ART 4813 SEC 002 : HOW TO BUILD ROBOTS FOR ARTISTS
 
T TH 9:30-12:00

SPRING 2008
FJC RM10
 
Instructor: Adam W. Brown
Office: FJC 101
Office hours: Wednesday 1 - 3 pm or by appointment
E-mail: awbrown@ou.edu
URL: www.isisconceptuallaboratory.com
Phone: 405-326-8664

TA: Josh Southerland
URL: http://cs.ou.edu/~southerland/
Email: Joshua.B.Southerland-1@ou.edu
Phone: 405-317-2019

Bio: Josh is a senior in the Price Business College and was previously in the School of Computer Science. He is Currently employed with the Computer Science Department at the University of Oklahoma. He works on robotics with Dr. Andrew Fagg at the Stephenson Research Center. In addition to his robotic work, Josh has experience with electronics as a core team member of the sooner racing team. He is interested in changing the ways in which we interact with electronics and discovering new possibilities brought about by the creative use of code.


A robot is an electro-mechanical or bio-mechanical device or group of devices that can perform autonomous or preprogrammed tasks. -wikipedia

circuit: an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow - wordnet.princeton.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
How do computers interact with the physical world? What if computing and automation were not limited to mouse, keyboard and the screen? This course is a hands-on exploration of the artistic use of circuits and robotics. How to build robots for artists is designed to empower artists/students with abilities to use and apply the electronic circuit to their creative work and research. Students will learn the basics of circuit building, implementing sensors and actuators and the use of microcontrollers.

OBJECTIVES:
This is a fast-paced, "learning by doing" lecture & laboratory course. Each week lectures and demonstrations presented during the class sessions will prepare you to undertake a related "lab" assignment. The course will be divided in four sections: Basic electrical principles, Circuit Building, MicroControllers and the use of code. Each section will be accompanied by a series of labs and or assignments designed to inform the creative process as well as to provide the skills necessary to work with electronics.

CONCEPTUAL NOTEBOOK:
Students are required to keep a notebook. This is a place to keep your ideas, concepts and homework assignment responses.
Notebooks will be turned in once a month for evaluation.

EVALUATION AND GRADES:
In order to receive a grade, students must turn work in by the due date outlined in the syllabus. Work that is not turned in on time will result in a failing grade. Because grades will be partly assessed on each project, it is imperative that you document all work in an organized and professional manner.
 
Projects and labs will be evaluated on the basis of :
       technical and conceptual quality
       development throughout the course
       timely completion of the labs and projects at the specified due date
       willingness to act on criticism
 
Percentage Breakdown:
30% final project
25% labs and assignments
15% class discussion/critique
15% notebook containing drawings, concepts and designs
15% attendance
 
CRITIQUE:
Critique begin promptly at the beginning of class. Showing up on time, showing work and participating in discussion are all part of what makes a critique work. In order to show work at the critique you must bring your finished project as well as enough copies of a written artist's statement (1-2 paragraphs) to hand out to the class. Your presentation of the work and the written statement will be used as a jumping off point for discussion.
 
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is MANDATORY . Interaction and collaboration are an important aspect of the learning process and are critical for establishing trust among your peers. Please note that three unexcused absences will result in a grade reduction of one full letter grade. This policy will be strictly enforced. If you need to miss a class please contact me in advance.
 
MEDIA LAB HOURS:
Lab hours will be posted during the first week of the semester.
(It is generally open weekday evenings and all day on Sunday)
 
SUPPLIES:
**Required
Book - Physical Computing: Sensing and Controlling the Physical World with Computers, Dan O'Sullivan and Tom Igoe ©2004, Thomson Course Technology PTR; ISBN: 159200346X
Elenco 9880 WK (Breadboard + jumper wires)
Elenco CK-1000 Basic Parts Kit
9V battery (anywhere) or 9V DC 800mA Power Supply (Radio Shack #273-1770)
Adoring USB board (ATMega168) available at Sparkfun

**Optional
Tools (see book), can be purchased at Radio Shack, Jameco, DigiKey or elsewhere
Soldering Iron & Solder
Needle Nose Pliers
Wire Strippers
Diagonal Cutters
 
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION POLICY:
Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your involvement in this class.