so in this module so far we have been learning the basics of arduino coding in a serious of lectures. As well as this, we began a small research project, in which we had to look at a piece of physical computing using arduino and explore how it works, and it’s impact.
We discussed the Ideo’s C60, a music player created with arduino which plays music saved on RFID tags. On cards, that look like tapes. This is part of the Imissmypencil project, trying to make digital products physical again. Combining the idea of play lists and shuffle but adding a physical feel of mix tapes.
Each card has two RFID(radio frequency identification) tags in it, which have an MP3 format song attached. They wanted to use this technology to play multiple songs with the music player, by using a great number of antennas, positioned on the board at an angle they realised the could detect the maximum number of tags, making a more responsive music player.
You connect the arduino in the music player to a computer, and then play through speakers in or attached to the computer.
The attraction of this project was always the physical use of of music again, I have always been a fan of mix tapes, and would love to use something like this to actually feel my music again. This to me, seemed like a key point to Physical Computing, the idea that we should be interacting with out technology again, not only through a PC.
