Physical Computing, or How Software Meets Xmas Trees (and more)
summary
Overview of concrete tools, results and surprises: a low-cost microcontroller workflow (Arduino: board, cross-platform IDE, example sketches, active community) makes blinking LED = hello world and scales to real installs like piano stairs at Centre Pompidou that work under crowd load. New boards run Python/JavaScript on bare metal (MicroPython, Espruino). Desktop digital fabrication (Othermill ~$2k) mills metal and PCBs in minutes; Raspberry Pi rigs digitize archival film at ~1/10 commercial cost. Example products include a pill‑tracking RFID reader, a Christmas‑tree bell that triggers lights, and many working “remote hug” prototypes.
AI-written summary · about
chapters (10)
- 0:00Introduction and thanks
- 3:39ITP’s founding and mission
- 11:04Teaching physical computing basics
- 12:09Arduino’s origins and impact
- 20:15Digital fabrication tools
- 24:10Customizing hardware with software
- 25:33Personal projects and Christmas trees
- 27:19Remote hugs and social devices
- 31:57User-centered design in practice
- 33:08Q&A on safety and community
related talks
27mHow I've been using JavaScript to automate my house
30mDemocratizing Innovation
39mJavaScript in the Real World
34mUsing Python to enter the world of Microcontrollers
36mComputer Assisted Arts and Crafts
26mUsing MicroBlocks and Raspberry Pi Pico to introduce primary students to programming
58mThe Other Singularity
38mFun with Ruby and Arduino