My project proposal

I wrote a proper statement for my project.

Project title:
An example of our life –life is a full of fluctuation- (sound tree)

My original idea for this project was from my strange and unusual experience on the 12th anniversary of my father’s death on 8 July 2008. On the day before the anniversary, I was told by some strange power that I should make a tree or something which I celebrate the day. It was totally unexpected experience I have never done before. In fact, I have never believed spiritual and sci-fi power. However I felt something strong feeling on the day. So I started to make a big tree sculpture. I can describe it was my body’s automatically movement like some gods are leading everything for me. On 7th July, the day before my father’s memorial day, it was Japanese celebration day called “Tanabata” which is celebration for Stars. On this “Tanabata” day, people hang ornaments of piece of papers, which are written their wishes in their hand, on bamboo trees. So I made “Tanabata” style trees with full of wish card ornaments.
According to this personal experience, I become to recognize tree as a life. In Japanese myth, trees are recognized as a symbol of life. Particularly, in a big old tree, people thought it as origin of every life. Ancient Japanese people believed animistic gods in trees. Therefore I started to think about a representation of human being’s life in a tree sculpture.
On my tree, I will put six bird nests and six eggs. These nests and eggs become music instruments parts. These elements show experiences and incidents, which will happen during our life. Sometimes our things become well and bad. Eggs are representation of our events in our everyday life. Eggs have two colour sides on its top and bottom, on top its side is white, bottom side is black. If one of the eggs is on a nest, egg will get sounds. In addition sounds will be decided by eggs position, black or white. If black side is touched onto the nest, sound will be dark. But if it is white, the sound will be clear and happy. Each nests show different sounds. Eggs are often referring as life. That’s why I choose eggs as my representation. By possession and numbers, the tree will provide different sounds like a life.

Hurrah! I got hall effect sensors!

Finally I got 6 hall effect sensors at

http://www.libelium.com

My sensors are MLX90217 by melexis. I paid nearly 10 pounds each for the sensors
including shipping.

So I started to test my sensor with recommended circuit.




I used resisters 540k, 1W and a 10k potensiometer.
Then,I got a result.



First, the value was unstable without resisters, however after adding resisters, the sensor's value
start to show correspondance with magnet's north and south sides.
If I will show north, display show some value. And if it is south side, the value was zero.
So basically the sensor work well.

However, one dissapointment was that I can't get any between values which will suggest the strength of
magnetic value. Basically the sensor can deliver value of 0 or 1.
So I need to think about to show my exsistance of egg. Because I don't want to get a sound all the time.

I got an idea to solve the problem. That is using a sensor and buttons on each nests.
If there is nothing, sensors and buttons will not detect any values. So arduino will not make sounds.
But if an egg on a nest, buttons will detect some value. So tree make sounds.
Also when buttons are on, sensors can detect value of 0 or 1. So depending on these values, trees
play different sounds.

Now, I got an idea and parts which I can work with, so now I need to write a patch on Arduino! 

My tree's progress

I made a nest and an egg for my sound tree project.
I used flax strings and tree sticks to build a nest. Eggs are made by tored news papers.
These are still prototypes, so I made these parts for major the size and test some materials.
I ordered melexis hall effect sensor on liberium online. Hopefully it will arrive within a week or two weeks time. Until the arrival of new sensor, I can't test technical progress, so I decided I will make sound with Yoshie who is sound artist. I will see Yoshie tomorrow, so hopefully, I can make at least tree variation of the sounds until the arrival of my new sensors.

So, I need to create,

-three sets of
6 positive sound and 6 negative sound (For egg's sounds.)

-find a simmilar material of the nest (I bought the strings in Japan, but I haven't seen this material in London,, Maybe I can get it in cheap shops,)

-Be familiar with audrino

-think about the posission of the nests. and build the tree interface properly

And I should make progress for my dissertation!