Time: Wednesdays 9:30-12:00pm
Homework Wiki:http://itp.nyu.edu/varwiki/ClassWork/TimeS11
Location:
Books: http://pinboard.in/u:cwwang/t:time+books
Articles: http://pinboard.in/u:cwwang/t:time+articles
Videos: http://pinboard.in/u:cwwang/t:time+videos
All Time Links: http://pinboard.in/u:cwwang/t:time/
Class Description
The ways we keep time are the ways we are kept. One might argue that humans ideated timekeeping and now we take it for granted. Without clocks we can’t enjoy the benefits of social synchronicity. But with them, we are unwillingly constrained to arbitrary increments that guide our countless decisions. This class uses technology as a way to rethink and recapture the ways we keep time. Over the first half of the semester, we prototype a series of time keeping devices around a set of themes. Blindness, bio-mechanics, materials, space+location, isolation, synchronicity, and collaborative time. Each class begins with the delivery of tools to help construct various types of timepieces along with reviews and discussions. Video, software, motors + mechanisms, electronic signaling and communication tools are covered each week in relation to how they can be used to re-imagine time-keeping. Classes later in the semester are tailored to provide technical and conceptual support for final projects. (Physical Computing, Programming, Mechanisms, Production)
Where did the increment of 24 hours come from? What are the social, human and scientific implications of keeping time with an atomic clock versus an hour glass? How did indigenous tribes of Papua New Guinea use bird-sounds as a means of timekeeping?
Responses to weekly assignments can vary from sketches with descriptions to working prototypes. It is up to you to find out how to communicate your ideas to get the best possible feedback in class. The midterm and final projects can be extensions of a weekly assignment that you’ve chosen. Bring your work to class if you can. All your work is to be documented and posted to your blog with a link back on the classwork wiki page.
Grading:
33% Assignments
33% Class Participation/Attendance
33% Final Project
Syllabus
Week 1
Introduction:
What is time and where did it come from?
A brief history of time keeping: Religion, Benedictine Monks, Bells, Gregorian Calendar, etc. What are the driving forces behind it? What are some ways we are constrained by time? How do we counteract the effects of time?
In class: (90 min exercise) brainstorm and sketch for 15 mins and present a clock for the blind. We’ve become accustomed to viewing time or using our eyes to tell time (for those of us who can see). If we removed our sense of sight, what opportunities would it provide to the ways we think of time keeping?
Assignment: prototype your in-class clock for a blind person (avoid braille watches). Come to class next week with a functional proof of concept. How does your clock provide an alternative way reading time? Post a link to your documentation on the Wiki.
Listen to: “Time.” Radiolab. WNYC. WNYC, New York. 27 June 2007. http://www.radiolab.org/2007/may/29/
Week 2
Review: Blind Clocks
Arduino Clock: Reading time from Arduino and outputting to various physical outputs
Real time clock chips, AC sync motors, DC motors with encoders, stepper motors.
How accurate is time? How accurate has time become? How accurate can time be?
Reading: Find and read descriptions of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity and how it relates to time. Describe it in your own words on your blog and post a link to it on the Wiki. We’ll go through your descriptions in class.
Assignment: Build a second prototype of the blind clock. Complete documentation and post a link to the Wiki.
Week 3
Final Review: Blind Clocks
real time chips, ac sync motor, rotary encoder motor
Mechanisms
How do mechanical clocks work? What kinds of mechanisms are used in clocks? What are their advantages and disadvantages?
pendulums, escapements, spring balanced wheel, torsion pendulum, flying pendulum, grasshopper escapement
pulleys, gears
Videos:http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?p=101730C43EE563A8
download: Rhino osx or trial version windows
Assignment: Build a mechanical time keeping device using Legos
Watch: http://www.ted.com/talks/stewart_brand_on_the_long_now.html
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUPIzMKktD8&NR=1
and if you have an hour to spare Watch: http://www.youtube.com/user/longnow#p/u/14/ujMgQqp8YSY
Download: Rhino for OSX or Windows trial version
Week 4
Review: Mechanical Clocks
Pulleys
Pulley Ratios
Belts (http://www.mcmaster.com/#rubber-belts/=b1kf9t)
Shaft Collars (http://www.mcmaster.com/#shaft-collars/=b1keaa)
Rods (http://www.mcmaster.com/#stainless-steel-alloy-rods/=b1khwn or anything like a rod with the right dimensions)
Sleeve Bearings (http://www.mcmaster.com/#bearings/=b1kgt0)
Screws (http://www.mcmaster.com/#screws/=b1kh1p)
Taps (http://www.mcmaster.com/#taps/=b1kgyi)
3D modeling for fabrication : Rhino. 2D drawing. Line, Circle, Curve, Extrude, Move, Rotate, Copy
Gears, escapements, pendulums, linkages
Assignment: Continue working on the mechanical time keeping device. You may incorporate an external power mechanism like a motor, solenoid, electromagnet etc.
Week 5
3D modeling for fabrication : Milling, Lasercutting, 3D Printing
Boolean Operations
Layers, Hide, Show, Copy, Rotate, Array, polararray
Loft, networkSrf, sweep1, sweep2, revolve,
contour, unrollsrf,
Outputs from Rhino.
Mesh vs NURBS
3D:STL, IGES
2D:DXF, DWG, AI
Get stuff made: http://www.shapeways.com/, http://www.ponoko.com/, http://grainbeltsupply.com/
http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/
to make stuff like http://the-t-shirt-issue.com/
Week 6
Final Review: Mechanical Clocks
Week 7
Intro to Openframeworks
http://openframeworks.cc/download
http://www.openframeworks.cc/documentation
Examples
http://cwandt.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/10secondStopwatch01_highscores.zip
http://cwandt.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/simpleClock.zip
File Structure
main, testApp
TIME
ofGetElapsedTimef()
ofGetElapsedTimeMillis()
ofGetSeconds()
ofGetMinutes()
ofGetHours()
ofGetYear()
ofGetMonth()
ofGetDay()
ofGetWeekday()
DRAW
ofBackground(…)
ofSetRectMode(…)
ofRect(…)
ofTriangle(…)
ofCircle(…)
ofEllipse(…)
ofLine(…)
ofCurve(…)
ofBeginShape()
ofVertex(…)
ofEndShape(…)
ofNoFill()
ofFill()
ofSetColor(…)
ofRotate(…)
ofSetLineWidth(…)
ofPushMatrix()
ofPopMatrix()
ofTranslate(…)
ofScale(…)
Openframeworks Clock
Assignment: Build a timepiece in openframeworks using the time functions to draw on the screen.
Week 8
Time-based Media
Video, music, television, slow motion, fast motion
Openframeworks Video and Audio
blinkSensorExample.zip
videoClockExample.zip
Assignment: Build a timepiece in openframeworks using the time functions and video or audio to display time.
Week 9
The Internet and Time
Javascript Clocks
http://processingjs.org/
clockExample
http://sketchpad.cc/MwxFBXbDp7
http://www.loki.com/how
http://html5demos.com/geo
http://translate.google.com/translate_tts?tl=en&q=anything
Week 10
Biological Clocks
Final Project Proposals
Week 11
Material Flux
Final Project Review
Week 12
Sync
Final Workshop
Week 13
Final Workshop
Week 14
Final Review