Interactive Landscape
Create awareness about the importance of preserving mountain forests and the impacts of deforestation and farming. Users choose scenarios by placing a wooden model on a control board with a projector illustrating the effects of farming and deforestation on an interactive landscape model.
Objective
David Rios - Instructor, "Introduction to Physical Computing"
Mimi Yin - Instructor, "Introduction to Computational Media"
Harvey Gunjareug - Assistant in Coding and Debugging
Qiuyao He (Lois), Lening Hou - Videography and Photography
Credits
Interaction
Interaction is a key. When users place a wooden cylinder on the control board, it triggers the P5 javascript to display their chosen scenario, accompanied by explanatory audio. This immersive experience makes learning about environmental impacts more engaging and accessible. For an added touch of realism, I used P5 javascript to create water flow directions and flooding simulations on the mountain using flow field and Perlin noise algorithms. This added an interactive and visually appealing element to the project.
Fabrication
Drawing Inspiration from Nature The fabrication journey began with hand-drawn contour lines inspired by the landscapes of Chiang Mai, Thailand. These initial sketches were then refined in AutoCAD for clarity and precision. A Pre-Fabrication Blueprint Importing these lines into SketchUp was the next step. Here, I designed a 3D model of the landscape. SketchUp proved invaluable in designing all dimensions and providing an overview of the topography model, ensuring that the final product was both accurate and visually striking.
The Technical Essence
The Movement of Nature At the core of this project lies the Arduino software, which I harnessed to control four linear actuators. These actuators are responsible for the dynamic movement of the topography model, moving up and down to simulate different environmental scenarios: an original forest, farming on mountains, deforestation, and the restoration of the forest. A critical aspect of this setup was establishing serial communication between P5 JavaScript and Arduino. This allowed me to display the scenarios with richly detailed visuals, which I created using Photoshop. The result? Each scenario comes alive with images and videos, engaging the viewer in a story of ecological change.
Four Scenarios
Mountain Forest
Farming on the mountain
Deforestation
Native plants for restoration
Winter Show
“Interactive Landscape is more than just an educational interaction; it’s a testament to the power of blending technology and art to create impactful learning experiences. It’s a project that speaks volumes about the potential for innovative approaches to environmental education.”
“What sets Interactive Landscape apart is its ability to make complex environmental concepts accessible and engaging. It’s a shining example of how the fusion of technology and art can revolutionize the way we educate and interact with critical global issues.”