Group work: Project assignment (report, video, presentation)

Goal

To design and implement a human-to-human interactive installation that provides a certain intended user experience, in collaboration with another lab group.

Assume that unless specified, all the information in this assignment description applies at the level of the lab group (i.e. each pair of people).
Each lab group will be graded on its own, and the grade of a lab group will not affect the grade of the group that collaborated with them.

Building an interactive installation

Your lab group will collaborate "loosely" with another lab group. 

Each lab group will build one node in the installation that communicates with the other group's node. You can choose between bi-lateral radio communication (as in lab 2) or communication over the internet (following a tutorial such as this one: https://processing.org/tutorials/network/ Links to an external site.). Take into account that the radio tranceivers are sometimes unstable and can make you lose time if you're working too close to the deadline. You're welcome to use them, but choose wisely, and start testing very early on in the process, so that you have time to adapt if things start acting up.

Your group is expected to work independently and with creative freedom in the design and implementation of your node. 

However, you need to agree on what type of data will be transmitted and received. Specifically, you need to know: 1) which of their sensors will be transmitting data to you, 2) in which format, and 3) what value range each type of data will have. 

Testing and context

You will have to test the communication, potentially several times, and make a final video of the installation once it works, so make a plan!

You are free to decide what works best for the group collaboration. With the spring arriving you might consider gathering at a park, forest, or any other outdoor area where you can keep a safe distance, if you're going for radio communication. 

Technical requirements

The following are the minimum requirements, but you are not limited here: you can add extra components, if you have them in your bags, or find them in Middla, or get them through us, or choose to buy them on your own. We will value your level of ambition as much as your effort in creating an interesting user experience with limited resources.

Buttons and LEDs are allowed but do not count towards the minimum.

1) At least 2 sensors must be used in your node. In particular, at least one of the 2 should be connected using an SPI/I2C/UART interface (i.e. the other sensor can be analogue).

2) At least 1 actuator must be used in your node.

3) You will have to write code that appropriately handles sensor data and the actuators in your node.
This will likely require filters, signal conditions, thresholds, and more complex logic.
Processing, Pure Data, or other software you are familiar with can be involved in combination with sensors and actuators. However, if you use a device such as the phone or the laptop, you should either package them to hide them, or give them a meaningful role in the installation.

4) Your node should be able to send and receive data to/from the other lab group.
You don't need to transmit all your sensor data to the other lab group, some data can be used only locally in your node. Having some data locally and some data transmitted is a wise idea, especially if at some point your communication has a glitch, so that at least your local node will continue working for its user/audience. 

Design requirements

1) Thought-through working prototype:

Your node should be packaged to resemble a full prototype, i.e., it can't be just the breadboard and bare sensors/actuators. Just like in lab 6, you are free to use any materials at your disposal or to reuse/upcycle other stuff. For example, use cardboard, silk paper, wood, plastic, etc. Or you can even use upcycled objects such as bikes, skateboards, chairs, both interior or outdoors elements!
Your design should not just look but also work like a thought-through interactive system, but always within a prototyping mindset: Of course, it won't be a finished product that you could sell tomorrow! Work with the materials of choice and then tune the interactions.

2) User experience: 
Your design should provide a certain intended user experience, i.e. it cannot be an arbitrary mapping between sensor data and actuators actions. You should be able to convey this through the video and the report.  
What can an interesting experience be? You have creative freedom to decide, but you will have to motivate and show that it can be rewarding for the user/audience. Note that your installation does not need to be utilitarian, i.e. it doesn't need to solve a problem. Although it can be serious in nature too! Remember that people enjoy many different aspects/feelings in life, such as: fun, cool, thought-provoking, sweet, love, peace, challenges, communication, and so on. 
You should take a reflexive stand regarding the user experience: Analyse your design by asking yourselves questions such as “was it enjoyable?”, “did it lead to a positive experience?”, “was it thought provoking?”, and so on. The questions will depend on the type of experience you decided to design for. Your motivation and argument should be present in your report (the template will guide you). You should try it among yourselves in the project group, but if you live with more people you may also ask them to take part and then "interview" them shortly and informally about their experience, to get new insights (this is totally optional). 

Deliverables

You should hand in:

1. A report of 2000-3000 words using this template Links to an external site.. The template is read only, so you need to make a copy of it and continue on your own document. Submit a google docs link and choose the option where anyone with the link can comment. Please pay attention to the 3000-word limit: It shouldn't take you more than this (considering that the code in the appendix doesn't count towards this limit), so if that's the case, there's a huge chance that you are not being as succinct and straightforward as you could be.
2. A short show-and-tell video going through your design and demonstrating it in action with your collaborating group. Going through your design implies including a verbal explanation, to accompany the visual demonstration. The explanation has to clarify how the installation works and how it's built. You can choose between:
   a) each lab group creates their own video (each emphasising your part of the design, but both showing the communication) and
   b) you make one video among the four of you.
   In both cases, every person in the team should appear in the video explaining some part (it's ok if you don't want to show your face), giving the examination criteria for PRO1 (see the Syllabus).
3. The slides for the final presentation, if you choose to prepare some (totally optional! see below). If one of you couldn't be present when recording the video, then this person can perhaps be the slide presenter instead? Up to you to decide, but make sure each of you will comply the examination criteria of the course (see the Syllabus). 
4. Your code.
5. An optional piece of written feedback about struggling with this assignment's description (not with its resolution) and your suggestion for improvement.

Final presentations (presenting and demoing a working installation)

The last day of the course (May 18) we will have the final presentations, where each lab/project group will show their video(s) and get comments from other groups. Each group will receive from other 2 groups at least 1 praise and 1 suggestion for improvement that builds on top of the presented idea.
Due to time constraints, it can happen that a bit of this feedback is given in the presentation, and the rest via the Discussion forum (especially if a member of a team is not present, then they should provide written feedback afterwards). You will have until the second deadline (see below) to give feedback to 2 other groups via the forum.

You can choose whether to also show some slides before or after the video, to better justify your motivation or further explain your design process, challenges, etc., but you should avoid repeating stuff that is already shown/explained in the video. This is an excellent exercise for the future (fundamental both in industry and in academia). If you think that your video already conveys enough, there is no need for slides.

Each project group will have 20 minutes to present their 2 nodes, from which 5 minutes will be spent on Q&A, plus some buffer to transition to the next presentation. We will probably run two tracks in parallel, so that we make a better use of the allocated 4 hours while taking proper breaks.

Grading criteria

In addition to presenting and demoing a working installation on May 18, the deliverables of your lab group will be graded based on the following categories.
To pass the project assignment, you will need to have at least Pass in all categories.

Technical (Hardware)

Fx: Has not met all minimum requirements.

P: Has met the minimum requirements without merit.

P+: Has exceeded the minimum technical requirements.

Note: Exceeding the minimum doesn't necessarily mean using more sensors/actuators, it can be related to how you use them. Aiming higher might compensate flaws in the implementation. 

Technical (Software)

Fx: Has not met all minimum requirements or the code is seriously flawed or simplistic.

P: Has met the minimum requirements without merit. For example, there is an appropriate handling of sensors and actuator data.

P+: Has exceeded the minimum requirements. For example, by demonstrating a clear understanding of how to program the sensors, writing code that is not limited to examples found online. 

Note: This includes not only making it work, it will involve the use of signal conditioning, filters, thresholds, logic, user error management, etc. It will also involve your ambition level, just as with the hardware category.

User experience

Fx: The concept is limited, not properly packaged, and provides a questionable user experience.  

P: The concept is sound, sufficiently packaged, and arguably provides an interesting user experience. However, it has some flaws that could have been worked around. 

P+: The concept is sound, properly packaged, well thought-through, and provides an interesting user experience. It shows high ambition. 

Video documentation 

Fx: The video does not sufficiently show the interactive system working, or does not sufficiently explain how it works and how it is constructed.

P: The video shows a sufficient walk-through of the interactive system, how it works, and how it is constructed, with some flaws.

P+: The video does an excellent walk-through of the interactive system, how it works, and how it is constructed.

Report - Documentation (first three headings of the template)

Fx: Some parts required in the report are not sufficiently explained. 

P: All parts of the report are sufficiently explained, with some flaws, such as weak descriptions.

P+: All parts of the report are sufficiently explained in detail, they are sound, and only have minor issues, or none.

Report - Reflection (last header of the template)

Fx: Very limited reflection and learning.

P: Sufficient reflection and learning.

P+: Sound, interesting, and sufficient reflection and learning. Signs of deeper engagement are evident. 

Final grade

The final grade of the project will based on these 6 categories in relation to PRO1:

PRO1 - Project, 3.0 credits, Grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Present and demo a working project, and write a reflexive report with documentation.

Scale

A: P+ on 4 categories

B: P+ on 3 categories

C: P+ on 2 categories

D: P+ on 1 category

E: P on all categories

Fx: Not at least P in all 6 categories. You will have 6 weeks to correct the deliverables for re-examination, otherwise F will be the final grade in PRO1 and therefore in the course.

General advice

Start early! Come to the first supervision with many ideas... written down, sketched, in moodboards, printed, in web links, etc. 

Make a plan with your project group and test the communication early enough. 

Don't be afraid to change your design if that would make it better, keep a prototyping spirit!

Write on the forum or contact the teachers if you get stuck with very specific problems. 

When filming the video, take into account the checklist we have been using for the lab videos and the feedback you have been receiving from us.

Give yourself the opportunity of learning new things. This will be reflected on your grade, but more importantly, investing in your own learning will be reflected in your future.

Final crucial remark:

You will upload your deliverables by the deadline on May 18 (the day of the final presentations).
After that, you will have the possibility of uploading a revised version of your deliverables if you as a lab/project group feel that you can, you want, and you have the time and energy to do so. This additional deadline will be on May 27 (the last Friday before exam week, so that you're in any case done with this course during  written exam weeks). We suggest you, then, to take the second deadline only as a backup in case you're really struggling with finishing the project, or in case you want to pursue a higher grade (remember that in any case you'll have to show a video of your working node on May 18, so the video will be definitely finished by then).