SecretSphere
Can we create a physical form that will encourage play and communication via sharing of secrets and messages?
ROLES:
Ideation, Hardware Prototyping
The SecretSphere, or Ball of Secrets, is an Arduino-based spherical device that allows users to record secret messages at a particular memory location for others to later access. The idea came out of a late-night discussion with Raunaq Gupta, and I eventually created a prototype. The ball is sort of physical, digital version of Frank Warren’s PostSecret.com, through which I aim to encourage curiosity, pure play, and introspection. It is built using an Ardino Uno, a Adafruit Wave Shield, an electret microphone, among other components. Together with Raunaq and Yoram Chisik, we authored a paper on the Ball of Secrets which was submitted and accepted as a creative showcase to ACE 2013; the current version can be read here.
Hardware Components:
- Hollow red plastic ball
- Arduino Uno
- Adafruit Wave Shield
- Pushbutton switches
- Electret Microphone with Amplifier
Usage and Implementation:
To use the ball, a person holds it as shown in the picture below. His / her fingers will naturally fall on the pushbutton switches, which can be pressed easily. Once a combination of buttons is pressed, the Arduino debounces those button presses to identify which are down. Each button is associated with one of the following numbers: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16. The Arduino sums the numbers of the depressed switches, and plays an audio file at that index using a speaker mounted in the bottom of the ball. Should there be no file at that location, the Arduino and Wave Shield begin to record from a microphone close to the user. A red LED indicates that a recording is in progress.
Ball of Secrets:
