Proposal 3

Research Topic

Smoke Detection

Background

• Cigarette smoking has been identified as the most important source of preventable morbidity and premature mortality in the United States and the world.
• Smoking-related diseases cause an estimated 440,000 American deaths each year.
• Smoking costs the United States over $150 billion annually in health care costs.
• A 2004 Study by the CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion found that cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer.
• Women account for 39 percent of all smoking deaths.

According to these data, most of the people knew that smoking is harmful and addictive, but only few people realize just how risky and addictive it is.

Problem Identification

As mentioned earlier, people knew that smoking is harmful but they didn't know how harmful it is.They will only know the severity of it once their body is going worst.

Aim and Objectives

• To increase the level awareness of people towards smoking.
• To let people aware the harmful/risky of smoking.
• To let people know how severity it is especially second-hand smoke.

Motivation

People do not know how serious it is according to the information from online sources or even in media publications such as TV, radio and so on. So, an installation that created to let them knowing how worst is their lungs situation now.

Ideation and Concept

A 3D lung will hang up the wall and randomly pick 2 persons to do comparison. A non-smoker and a smoker blow the air through the hole one after another one. Once the air blowing into the lung, the smoke detector circuit will detect how high is the level of smoke and therefore will lighten up the lung. if the lung is fully lighten, you have to beware and better quit smoking right now. Of course, that will be list out the percentage infected of your lung.

Review, Analysis and Precedence Studies

Harmful Effects of Smoking

• Every year hundreds of thousands of people around the world die from diseases caused by smoking cigarettes - Smoking KILLS.

• One in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age.

• Tobacco smoke also contributes to a number of cancers.

• The mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in each cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your heart rate and blood pressure, straining your heart and blood vessels.

• This can cause heart attacks and stroke. It slows your blood flow, cutting off oxygen to your feet and hands. Some smokers end up having their limbs
  amputated.

• Tar coats your lungs like soot in a chimney and causes cancer. A 20-a-day smoker breathes in up to a full cup (210 g) of tar in a year.

• Changing to low-tar cigarettes does not help because smokers usually take deeper puffs and hold the smoke in for longer, dragging the tar deeper into their lungs.

• Carbon monoxide robs your muscles, brain and body tissue of oxygen, making your whole body and especially your heart work harder. Over time, your airways swell up and let less air into your lungs.

• Smoking causes disease and is a slow way to die. The strain of smoking effects on the body often causes years of suffering. Emphysema is an illness that slowly rots your lungs. People with emphysema often get bronchitis again and again, and suffer lung and heart failure.

• Lung cancer from smoking is caused by the tar in tobacco smoke. Men who smoke are ten times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers.

• Heart disease and strokes are also more common among smokers than non-smokers.

• Smoking causes fat deposits to narrow and block blood vessels which leads to heart attack.

• Smoking causes around one in five deaths from heart disease.

• In younger people, three out of four deaths from heart disease are due to smoking.

• Cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight, prematurity, spontaneous abortion, and perinatal mortality in humans, which has been referred to as the fetal tobacco syndrome.

LED smoke detector circuit

A simplified smoke or other particle detector circuit includes a light emitting diode in series with a compensating photocell and a photocell sensing LED light scattered from particles. In parallel with the LED is a high resistance, and in parallel with the photocells is a low resistance, the resistances having a common junction coupled to a threshold circuit input as is the output of the photocells. Sensing smoke produces a photocell output which triggers the threshold device to generate an alarm signal. Failure of the LED produces a voltage at the resistance junction which similarly triggers the threshold device to alarm.

Smoke Detector Circuit

This circuit uses a very simple approach to detecting smoke in the air. Quite simply, it uses a bulb as a light source, and an LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) as a light detector. As fire smoke comes between the bulb and LDR, the resistance of the LDR changes, which in turn trigger an alarm.

This probably isn't an ideal approach given that ambient light levels are likely to cause false alarms, however it is an interesting experiment. Just please don't set any fires while experimenting. And please don't rely on it as a replacement for a real fire alarm device.

Reference link:

http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/harmful-smoking-effects.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4025915.html

http://www.electrokits.com/Security/Fire-Alarm-Smoke-Detector

Design Approach

The overall installation will be in serious form to let people aware how harmful is the smoking.

Proposal 2

Research Topic

Drum, Recycle

Background

Some Interesting Facts

• Up to 60% of the rubbish that ends up in the dustbin could be recycled.
• The unreleased energy contained in the average dustbin each year could power a television for 5,000 hours.
• The largest lake in the Britain could be filled with rubbish from the UK in 8 months.
• On average, 16% of the money you spend on a product pays for the packaging, which ultimately ends up as rubbish.
• As much as 50% of waste in the average dustbin could be composted.
• Up to 80% of a vehicle can be recycled.
• 9 out of 10 people would recycle more if it were made easier.

According to these facts, many people simply throw recyclable materials into dustbin without considering.Actually some of the materials such as paper, glass, tin, plastic bottle and so on can be recycle and come out with a new product but they do not know much the color of recycle bins and its materials.

Problem Identification

Many people having problem to differentiate color of recycle bin nowadays. They do not know how to allocate items in different recycle bin and sometimes they will put in the recyclable things into wrong recycle bin.

Aim and Objectives

• To let people completely understood how to differentiate recyclable things to different recycle bin.
• To let people more familiar with recycle

Motivation

Interactivity games can enhance their memories. The more they playing and the more they will familiar with the usage of recycle bin.

Ideation and Concept

A game based installation will be setting up. User beat the drum once the character inside the game facing different color of recyclable things. By using this way, they will remember how to differentiate the items in the easiest way via this game. That will be 3 drums setting up as 3 recycle bins with 3 different colors which is blue, orange and brown color. A projection will be set up to display the game on the big screen.

Review, Analysis and Precedence Studies

In the past 30 years, video games have had a major impact on how people spend their leisure time. The first generation of video games were nothing more than simple geometric shapes, one or more of which could be controlled by the game player. With the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 1980s and Sony's Playstation in the 1990s came new generations of games, with better graphics and more capabilities. Until the recent resurgence in interest in video games in the past decade, research on the topic was minimal. The greatest recent contribution has been Anderson and Bushman's (2002) general aggression model (GAM), which explains both the development of aggression and individual differences in susceptibility to the influence of violent video games. Because of the many biological and physical changes that occur during puberty, exposure to violent games should affect the processes that operate within the GAM. In order to control the effects of video game violence, one must first understand the effect it has on the brain, including in the areas of aggression and hostility.

According to these points, mostly people love game and even addicted on games. Drum is one of the tool that people most like. With high-tech complementation nowadays, that will more fun and grab their attention to learn more from the game itself.

Design Approach

The overall installation will be more on educational to let user know what items should be allocate into the right recycle bin.

Proposal 1 [SELECTED]

Research Topic

Chinese Puppet

Background

Chinese puppet shows which originated in the Han Dynasty and flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, have a history of over 1,000 years. The art form is categorized into four types, based on the shapes of the puppets and the operative skills: figure puppets, marionettes, stick puppet sand wire-supported puppets. Each has its own artistic characteristics. At present, puppet shows are usually accompanied by the tunes of local operas and some adopt the form of dialogue or singing and dancing. The finure puppets of Longxi county, marionettes of Quanzhou (both in Fujian Province), stick puppets of Hainan Province and the other puppet shows of Hunan and Shaanxi Provinces and the Beijing region are well-known for their wide range of repertoire, wonderful performance and beautiful music. Some puppet troupes have performed abroad many times and have been warmly welcomed by the audience.

Problem Identification

Many forms of art in the modern world today are going digital. In 21th Century, traditional drama like Chinese puppet is being forgotten by youths and there have been replacing by cinema especially in 3D area. No matter it is in created objects or real graphics. Aside that, youth love to follow the flow of time, they feel traditional culture is so outdated and of course they won’t bother this. The other reason is their parents not exposing this to their children. But however we still have to emphasize on the importance of traditional culture.

Aim and Objectives

• To make people recognize, understand and feel the traditional Chinese puppet
• To alert people not to forget the culture
• To let people more familiar with the Chinese puppet
• To associate new media with old story and improve the interaction between people and culture

Motivation

Interactivity between people and device to arouse their interest and at the same time they can get more understanding on tradition aspect.

Ideation and Concept

That will be people and device interactive, as they can get to know or even more familiar with the Chinese puppet from the interactive application provided (information). On the other hand, they can simply have some body movements to experience with the puppet by just not using hand to control it.

Review, Analysis and Precedence Studies

Chinese Puppet is one of the most interesting, educational and innovative titles that I have the pleasure to review. Everything about it is engaging, from the bold and colorful graphics and indigenous music to the process of putting together an original puppet theater play.

The Chinese Puppet Show (kuileixi) is known as mu ou xi (play of wooden dolls), in the country, which has its roots in remote time. Traditionally, Puppet Show comes in three forms: the rod-top puppet, the marionette or string puppet and the glove or hand puppet. In China, the rod-top puppet is the most popular show.

The puppet, less than a meter tall, is made with true-to-life features. It is raised overhead at the top of a stick by the puppeteer with one hand and manipulated its action (moving a pair of wire rods) with the other hand.

One of the basic skills required of the puppeteer is to be able to hold high the puppet, which weighs 2 to 3 kilograms, with one arm and to keep it either motionless or moving steadily on the same level as dictated by the scenario.

The Marionette or String Puppet

The marionette appears on stage in full view of the audience. it is of a more complicated structure, with the head, shoulders, waist, hands and feet all jointed, movable and controlled by separate wires. During performance, it is operated from a concealed operating bridge high above the puppet.

The Glove or Hand Puppet

The glove or hand puppet is also called "bag puppet" in China. About 20 cm long, it is the smallest of the three types. The puppeteer's hand is placed directly inside the puppet, giving the direct control and manipulation of movement. It may be made from solid materials such as wood, plastic wood, paper mache or from pliable ones such as fabric, foam rubber, latex. The hand puppet is usually legless or with stuffed legs, which merely hang limply.

Shadow Play of China which is usually called "the home of shadow play", with the longest history, the most charming images and the most marvelous techniques in performance, has exerted great influences on the world culture.

A puppet, usually two-dimensional, is placed against a screen so as to interrupt the light from the rear or above. Shadows may be in silhouette (opaque) or colored. A shadow puppet may be a single shape or sectional, and articulated by means of hinged, overlapping segments. It may be made from leather, metal, cardboard, plastics and theatrical gels.

The Chinese shadow play, has three branches: hand shadow play, paper shadow play and leather shadow play.

Today, the stage has been expanded and modified. The glove puppets have been enlarged. More three dimensional props are used, and a wider variety of plays are presented with diverse themes and greater dramatic appeal.

Traditional Techniques

Shadow puppetry is technically a very simple kind of performance to make. It requires just three things: a light source, to cast a shadow; a blank white screen, to catch the shadow; and a shadow figure to create an interesting shadow that can be moved with rods.

The light source is very important in shaping the kind of shadow that we see. Originally an open flame or oil lamp was used and the motion of the flames gave the shadow a lively, quivering motion that must have contributed to the magical effect of the shadow image. Today electric lights, or an overhead projector, make a much brighter steadier and more focused image.

In traditional shadow performance, the shadow screen is any piece of white paper, silk, linen or cotton cloth, stretched tight over a sturdy vertical frame. The light source and the puppet are placed behind the screen and the audience sits in front, seeing only the pattern of light and dark that plays across the white surface. The most important quality for the screen is that it be “translucent,” that is, it allows for the light and the colors to pass though it with little dimming. On the bottom edge of the screen is a narrow shelf called a “playboard” on which the shadow figures can stand and walk on. Often times, modern shadow screens are made out of plastic shower curtains or rear projection material.

The shadow figure that stands between the light source and the screen is the most complicated part of the whole process. The shape of the figure blocks some light and lets other light through where it is cut away. They can be made with many moving parts so that they can be move in very lifelike manner. Rods are attached to the figures so that they could be made to move without the puppeteer's shadow being seen. Traditional Chinese shadow figures are made out of translucent animal skin. A typical human figure will be jointed out of eleven different pieces, held together with strong silk thread, and manipulated by three stiff wire control rods. One rod is sewn to the neck of the figure, so that it can change the direction it is facing with just a flip of the control rod. The other two rods are attached to either hand. A well constructed shadow puppet is well balanced and capable of all types of movement, both delicate and strong- they can sip tea, or they can fight fierce battles with swords and spears. A master puppeteer can work one figure in each of his hands.

Media Innovations

Today, even with film, television and computers, and all kinds of sophisticated animation techniques, the ancient forms of shadow puppetry have not totally disappeared. It has adapted modern materials and methods, but the essence of the art form is unchanged since the day that the Han Emperor sat down in astonishment at seeing the ghost of his beloved wife.

During the 20th Century, many technical innovations have revolutionized the art of shadow puppetry. New materials have been developed, including unbreakable plastics (polycarbonate or “Lexan”) which have made it possible to build much larger shadow figures than traditional animal skin figures, and new synthetic dyes and translucent paints can make shadow figures even more brilliantly colorful.

Perhaps the most significant development has been in lighting. In most traditional shadow forms, the light source that creates the shadow image is an oil lamp or standard light bulb. But modern shadow artists have a wide selection of light sources are available: slide projectors, overhead projectors, even video or computer projections specialty bulbs that can create crisp, sharp shadow images twenty feet tall. Controlling multiple light sources is made possible with computerized lighting boards.

Mixing and merging all these elements together have given the shadow artist the freedom to create large-scale moving image spectacles that are closer to animated film than to traditional shadow performance. Using an overhead projector as a light source, instead of a light bulb can magnify an object or puppet figure placed on its flat, glass table-top of the projector to create an image large enough to fill a huge movie screen. A very small figure only a few inches tall can be transformed into a gigantic image. Larger scale shadow images, such as those created on an overhead projector, can be easily integrated into other forms of live theater performance.

Many artists, both those rooted in traditional shadow forms and those with knowledge of the newest cutting edge technology, have given contemporary shadow theater a new vibrancy and have contributed to a renaissance of this, the oldest form of motion picture media.

Reference link:

http://www.tuvy.com/chinese/info/puppet_show.htm

http://www.chinesetheatreworks.org/projects/shadowinfo.html

Design Approach

The overall design will be cute yet classical.

Short Introduction

Well, I'll be starting my journal here till the end of the FYP ^^

This is my FYP blog and here are my details:

Design Project (MMW3013).

Name: Sam Yan Ling

ID: 1071114771

Lecturer: Lim Kok Yoong, Forest Lim