Here’s how the project could work if I go with the GPRS option:

I took my first prototype to a meeting with Chris the other day and he was impressed with the progress. However there are still a lot of things I have to consider. Firstly, if I used bluetooth or a USB serial connection betwwen my device and a computer it kinda defeats the object of having a device…I might as well write an app. to log the data using the keyboard! Secondly, if I use a GPRS module to combat the first problem, there are issues with cost (£100 for the module + sim card and monthly service charges) and also I have to justify why I am using this device rather than just writing an app. for a java based phone that does essentially the same thing. The point of this device is that is a cheap, open source (to build and software) and most of all simple module to log analogue data. Another point hat was raised is whether to adapt the software I write for the button to work on a mobile phone or PDA and make it available for download alongside the device.

I have been having a mess around with Arduino. I built a simple circuit using and LED and a push button to simulate what I want to achieve in the end; a circuit that outputs something when I press a button essentially! I then wrote a simple push button program in Arduino and loaded it onto the board et voilà! Worked first time. Although this is seriously basic stuff in Arduino I wanted to get something working to boost my confidence in using it. The world is now my oyster!

I have knocked up a quick schematic of how the system should work.

Alternatively there is a contingency plan for the serial connection to the client machine. If the Bluetooth option is not suitable there is a readily available USB serial connection that I can use:

After my last project meeting (the first since the Xmas break) Chris and I both decided that I should start to make something! I am now pretty certain that my project will consist of a ‘datalogger’ that will wirelessly send a signal to a server to log the data in a database of some sort. This data can then be published in the public domain. As iI am going to make the Datalogger myself I thought it would be a good call to get started with some basic electronics. I purchased an Arduino Diecimila USB board (which arrived on friday!) to start having a mess around with. So my first steps were to plug it into my computer and sort the USB drivers out on my computer…which I have just done. It lit up like a christmas tree and installed first time with no problems…great! Next stap…get some electronic bits and bobs and make em do stuff! More on that later…

I have been thinking about a chat I had with Chris about a month ago where we talked about ways you could digitise analogue data using a bespoke device. A comedy ‘Big Red Button’ came up as a concept of something you hit every time something happens in order to log that event. I have been looking into Arduino over the Xmas break and looking into ways to accomplish this. Gianni Corino, a lecturer and digital artist with iDAT complete a project called Quixote in which he made a puppet with a GPS unit and a GPRS transmitter that sent data to a server. Now this is kinda what I am looking to do and I am currently trying to get a meeting with him to have a chat. I’ve also found various pre built Arduino boards with GPRS and bluetooth (and also here) connectivity built in. I like the idea of the bluetooth device, but the problem will be getting it to transmit data to a server where it can be logged.

From the delivery data I collected as a test over the xmas holidays I created a map in Google maps and Google earth of the places I delivered flowers to, what they were (i.e. what emotion the represented) and the message sent with them (where possible). Here is the link to the live Google maps version and here is the link to download the Google Earth KML file

Over the Xmas break I have been helping out my girlfriend in her flower shop. This gave me an ideal opportunity to study how things work and have a think about the possible ‘data’ that I can set free. The original concept of a button to press would not be practical in hindsight as they have always got a handful of flowers! However, the one thing that they use every time they make a sale is their till, and they always hit the ‘cash’ button to open the drawer so this got me thinking about adapting that button for my needs. I could ‘piggy back’ the button to send a signal to signify a sale.

I also made a lot of deliveries for them over the Xmas period, delivering flowers all over the place. I managed to keep a record of all the addresses the I delivered to in the period leading upto Xmas. This has given me a data set to start to work with. Another observation I made was that all the delivery addresses they handle are written down on pieces of paper and attached to the order, this is where I collected my data from. Maybe there is some way of digitising this data set. More thinking…

I was thinking on my very soggy walk back from uni earlier about animal tagging of all things! it struck me that there must be a fairly cheap way of tracking animals or object using GPS as I have seen rangers on TV tagging elephants and such like so they can track them on a GPS system and I wondered if this could be applied to my project. I could digitise the fuzzy logic of where particular bouquets of flowers go from my girlfriends shop in order to produce an emotional map of an area. This not only opens up the data to the public domain but also provides some interesting discourse about the emotional gestures that flowers provide and the distance they travel. Hmmm….

Chris and I had an interesting discussion today about my project. We talked about how the project could manifest itself and how to access data from different companies. It was decided that I needed to come up with a company to start working with and try to get data out of in order to make a prototype…it suddenly occurred to me that I could get data from my girlfriends florist shop as a starting point. It would prove interesting to map an aspect of flowers as they are an emotional gesture and could effectively give me a rich data set if I can get at it. The problem I face is that most of the transactions are analogue and as such they don’t have a digital interface that logs orders or stock control so there is no data to get at. There is a networked ordering system by flowersdirect that they use but it is such a large franchise that I cant really foresee getting my hands on the data. A solution that was suggested was to develop a system that can get at the non digital data and digitise it in a way that I could use for the project. Arduino boards were mentioned and I freaked out somewhat but the idea is great and is not beyond my reach…a bit more research methinks!