fabric materials.They have several different projects about how to insert digital device to fabric materials like toys, glovers, hat. The one thing is very interesting. It is a pair of gloves that human can wear it to control other device by using the digital interface system attached inside the gloves. User can simply point a toy and move it and turn on the light.

What makes this project successful is that it challenges the common perception that an interface device cannot be comfortable to wear. In the future we can comfortably wear ergonomic digital interface devices without even noticing them.

The last project I want to share in my experience today is a ball speed radar project. It build a small baseball court. Player can throw  four different kind balls to the board at the back of the court. The computer will trace the motion of the ball and record the speed of ball and the speed will show on the LED screen. During the game, people can know the speed differences between different balls. Also, people can test and improve their skills by practicing to throw ball faster and faster.

Speed is a data that we are exposed everyday, but it really hard     to make people to have a connection with speed round their life and the speed they made. This project makes people have a closer experience with speed by building up the connection between the power from their muscle to push the ball and speed of a ball appears on the screen.