MOSIAC
Easy-to-built Toolkits for Customizable and Interactive Pixel Wall
Lu Ye, Yuyu Lin, Grace G G, Yujie Zheng, Jiaqi Wang, Wesley Ee, Tessa Goh
This design was released at the annual information product launch at Zhejiang University.
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Customization of products and services is a concept that has been around for a long time. Many people embrace this concept as it allows them to choose whatever they prefer and express themselves. There also has been an increasing trend in the developments of such products in various institutions, and hence, we were inspired to develop a new customization possibility, through pixels. We proposed an easy-to-build toolkit for fabricating dynamic, reconfigurable, and modular walls for customizable interactions in personal spaces.​
A pixel is a basic unit that makes up the digital image and each pixel on its own does not make much sense. When the feature of each pixel changes, the composition of the picture will change accordingly. We transfer and translate this concept into our product to create a multi-dimensional, universal yet unified outcome. These pixels can be connected to each other through a hardware platform, empowering users to use, create and combine freely.
Implementation
Mosaic consists of 3 parts: the basic pixel unit, the special pixel unit and an accompanying application.
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Basic pixel units
Each basic pixel is made up of:
Control module that controls the rotating of the specific pixel and enables inter-pixel communication,
Rotating Mechanism that uses servos to show three faces out respectively, and
Three changeable faces which can be customized. Users can attach what they want in an interactive wall. Possible attachments are mirror, whiteboard, painting, moss and so on. One of the three faces is designed to enable input and output, such as button input and LED output.
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Special pixel units
Special pixel units as input could help with the overall interaction. A camera is an example to recognize faces and gestures and other plug-in sensors could extend the possibilities.
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Application
A simple application is designed to guide users to customize the wall (the customization process is shown in the video later).
Customization and Fabrication