Final Prototype
The installation was set up in a cornered arrangement. 20x20cm holes were cut out of forex panels, which were then attached under the beams. One by one, all fourteen modules were mounted above the forex panels to hide the plastic frames. On the side, all cables were fed either to the external board or the EAP controller.
The very nature of the EAP limits its interaction due to its fragility. Additionally, my atelier was in the bottom floor of the ZhDK Werkstatt because working space was scarce as well as lack of being able to get inside the lab (where all the EAP equipment was stored). Many ideas had to be tested and refined over and over again. Experiments have therefore been a dominant part of my bachelor process. Time constraints led me to stop experimenting, although ideas went on and on. A big obstacle was the EAP controller, which had to be redesigned from sketch which was time-consuming. If I were to have more time, neat modular EAP modules could have been created for future use. This would also allow much more flexibility and accelerate experiments.
It was often a question if my bachelor work should be about experiments or should it tell some kind of story. It was extremely stressful working alone as I discovered. All aspects from hardware to software, from material science to organizational elements were very demanding and had often to be learned by scratch.
People at the opening were suprised, when seeing a Bachelor work out of the ordinary. They were certainly surprised when seeing them lighten up and bounce. This confirms my efforts in making a more personal, emotional response possible.
The very nature of the EAP limits its interaction due to its fragility. Additionally, my atelier was in the bottom floor of the ZhDK Werkstatt because working space was scarce as well as lack of being able to get inside the lab (where all the EAP equipment was stored). Many ideas had to be tested and refined over and over again. Experiments have therefore been a dominant part of my bachelor process. Time constraints led me to stop experimenting, although ideas went on and on. A big obstacle was the EAP controller, which had to be redesigned from sketch which was time-consuming. If I were to have more time, neat modular EAP modules could have been created for future use. This would also allow much more flexibility and accelerate experiments.
It was often a question if my bachelor work should be about experiments or should it tell some kind of story. It was extremely stressful working alone as I discovered. All aspects from hardware to software, from material science to organizational elements were very demanding and had often to be learned by scratch.
People at the opening were suprised, when seeing a Bachelor work out of the ordinary. They were certainly surprised when seeing them lighten up and bounce. This confirms my efforts in making a more personal, emotional response possible.