Final Project: Cymatics

For this final Project we chose to extend on project one in which we were working with Non-Newtonian fluid (Corn Starch and water) and also water this time. We will see the different forms, patterns and organic shapes that emerge. But only this Time we actually have a sound generator instead of just playing music with a lot of bass. I also tried using a max patcher that tracked light signature in the movement of the corn starch but was too successful because the cornstarch moved to slow so the camera really didn't catch the movement much.

Materials Used:

Max patcher used to generate different types of sound frequencies and tones

project #1

This project I wanted to work with Cymatics; which means the study of visible vibration and sound. For this project I worked with Cornstarch and water put on top of a speaker with music playing and pay attention to the patterns and organic shapes that emerge.

Project Plan

For this project I will need the following materials

A waterproof Speaker
A Guitar amplifier
Wire Stripper
Crocodile Clips
Speaker Wires
A Tone Generator
Amplifier Wire

This project is working with Cymatics, which means the study of visible sound and visible vibration. By transmitting sound waves through any sort of medium, we are able to see different patterns emerging. If you mix cornflour and water (Oobleck), you obtain a non-Newtonian fluid. A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid whose fluid properties change with the pressure applied. It basically changes its state according to pressure. For example, if compressed, the fluid acts as a solid. But it acts as a liquid if something light weight is dropped onto it. It's viscosity also depends on the force applied to the liquid or how fast an object is moving through the liquid. Not all non-Newtonian Fluids behave in the same way when stress is applied -- some become more solid, others more fluid. Some non-Newtonian fluids react as a result of the amount of stress applied, while others react as a result of the length of time that stress is applied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zoTKXXNQIU

Reading response #4 AI & Cybernetics

After reading the Pangaro’s website I understand why systems and cybernetics would be mistaken as artificial intelligence because systems can sometimes deal with organic components, and they both can have intelligent parts or machines. The difference between the two is Artificial Intelligence is trying to understand the world as it is and came about from the desire to make computers smart while cybernetics is more concerned on its function or the process, trying to complete a goal or gather feedback.

Reading response #3

As defined by this article a complex system needs two or more components to be complex. Not everything is complex because it has a lot of parts. Its is complex because of its interactions and relationship between eachother. It has many parts that, through interactions at the local level, is able to self-organize into structures that can then be characterized as emergent of the system as a whole. The components are self governed and is not controlled. Complexity is used in art a lot. Emergence are patterns and interactions and new things emerge everyday as we all know 

Exercise #2

For this exercise we were asked to ‘Look for some organic or quasi-organic material or living system that can be used as a substrate for the transmission of information and thus as some sort of cybernetic control system or organic “computer”. Research the material’s properties and brainstorm ways that it can be stimulated or perturbed so that it grows, moves or otherwise changes state. Research and experiment with the material and diagram a possible cybernetic system that could be built with it. The idea I came up with inspired by my sound art class with a toy piano and graphite. For this exercise I would take the resister out of the piano and hook it up to the graphite on paper in which are connected from where the resister was from a negative and positive wire negative on one end and positive on the other. Depending on how thick or wild the graphite trail depends on the tone of the piano keys. I also thought of rapping aluminum foil around my fingers and sliding it across the graphite line that is connected to the piano to act as some sort of equalizer or to change the tones.

Reading week 3 Response

After reading the articles what I got out of it was that the way art is changing and it has become more developed and electronic. Systems and cybernetics aren’t really focused on painting or statue, but more focused on the relationships, interactions and movements of objects. It was also interesting learning about the different kinds of systems like a single feedback loop and second order, which is a cybernetic system in which participants have agency to co-create the system, so that the system is in a state of perpetual conversation.