Now that the most basic skeleton of a plan for The Purple Wall is in place, let’s answer a few lingering questions re:User Experience.

 –

–

Q: What is the entrance like?  What happens when I walk into the exhibit?

A: It could be a room with 2 doors at the left and right end.  Between the 2 doors is the title in big block letters: THE PURPLE WALL.  The left door’s frame could be outlined in blue, and the right’s in red.  If the room is empty, video flickers a grey TV static, and lights are dim yellow.  Audio is silent.  When the user enters, the Prox sensor makes a reading and starts the appropriate audio, and shifts lights/video hue according to prox reading.  As User moves across room, audio/video/light shift & fade accordingly.

 –

–

Q: What happens if there if multiple people go inside?

A: Since there are 2 prox sensors, each with one reading, The Audio will simply increase/decrease in volume depending on proximity, despite what’s going on with the other sensor.  So if 2 people are at the far ands of the room, both audios will be maximum.  If somebody is at the center of the room, you will NOT hear the Purple Audio because Purple only plays when BOTH Sensors are below a certain proximity.  So hearing purple requires cooperation.

Video/light-wise, It goes back to the grey static video+red and blue lights when there are people on both ends.

 –

–

Q: Does the exhibit require a laptop to function?

A:The simple, and ultimately less elegant/awesome way, does require a computer to function.  This way would involve running video and audio from the laptop and using the arduino just for lights and prox sensors.

However, there is a much more complicated plan that could result in an all-in-one box that runs the exhibit.  It would work as follows:

–Box has USB slot for USB drive w audio files— one for Blue, one for Purple, one for Red.—Each  loops a specifically designated audio file on the USB stick.

–Box has speaker connections to output audio to any speakers.

—Box has HDMI OUT for Projector/monitor.— When box is ON, it constantly loops static video with hue based on Prox readings

—Box is CONNECTED TO LIGHTS—(LEDs of Philips Hues?)– Wiring could be dicey.  Wireless?

—Box is connected to Prox Sensors— Prox Sensors determine the state of Video, Audio, and Lights.— Possibly also wireless.

—Box has an on/off switch for lights/audio/video

It’d be one hell of a project.