Our Automated Representation of kulture (ARK)
It's the year 21,800. Sea levels have risen... But humanity has adapted to its new watery environment and even developed hydrokinetic abilities. Our ARK allows ALIENS to experience what it feels like to be able to control water, and give them a preview of the wonders they can expect at the Intragalactic Olympic opening ceremony, should the I.O. Committee choose our world. The user, wearing a special glove, can either create a vortex or shoot jets, then set the color of their water streams. This ARK is brought to you by Amelia Bian, Camille Townshend, Chris Kimes, and Wilson Ruotolo as their final project for the class ME218A, Smart Product Design Fundamentals, at Stanford University.
videos
|
|
FUnctionality description
When powered on, waterworld enters welcome mode, where the jets shoot water sequentially in a circular pattern while the RGB LEDs flash different colors. In the meantime, the vortex intensifies, subsides, and switches directions at regular intervals. The dynamic interplay of water streams and changing lights catches the eye and attracts users. In order to begin interacting with waterworld, a user must press either the circular softpot or the button on the front control panel. They must also don the headphones to hear audio feedback as well as an IR emitting glove in order to control the jets and the vortex.
When either the softpot or the button are pressed, the jets cease to shoot water and the LED colors freeze. A 45 second timer indicated by the line of green LEDs on the front panel begins. Waterworld enters jet mode, in which the user can spatially control the jets by aiming the palm of their gloved hand toward their jet of choice. This jet will continue to flow for as long as the user keeps their palm pointed at its base. Meanwhile, a soothing synth will sound while the jet shoots water. In addition, while the user has a jet selected, they can change the jet's color simply by touching a position on the circular softpot. Each jet has a diametrically opposed color pair; while the user can select a particular jet to shoot water, altering the jet's color also adjust its pair's color. This effect creates a delightful rotational symmetry of colors.
The user can press the button again to toggle between vortex mode and jet mode. The LEDs lighting the vortex will blink three times when switching to vortex mode. Similarly, the LEDs lighting the jet streams will blink three times when switching to jet mode. In vortex mode, the jets and vortex both stop. With palm facing down, the user can amplify and weaken the vortex simply by circling their gloved hand around the cylinder and over the IR sensors at each of the jets' bases. While circling long enough in one direction, the vortex increases in the same direction. When the vortex starts to roar, victorious music plays. To reduce the vortex's intensity, the user can simply circle their gloved hand in the opposite direction of the vortex. If the user continues in this direction the vortex will eventually stop and ramp up again in the new direction. Comparable to jet mode, the user can adjust the colors of the LEDs lighting the vortex simply by tapping different locations on the circular softpot.
The user has 45 seconds of play time with waterworld. When the time is up, waterworld enters celebration mode where it replays how the user interacted with it in a condensed 30 second performance. In other words, waterworld repeats the sequence of user-activated jets as well as the user's chosen vortex intensity and direction throughout their interaction, all while playing a celebratory final song. After the quick replay ends, waterworld re-enters welcome mode.
When either the softpot or the button are pressed, the jets cease to shoot water and the LED colors freeze. A 45 second timer indicated by the line of green LEDs on the front panel begins. Waterworld enters jet mode, in which the user can spatially control the jets by aiming the palm of their gloved hand toward their jet of choice. This jet will continue to flow for as long as the user keeps their palm pointed at its base. Meanwhile, a soothing synth will sound while the jet shoots water. In addition, while the user has a jet selected, they can change the jet's color simply by touching a position on the circular softpot. Each jet has a diametrically opposed color pair; while the user can select a particular jet to shoot water, altering the jet's color also adjust its pair's color. This effect creates a delightful rotational symmetry of colors.
The user can press the button again to toggle between vortex mode and jet mode. The LEDs lighting the vortex will blink three times when switching to vortex mode. Similarly, the LEDs lighting the jet streams will blink three times when switching to jet mode. In vortex mode, the jets and vortex both stop. With palm facing down, the user can amplify and weaken the vortex simply by circling their gloved hand around the cylinder and over the IR sensors at each of the jets' bases. While circling long enough in one direction, the vortex increases in the same direction. When the vortex starts to roar, victorious music plays. To reduce the vortex's intensity, the user can simply circle their gloved hand in the opposite direction of the vortex. If the user continues in this direction the vortex will eventually stop and ramp up again in the new direction. Comparable to jet mode, the user can adjust the colors of the LEDs lighting the vortex simply by tapping different locations on the circular softpot.
The user has 45 seconds of play time with waterworld. When the time is up, waterworld enters celebration mode where it replays how the user interacted with it in a condensed 30 second performance. In other words, waterworld repeats the sequence of user-activated jets as well as the user's chosen vortex intensity and direction throughout their interaction, all while playing a celebratory final song. After the quick replay ends, waterworld re-enters welcome mode.