lbuktawlab7


 * Write four paragraphs to define the term 'physical computing'. (4 paragraphs)**

Physical computing is an approach to learning how humans communicate through computers. It starts by considering how humans express themselves physically. It builds interactive physical system using software and hardware that can sense and respond to the analog world.

A lot of beginning computer interface design instruction takes the computer hardware for given namely, that there is a keyboard, a screen, perhaps speakers, and a mouse and concentrates on teaching the software necessary to design within those boundaries. In physical computing takes the human body as a given, and attempt to design within the limits of its expression.

This means that they have to learn how a computer converts the changes in energy given off by our bodies, in the form of heat, light, sound, and so forth, into changing electronic signals that it can read interpret. We learn about the sensors that do this, and about very simple computers, called micro controllers, that read sensors and convert their output into data. Finally, they learn how micro controllers communicate with other computers.

Physical computing takes a hands-on approach, which means that you spend a lot of time building circuits, soldering, writing programs, building structures to hold sensors and controls, and figuring out how best to make all of these things relate to a person's expression.


 * Write two paragraphs each describing their prototyping methods, and describing what they are enabled to do. (4 paragraphs)**

Reflecting physical prototype enables rapid design and evaluation. It centers around design thinking which means it is concern on how the design affects the user. During the prototyping stage, designers include physical controllers such as buttons, sensors and output devices. Those physical components are then graphically arranged in the software where a visual representation of the physical device can be altered or manipulated.

Designers can test their authored interactions with the device at any point in time, since their visual interaction model is always connected to the “live” device. When seeking to gather feedback from others, designers switch to test mode. During the test mode designers record live video and audio of the user interacting with the prototype. This enables designers in understanding ergonomics, usability problems and reaction from the users.

Sensors have become a central part of interaction design. Sensor based interaction requires three steps choosing the appropriate hardware, creating application logic and specifying sensor values and application values. Linking sensor input to application data have required a lot of patience from the designer due to the trial and error stage.

As sensors are connected, their data streams are shown inside Exemplar. The Exemplar UI is organized according to a horizontal data-flow metaphor: hardware sensor data arrives on the left-hand side of the screen, undergoes user-specified transformations in the middle, and arrives on the right-hand side as discrete or continuous events. 