My attention project started off with me randomly thinking of “Washing Machine Heart” by Mitski. However, the only relation between the final product and this song is the existence of a washing machine (or a purported one in my case). Its scientific basis lies within the realm of technology that seems to constantly cycle through a state of brokenness, though its goal being to function. So, in the opposite direction, I tried to create something that at least gives the effect of its purpose being broken, even though it “fixes” itself in the end.
My project started off with a very basic playing around with various components, like the LCD screen and the servo motor (using the link below). I played around with filling the screen with random symbols and just getting the servo motor to spin around a bit. I then created a rough sketch of what I wanted the final product to look like in this image:
The next component that joined the collection of my project was a buzzer, mainly for the purpose of adding a song to signify the end of whatever type of cycle I would decide to incorporate into the final product
Once I felt as though I had somewhat of a basis to work off for each component, I began constructing the outer shell of the “washing machine” itself, simultaneously writing out a collective code. This is where I faced my first troubles. At first, it was difficult to find a container that would act as the drum of my “washing machine,” though I quickly found a cup that I cut down. My supplies were limited to two types of cardboard, super glue, and tape, so the structural integrity of my project was questionable from the start, which became obvious as I tried fitting all components in the box. The superglue left a white residue on the inside of the cup, which I later found out is a result of exposure to moisture (not great with humid weather).
Moving back to the wiring and coding aspect of things, I played around quite a bit to construct the angles in a way that would mimic a washing machine, creating the messages to be displayed on the LCD screen, and the ending song the machine would play at the end of its broken cycle. For the servo motor, I experimented with negative angles, but have yet to understand how those function. The messages, that would play through a for loop, need to be housed in an array of strings (also listed in a link below). I also needed help creating a function for the song that would play at the end of the cycle, which I too used the internet to reference how functions can be created.
This is the final product:
In the end, it’s a washing machine that displays passive-aggressive messages asking for help, eventually fixing itself, yet that does absolutely no cleaning. I truly learned how little I know about the inner functionings of such daily (or weekly) device.
Links:
Servo motor: https://docs.arduino.cc/learn/electronics/servo-motors
LCD Screen: https://docs.arduino.cc/learn/electronics/lcd-display
Array of strings: https://www.arduino.cc/reference/en/language/variables/data-types/string/?_gl=1*imzuhl*_ga*Mzk2ODY3NDE0LjE2NzUxMzM3OTM.*_ga_NEXN8H46L5*MTY3NTEzMzc5My4xLjEuMTY3NTEzNzUyMC4wLjAuMA..
https://forum.arduino.cc/t/value-of-an-integer-to-be-shown-on-lcd/4188/16
Piezo Buzzer: https://arduinogetstarted.com/tutorials/arduino-piezo-buzzer
Functions: https://docs.arduino.cc/learn/programming/functions
LG Song: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbobemmet.com%2Ff%2Flg-washer-song-sublime-spin-cycle-sonata-or-opus-of-oppression&psig=AOvVaw0bzgD7Aq3vxPa0DnxkL8zs&ust=1675264402581000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA8QjhxqFwoTCMjK8byM8vwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE
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