Valli and vibrotactile buttons

Valli explores vibrotactile button

Finished knitting another elephant button in Carmarthen last night.

Details at: http://toys4elephants.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/vibrotactile-controls.html

Foot pedal button

We visited Skanda Vale again on Saturday to catch up with Valli.  Brother Stefan has been making her a hosepipe football - she's been having some fun with it, but only plays when there is someone else joining in.  She looks like a gigantic puppy.  http://www.skandavale.org/elephant-plays-football/

Foot pedal button

This time, we were testing a giant button made from an old sewing machine foot pedal. 

This would normally provide a variable output, but I simplified it to ON/OFF and we created a wooden housing that surrounded the case so that Valli wouldn't be able to grasp the button with her trunk, only push it.

The button was bolted to the fence across the balcony. 

Valli explores the button casing

Wire out the back (on the non-elephant side) connected Arduino to my laptop and activated  a Processing sketch that played a 1 second audio sample.

We tested a low rumble, didgeridoo, tuba, double-bass and contra-bassoon.

Valli seemed interested in exploring the shape and contours of the new button, but was reluctant to push it.  Brother Stefan thinks that an alternative embedded sensor that just requires touch will be more successful with acoustic stimulation.

Valli and the pink button

Valli meets the boys

Half-term trip to Skanda Vale to meet Valli and test out the water valve system.

I constructed a simple plastic button from layers of tinfoil with foam sandwiched in the middle - similar to a dancemat - requiring a gentle press to make the circuit.  We fixed it to the ceiling next to Valli's enclosure so she could reach it with her trunk. 

Pressing the pink button

On the floor above, the button was connected to an Arduino input pin.  The output activated a water valve via a relay switch, sending a strong spray of cool water along a hosepipe and down onto the rubber mat where Valli usually has a wash.

The water was on for a 30 second burst, then had to be re-activated.  She was persuaded to use the button a few times, but moved sharply away from the water spray - obviously not a strong motivation!

Brother Stefan will plumb in the pipework properly so we can test different interfaces that she might (or might not) like to use.

Valli plays with buttons

Making elephant buttons

Back to Skanda Vale this week to visit Valli and Brothers Stefan and Peter.  This time I took my homemade button hacks with me - made from pieces of drainpipe mounted on some wood.

The idea is that Valli will investigate the pipes and in doing so, approach capacitance sensors mounted at the base - these are made from tinfoil and plywood sandwiches and can be calibrated to act as inputs before they are actually touched.

As she approaches each button with her trunk tip, a different tone is produced.  Using a tiny piezo buzzer, it is not possible to generate the low and interesting sounds (didgeridoo) that we tested on our last visit.

Fritzing layout of device with Arduino microcontroller

First attempt - too small

The Skanda Vale elephant barn has some useful browsing holes, so we closed one and dismantled the original frame, then fixed the button system in place.  It was soon obvious that the 20cm pipe I had used was too small for Valli's trunk, so Brother Peter and I resolved to build a bigger version the following day.

We found some more wood and larger dimension pipe and made a simpler 2 button version for Valli to try.

Valli's trunk exploring the buttons

Brother Stefan coaxed Valli to probe the hole using a piece of banana at the end of the button, which meant that she obviously continued to search the buttons for more food treats.  This meant we couldn't show that she was interested in the sound being produced, but it gave us a good idea of the practicalities of future button production.

Valli takes a break from button pressing

Plans to try and make a shower control for Valli, so she can activate the shower by herself from inside her barn.

I'm hoping to make a family trip back to the Ashram at Easter to install shower controls.  The interesting part for me will be if we can offer her a range of different kinaesthetic experiences with the water and allow her to choose - squirt, spray, drip etc.  This will mean she will have to be able to differentiate between the buttons.

Royal Society Summer Show 2014

Helping out at the Animal Computer Interaction stand at Royal Society Summer Show - the stars have arrived.  Dogs for the Disabled show their talents at using the specially designed door and light switches.

http://sse.royalsociety.org/2014/technology-for-dogs/