Cybernetics and Physical Computing
Cybernetics and Machines
Cybernetics means the science of communication and automatic control systems in both machines and living things (- Google)
It's the notion of adapting to things.
The term cybernetics originates from the Greek word "kubernetes" and means "to steer". Paul Pangaro, one of the leading figures in cybernetics, describes cybernetics as a process that includes a loop of sensing where the route is compared with its goal and then corrected if needed. Without this cycle no system can work.
"... as we steer a ship we want to make it to a goal. ... this loop of acting, sensing and comparing the goal ... is fundamental."
Loop: A system has a goal and is always connected to the cycle of sensing, comparing and acting. For this a goal is always necessary too.
There are two different feedback systems: positive or negative. Positive feedback systems include additive looping. As for an example: sound picked up from a microphone and played back through loudspeakers can be picked up from the microphone again which will lead to a high pitched sound. This occurs due to the additive of sound.
The difference between positive and negative feedback systems are that negative feedback systems regulate the intent and are self correcting.
The cycle can also be applied on design process systems: the cycle of research, prototyping and testing. As all loops, a starting point and a goal is needed.
"First-order cybernetics is the science of observed systems. Second-order cybernetics is the science of observing systems." - Heins Foerster, 1874, "The cybernetics of cybernetics".
Physical Computing
In order to allow computers to read and fully interpret facial gestures for example, then we must change the image that computer have of us humans."Physical Computing means building interactive physical systems by the use of software and hardware that can sense and respond to the analog world." (- Wikipedia)
Guidelines for the whole process of physical computing:
- Describe what happens: focus on what, not on the how (what does the user feel / see / what is the experience?) environment / experience
- Break the story down: input (user) / output / processing
- Identify the activity: are the inputs / outputs digital or analog? Each of these identifications have their own questions that need to be asked (analog → superlative; brighter?) → this helps you to see how complex the whole is
- Describe sequences: parallel / serial
- Level of abstraction: high-level / low-level → HL = something simple like "Hello Word". These are simple tools with which you can quickly do something. LL = are more expert tools (for example numbers). Here it is essential to ask yourself what are my skills? This is important to ask in order to not waste time.
Tips:
- Keep a journal of your way
- Work fast and high-level
- Don't plan too much
- Talk to other people to evaluate problems
Today physical computing is more common as there are more possibilities of embedding computers into more things than it was few years ago. Arduino is a great tool that allows the wider use and creation of physical computing. Note that the physical word itself should be used as a playground and that wearables are a subtopic of physical computing.
Physical computing is also called either as ambiguous or tangible computing.