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Touch Grass: Interactive digital pond
1. Title & Overview
- Project name (and subtitle if needed)
- A one-sentence “elevator pitch” of what it is
- A short paragraph describing the concept, medium, and intended experience
Collaborators: Ranjani Ramakrishnan
Course: Physical Computing, NYU ITP, Fall 2024
Summary:
This project explores the creation of a large-scale, circular pressure-sensing mat built with a matrix of custom force-sensitive resistors (FSRs) using Velostat and copper tape. The mat detects varying pressure levels across multiple sections, and transmits this data to a browser-based visual interface via WebSerial, integrated into a React + p5.js environment.
The goal is to create an interactive experience where multiple participants can engage physically, generating dynamic visualizations in real time.
Add final images
2. Context & Inspiration
- Background (course name, semester, collaborators)
- The problem, question, or curiosity driving the project
- Influences (artists, designers, technical works, cultural references)
2.1 Initial concept
Touch Grass started out as a collective experience, with the goal of connecting people to the fabric of democracy. The piece would display the 10 most read newspaper headlines of that day, pulled dynamically from a news API. As you touch grass or the interface, the images related to those headlines start to dissipate and the projection becomes flowery, with flowers blooming, and the soundscape turns peaceful.
If you let go, it all becomes noisy.
Coming together and getting past the noise is the only way we can make change.
Concept touches on the fact that it needs multiple people to get past the noise.
2.1 Early Exploration
We initially explored alternative sensing methods such as airflow sensors (Adafruit Airflow Sensor, product 4636) before settling on the Adafruit I2S MEMS Microphone Breakout (SPH0645) as our first prototype input.
Finding: While functional, the microphone required very directional breathing to register meaningful input, which limited interaction possibilities.
2.2 Moving to Pressure Sensing
We transitioned to Velostat-based pressure sensing, inspired by O-mat and classmate Nasif Rincon’s experiments.
Initial prototypes used a small rectangular Velostat grid, later redesigned into a circular format for more organic interaction.
SparkFun Analog/Digital MUX Breakout - CD74HC4067
3. Goals & Intended Outcomes
- What you hoped to achieve (creative, technical, experiential)
- Success criteria / what “finished” looks like for you
4. Process & Development
- Timeline of work (including major milestones)
- Sketches, storyboards, prototypes, and iterations
- Decisions and changes made along the way, and why
- Challenges and how you solved or worked around them
5. Technical Breakdown
- Tools, frameworks, languages, and hardware used
- Architecture diagram or workflow diagram if applicable
- Installation/setup instructions (if someone else wants to run it)
- Code repository link (GitHub, GitLab, etc.)
6. Final Implementation
- Detailed description of the finished piece (features, interactions, visuals, sounds, etc.)
- High-quality photos, video documentation, and screen captures
- How it works from a user’s perspective
7. Reflection
- What worked well
- What you would do differently next time
- What you learned (technical, creative, collaborative)
8. Credits & Acknowledgments
- Collaborators, instructors, mentors, and anyone else who contributed
- External code, libraries, datasets, or assets credited appropriately
9. Resources & Links (optional)
- Press or blog posts about the work
- Related research or references for further reading
- Downloadable files or project assets