MAKING A PRESSURE PAD.. ALMOST.

If you've got eight minutes to spare...
Do watch it in full if you are going to watch it at all.

(Here's the link I refer to again: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~RAS/Docs/space/pads.html)

PLAN 06.2

So that grand plan, remember that?

The Red man graphic is ready to go, I think. Yet to check with Pete. Now (it's Monday alrady, I know!) I'm going to attempt making the pressure pad, or a mock up at least. Designing through making. Right?? All them skills from Technical Workshop studies and Methods & Processes. Yes yes.

Here's a link sent by Pete on how to make homemade pressure pads.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~RAS/Docs/space/pads.html
Apparently these materials (plus one or two others) will suffice. Let's try it.

LED DIMMER PRESSURE SENSOR

This is a clip from Eleni's blog showing a simple Arduino circuit linking a pressure sensor to an LED. Pressing the sensor dims the light. All I need mine to do is to turn on and off several lights, rather than fading one. I'm sure that's doable. I'll discuss with Pete in about an hour. I'm third on the list. Hee.

PEDESTRIAN COUNTDOWN TECHNOLOGY

The countdown technology, though increasingly popular in other countries like Japan or USA, has not been in use here in the UK. Not until the new diagonal crossing system was introduced at Oxford Circus two years ago. I think it's effective because one of the main reasons we cross at a red light is because of our impatient tendencies. Not knowing how long we must wait is one of the things we despise most, myself included, it's just in our nature. The countdown solves this. Also, it allows us to make informed decisions on whether to cross or not, without the worry of whether we can make it in time.

This countdown mechanism, as I found out today, is part of a major plan by TfL to be rolled out across the capital as of this summer. In fact, this was only announced ten days ago. Transport for London say they will install around 200 more of these, in order to "reduce confusion and uncertainty" and allow for "more informed choices" to make the London roads safer. Sounds like an excellent scheme.

My project will hopefully build on this and look not only for pedestrians to make more informed choices, but to actually choose not to cross. Nevertheless, it's an interesting development and clearly backs for improvements to be made for pedestrian crossings.

Here's the full report by TfL. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/22531.aspx

GREEN FIGURE NOT GREEN MAN

Lincolnshire Council think the Green Man is being sexist and have thus renamed him (it) the 'Green Figure'. Not sure what to make of it (and it's probably best to stay on the safe side considering everyone else on this course is female). It is silly though, no?

Anyways, my project will continue to wait for the Green Man. Yes. Here's the link for the full story on The Telegraph.

Also on a side note, that yellow sign is no good in my opinion. We don't ignore the Red Man because we don't know it's discouraged; we ignore it because we want to. So someone telling mean to "only cross with green figure" is hardly going to change my mind, simply because there is no motivation to. But an entertaining kerbside game would.

HUMAN SPACE INVADERS

This won't help my project move along, but it's amazing.

SPACE INVADERS

Fixed with the idea to shoot the Red Man while waiting, I thought I'd look into the iconic computer game that is Space Invaders. First released in 1978 in Japan, it's such an incredibly simple yet super effective arcade game. The concept is easy and the objective makes sense: shoot the aliens down before they shoot you.

Play it here. If you like. http://www.freespaceinvaders.org/

ARDUINO CODING LED BOARD

So maybe this is the kind of thing I need to set up my Red Man display, with the bullets and all. A series of LEDs turning on and off in sequence to portray my 'animation'.

NEW OXFORD CIRCUS PEDESTRIAN CROSSING