The Seminar provides students with an essential introduction to the world of open-source programming languages and physical computing, in order to create a synchronous and meaningful interaction between the physical and digital realms.
After gaining the necessary hardware and software knowledge, students are able to integrate interfaces, visualising methods, data sensing, and actuation, to conduct more advanced research and architectural proposals with embedded technology.


Syllabus

Multiple electronic devices are used every day but it is hardly known how they are really made, how they work or what is the technology standing behind. Electronic devices are intentionally designed to be a “black box” that cannot be opened or modified, they can be accessed only through the provided closed interfaces. However, thanks to open source hardware and software it is becoming possible to understand how technology works and also to build personalised devices and machines.

 


Credits: Happy Plants: Self-Regulating Watering System by Michael Groth
Introduction to Programming and Physical Computing Seminar 2021/22

 

The Introduction to Programming and Physical Computing Seminar provides an essential introduction to the world of open source programming languages and physical computing. In this seminar students simultaneously learn basic programming and physical computing concepts. This equips students with the necessary hardware / software for data sensing and actuations to conduct more advanced research and architectural proposals with embedded technology. The students are introduced to the Arduino IDE and microcontroller as a platform to create devices that interact with their environment using sensors and actuators.

 

Learning Objectives

At course completion the students will:

  • learn the basic concepts of programming that allows them to reach more depth in various physical computing topics as well as to jump to different programming languages;
  • be able to sense the environment and act back through actuators;
  • to develop smart apparatus that react to external conditions.

Faculty


Faculty Assistants


Projects from this course

Water tank level sensor

Concept: Working principal of water level sensor: The working principle of the water level sensor is that when it is put into a certain depth in the liquid to be measured, the pressure on the sensor’s front surface is converted into the liquid level height. COMPONENTS REQUIRED: Schematic diagram: Code: Setup:

Radar and Sorting Crane

UltraSonic and Servo Object detection and sorting CONCEPT Detection of position of objects and using information for sorting using crane mechanism. WORKING OF MECHANISM Servo moves the ultrasonic sensor to detect objects the information is used to control the arms of the crane using the Analog joysticks to move the arms and reach the objects … Read more

SHADED SEAT

Concept The project’s goal is to create a tensile shaded seating arrangement in which the tensile member bends to provide shade below depending on whether someone is seated there and whether it is day or night. Workflow A cable that is being tugged by a servo motor causes the tensile member to bend. And two … Read more

Sunfollower

Sunfollower is a project inspired by the movement of sunflowers.  Solar panels are normally positioned towards the cardinal point with the greatest solar incidence, but throughout the day a lot of energy is lost by this fixed positioning. The idea is to create a public installation, a mixture of a public lamppost, with benches where … Read more

UltraSonic For Vehicle Parking

Concept Creating a circuit based on operating principle of distance detection and on the usage and applications of ultrasonic sensors in PAS (parking assist) applications. Workflow Using an ultrasonic sensor as in input which measures the distance to obstacles (walls, etc.) and reports their proximity to the driver. PAS basic operation Pulse signals are transmitted, … Read more

Interactive LEDs

Concept: Interactive LEDs is a prototype for a wall that utilizes Ultrasonic sensors and Sound modules from Arduino to create a responsive light installation that allows individuals to interact and engage with it. Sound modules constantly check for any type of sound variation and as soon as an individual make one near the wall, ultrasonic … Read more

KINETIC FACADE SYSTEM

CONCEPT The concept of the project was to create a system that detects solar radiation throughout the day and adjusts the facade angle accordingly to keep the internal area of the building cool and shaded using a Photoresistor. Also, at the same time to prevent the rainwater from coming inside the building using a water … Read more

Better safe than sorry!

CONCEPT Better safe than sorry! This is the key sentence behind this project. The intention was to create a fire alarm system to protect spaces. That space can be somewhere in your house, like your bedroom or living room, but can also be used in closed/dark spaces, like the basement or installation room. But why … Read more

Alcohol Detector

Introduction to Programming and Physical Computing Concept The concept described in this project report is aimed to detect the alcohol Level. When this system is installed in the dashboard and detects alcohol through the alcohol sensor, the simulated actuators presented here with a LED, which will be bright up  while a LCD and  will show … Read more

FACADE IN MOTION

Adaptive facade

CONCEPT The system consists in creating a facade that moves according to the sunlight. The components of the facade turn with the effect of a motor that is activated according to the environment. An example of an application would be a building in the shape of a bar, having wider sides with east and west … Read more

Useless Box

The project aims to use at least two sensors and one actuator to make a program to show the basic concepts of programming and physical computing. Hardware List: My program uses a light sensor and a sound sensor to create a useless loop: Circuit Map: Execution Video: Arduino Main Code