Performing Objects

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Physical Computing
Wearables
MAX MSP
Wifi data OSC

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Proposal

This project takes technological objects functioning in the background and finds ways to consciously interact with them. The objects become the performers of the space rather than just the context to it. Using a ESP32 board and an orientation sensor attached to my wrist to send data via OSC to a MAX MSP program, controlling the sounds of objects.

Often the only time we directly experience these technological objects is when they are absent or broken, by attempting to recontextualise these relationships we might become more aware of the role these functioning technological objects play in our experience of everyday life.

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ESP32 Feather Board which can send data over the Wi-Fi using open sound control with an Adafruit BNO055 Orientation Sensor. This has 9-DOF (degrees of freedom) - accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer, this data is used to control the sounds of objects.

The components are sewn onto some elastic to fit around the wrist so when the arm / wrist is moved the data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer will change. A small 3.7v lithium battery is used to keep everything compact.

The ESP32 sends the data from the orientation sensor to a MAX MSP program using OSC. The object’s sounds are loaded into the program with the volume of the objects mapped to the different reading from the orientation sensor.

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ESP32 board

Adafruit BNO055 Orientation Sensor

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Video documentation of 'Performing Objects'.

Detail of ESP32 Feather Board, BNO055 Orientation Sensor and 3.7v lithium polymer rechargeable battery sewn into a wrist band.

Alternate configuration of ESP32 Feather Board, BNO055 Orientation Sensor and 3.7v lithium polymer rechargeable battery sewn into a wrist band.

3.7v lithium polymer rechargeable battery

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