DSDN112 - Milestones

Milestone 1 - The filming has been completed for the video. Around 3-4 minutes of film was recorded with minimal takes. One scene had to be re-shooted as a door was closed and it made it awkward to get through. This door that was closed was one of those ID card scanning ones.
          When you have a camera in front of you with a tripod stabbing into your ribs and the camera strap around your neck, its difficult to get your wallet out of your back pocket and get the card out to scan it and open the door. Therefore, I jammed a jandal into the door so it was a bit ajar.
          The filming took a few hours and was overall a success, giving me enough film to edit and make a video that is around 2 minutes in length.

Milestone 2 - The editing has behun, adding the effects ontop of the filmed frames. The edited bits have been brought in from Adobe Flash to make the transitions a lot simpler and make it easier to use.
          As the camera was shot in a first person view, the effects will be overlaid over top of the frame so it just appears to be in front of you, rather than showing the frame of the glasses that i showed in the Flash animation. This doesnt restrict the size of the effects and allows me to expand it to the edges of the screen, making it easier to read the different parts and each word.
          To make the path faster so the video doesnt drag on and get boring, cuts will be made and the character will 'jump forward' in their path, moving a bit further forward every five seconds or so. This cuts down the length of the film and makes it more interesting as more changes.

Milestone 3 - Half of the video is complete and saved. This half will be added to Adobe Premiere Pro, and once the second section in complete they will be added together to add music and an infrequent over voice. The first path of the film (to get from Mclaurin lecture theatre to Kirk 302) is about 1 minute long, meaning that the second path needs to be a similar length to keep it even and make a good length film.

Milestone 4 - The second half of the film is now complete and exported into Premiere Pro. The process of creating the sound effects, music and speaking is now going to take place. I intend to have a simple song on loop playing in the background over the duration of the film, which will become softer when the character has an inner dialogue. The inner dialogue will be voiced by myself, while the song was sourced from

//www.freesound.org/people/Corsica_S/sounds/50072/

This song is just a simple guitar loop that sounds interesting enough. No script was made for the voice over, and will all be on the spot.

Milestone 5 - The film has been completed and uploaded onto Youtube and the R drive. It can be viewed below or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXZaIKij3sE&feature=youtu.be

DSDN112 - Storyboard

DSDN112 - Style of filming

This is a possible style of filming. The classes frames are connected to the camera as if its looking through them the whole time. This could come to some issues if the glasses fall or the movement makes it difficult to keep the effects of the navigation device in the right place. Another possibility is to show a shot like this to give the appearance that the you're looking through the glasses, but then switch it round so that there are no glasses and the navigation device is just on the edge of the page.

DSDN112 - Final Images and 200 Words

These images are the main navigation path when selecting Saved Classes. It shows a route from McLaurin lecture theater 103 to Kirk lecture theater 302. The first image shows the main menu. The second image shows the list of classes to choose. The Third image shows the drawn map with the green line to follow. The fourth image shows the directional arrow that points the user in the right direction. The last image is the screen that is shown when the location is reached, accompanied with a 'back' button and a 'home' button.

The navigation device, code-name: Spectacle is a device that allows the user to navigate their way around a city using only their glasses or sunglasses. The device is a small chip put into the right-side frame, which displays information on the chip. The chip can also be removed and put into a computer to save certain locations or classes.

             Spectacle focusses on the nitty-gritty details, what classrooms are needed at what time and a way to navigate to them efficiently. The glowing faint appearance makes them easy to use, as it won’t block the users vision from what is in front of them, while still being quite visible.

On the left lens of the frame there is a small nano-camera, which provides the navigation device with three extra options: Save Image, Delete Image and Recalculate. Save and Delete Image are self-explanatory options. Recalculate allows the device to take an image of road works or a dead end, and recalculate a new route to the location. This is the most effective feature of the device, allowing it to bypass traffic jams, calculate new routes to a location without getting stuck.

Spectacle is based off the Google Augmented Reality Glasses, with a new compact appearance that makes it seem as if the user is wearing a simple pair of glasses.

DSDN112 - Milestone

So the Camera path shown in the images previously has been finished. Additionally, i will add another path for a Map and ANOTHER path for the schedule, which will take the user to a page that they can view their saved classes and navigate to a new class.

The Map path is now finished also, which has several buttons within the path. The first, View Map, allows the user to view a map of the surrounding area. The map i created is basic, but enough to show streets and access ways. The other minor path within the major Maps path is Locations. This is a way to navigate to locations that aren't classrooms, such as a favorite restaurant or a nice shop. For the example, i used Te Aro Campus, Kelburn Campus, and three different addresses. The arrow buttons at the side navigate the one arrow up and down through these saved locations. From the Te Aro Campus button, if the independent arrow is click it will show a map of the path needed to be taken to reach Te Aro Campus. An arrow is then displayed at the bottom showing "200m" with an arrow pointing forwards. This would change when a corner is approached.

The last path that is going to be accessible on the navigation menu will be Schedule. This will bring you to three options. Saved classes, Delete Classes, and Saved Routes. Saved classes will show a list similar to the Locations list, but with classrooms, MCLT103, KKLT302 etc. Then when KKLT302 (The chosen class that i chose to navigate to) is selected, a route from Te Aro Campus will be displayed.This will be accompanied by background images to show progress to the classroom, and the directional change of an arrow. If delete class is chosen, the selected class will be deleted. The flash frames will then skip ahead to another set of the same menu, minus that one class. So it appears the class is deleted. Lastly, if saved Routes is selected, it will show specific routes that are programmed into the chip to bypass things like the construction going on up at Kelburn. This is used in unison with the recalculate, so you can save the route around the construction instead of recalculating every time you arrive at the dead ends.

DSDN112 - First Pathway - Camera

So the Camera feature of my navigational device is mainly used to take photos of issues in the current path, such as roadworks or a dead end. The image is then sent over to the chip which gives three options.

Save - Save the image to the limited memory of the chip, allowing the capture of interesting or exciting short-lived events quickly without missing out or having to take a camera or phone from your pocket.

Delete - Deletes the taken image instantly so it does not take up space, useful if a photo ends up being bad.

Recalculate - This is the main feature of the camera. It records the roadworks or road block and 'recalculates' a new route to take to reach your destination in the most efficient time. Recalculate allows the camera to communicate with the chip on the other lens of the glasses and this results in a new map being drawn in front of your eyes, literally!

The path that is taken to get to the camera and recalculate will be shown in the flash project, but for the time being, here is several jpegs showing how the path will go.

DSDN112 - Beginning of Flash

As i was walking out of Te Aro, i saw the road works that directed people around the sideway. This was a base for the background. The background will be used for the camera icon, where the recalculate menu will be used. This will be followed by the generation of a new route to Kelburn.

DSDN112 - Wire Frame

DSDN112 - Paper Model page

DSDN112 - Paper Model

DSDN112 - Interface Template

DSDN112 - My take on Augmented Reality Glasses

DSDN112 - Augmented Reality Glasses

The Augmented Reality Glasses by Google are an interesting idea, it involves a navigation interface along with a lot of other user interfaces, which is shown through the video below. There are several drawbacks from the designs. Having to speak out loud to communicate with the glasses, while the operation apparently has several major flaws. Further development into the Augmented Reality Glasses could look into having a small controller with an analogue stick, similar to a gaming controller, to control what icon is chosen. Also, a chip that is taken out of the controller and placed into glasses that holds information could be effective. This chip could also be removed and put into a computer to input all the information that is needed to save the locations and timetable etc.

DSDN112 - Navigation Interface

 Navigation interfaces have all had a similar design throughout the years. Below are some examples of the typical Navman style navigation interfaces. They show each individual street, with a highlighted line for the route that the controller should take. Also, icons appear larger on the top of the map to show restaurants, petrol stations, walkways etc. This creates a map that is cluttered and can appear confusing at times. There is no need for all of the details on the map, as the controller just wants to navigate to the location marked. Some small extra icons could be necessary such as petrol stations if driving, but the assignment is to design a navigation interface to travel from Te Aro to Kelburn and around Kelburn campus, which would focus more on the walking routes.

The bottom image shows a different style of navigation. Showing the road ahead of the controller. This is more clear as to the direction that needs to be traveled, having big green arrows on the roads to show that is the path to take. The toolbar at the bottom showing time, speed, direction, and approx. time of arrival are used in all navigation interfaces but the layout of this makes it appear more 'clean' and easily understandable.

DSDN112 - Final Images

DSDN112 - Change to Jelly

So the unexpected change that occurred in the story posted earlier put me back to the drawing board. Therefore, the switch to gelatin would make the texture of the cubes more interesting. 
The tests that were done earlier in the semester resulted in people giving interesting feedback about having to scoop up the goop as its cold and more interesting than a completely solid cube. The tests in the gelatin produced good results but the flavor is quite faint, so more flavoring is needed. With more flavoring the jelly cubes, that would be so odd and different to eat as a cube that we hold (people don't usually hold jelly in their hands).
Tests have been successful so far and the flavor has been intensified to make it more delicious. The smell is also very strong too.

DSDN112 - Storyboard

DSDN112 - One step forward, Two steps back and an idea

Chapter One - One Step forward.
This is the story of the sugar glass cubes I made on the weekend. I had purchased a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of the mixture as i cook it to make sure it was around 150 degrees Celsius, which was the temperature for the 'brittle crack stage'. With past failures in mind, i continued to cook the mixture past the boiling point until it reached the appropriate temperature, Choice! The step forward was cooking it for that long worked, and made it solid and it dried into a hard candy which was fantastic! They worked, in theory, and made a nice result that was tested and lasted about an hour and a half before it was fully dissolved in your mouth.

Chapter Two - Two Steps Back.
So it worked, the cubes were hard in the end result. But unfortunately, when some of the mixture was separated to mix in the colour and flavor, it was drying quickly, and i could only pour it into two different ice cube sections before it was so dry it had turned sticky and was near impossible to put into the next one. So that wasn't working quite to plan, but no worries, keep on keeping on. The next genius idea that struck my mind at rocket speed was to pour the mixture straight from the pot into the trays and add the colour and flavor to each one independently. That's a great idea i hear you saying. Well again, in theory, it is. The mixture went into each tray effectively. 5 minutes later after washing up, the mixture was so hot it had melted through the plastic tray and was leaking onto the bench. GREAT! So that didn't work either and I'm back to square one.

Chapter Three - An Idea.
The responses I received from the feedback on the jelly-like cubes i brought into class actually had interesting reply's about the jelly-like texture and which inspired the interesting idea. Rather than having a hard candy that is the size of an ice cube, lasts forever and is awkward in your mouth, a gelatin square could be made. This is a squishy jelly-like creation that, unlike generic jelly mixtures, is plain meaning I can colour and flavor myself making the end product unique. Also, it would make a more interesting, odd texture to eat and would be easier to eat. Also it doesn't require a stove to cook, it just requires boiling water. Hopefully this will work better. Images of the failure tray meltage will be coming soon.

DSDN112 - Feedback from tasters

I got a variety of mixed responses when the first batch of cubes were tested, which resulted in a pleasing way. I asked the testers what they associated the colours with first off, to make them think about the fruit and food items of that colour. The colours i had were red, white, blue, green and purple.

Red - Raspberries, strawberries, candy.
White - Lemon, peppermint, lemonade, creaming soda.
Blue - Blueberries, peppermint, licorice.
Green - Lime, apple, mint.
Purple - Grape, boysenberries, plum, blackberries.

After i got these responses, the testers were asked to taste as many different colours as they liked. The first taste was white, which was flavored like orange. The reply was it was potent, overpowering sweetness with a weird sensation afterwards. I want orange to be more sour and "zingy" to give the sensation of orange.

The next test tasted red which was flavored like caramel, white and green which was flavored like strawberry. They said it felt like eating toothpaste because the batch had not set properly and was still a thick goo, but the initial thought of the taste was strawberry due to the colour confusion. It was later recognised as caramel. The flavor of orange was lessened by its sweetness, which was the point brought up above. The green was expected to be a rich flavor like peppermint but the tester was taken by surprise that it was strawberry.

The third tester tasted the red one and said - I like the taste of caramel, but the whole experience (the combination of colour, cold touch (slimy), texture (how it fell apart)), set me up to expect a gooey raspberry taste, but I tasted caramel. At the start, couldn't decide whether i liked it or not, but in the end, the mixed messages ended up being too much!

Fourth tester responded to the experiment as a whole - The sensation of withdrawing the substance is a strong experience in itself, the colour is very successful at deceiving the perception of what it would taste like.

The fifth tester tried the red, white and blue which was also flavored like strawberry. The double up of flavors with a different colour was used to confuse people into expecting something different, while being confused by the same taste. They said -
Red - Almost like vanilla crossed with golden syrup, not what i was expecting
White - Looks like hair gel, Tastes citrus-y
Blue - Guess to be strawberry, was right. Colour threw me off though.

The results were successful and what i expected. The gooey mixture could be developed and used in the center of the solid cube. Perhaps jelly made from jelly crystals could be an interesting soft middle. A recipe for gooey candy mixture will be posted at a later day.

DSDN112 - Description

By focusing on the senses of taste and sight, an interesting experience can be created through surprise by having contrasting flavours and colours. The ‘experimental’ design created uses the recipe for sugar glass (comprising sugar, water, corn syrup (otherwise known as glucose syrup in New Zealand) and cream of Tartar) which is being formed into cubes. By having the shapes as cubes it creates something that can last, which makes the sugar glass into a hard candy that has specific flavours.

The colours of each cube will be bright such as red, green, blue or purple, which will contrast with the flavours. For example, a red cube might taste like peppermint or a blue cube that tastes like a strawberry.

The cubes test the participant’s perception before they taste it. They see the bright colour and their mind instantly think of food that is that colour. Then once the flavour hits their tongue, they are surprised that something that colour would taste that way.

Further development of the design can include a liquid syrup centre that could be coloured differently to create contrast between the two colours making each cube more interesting to see. Furthermore, the liquid centre could be flavoured differently which with specific flavours could work incredibly well.