Prompt: Take a walk around your neighborhood, or a different one, or imagine a walk you’ve done routinely. Take a count of every interaction with a sensor you see or experience. Blog your findings:
Identify the sensors and how they sense (or do not sense) you / someone else?
Does the sensor make itself known to you? If so, how?
How do you know if the sensor has sensed?
Is there more than one stage of interaction or multiple interactions?
Feel free to take pictures or video as appropriate, of the most interesting ones. Some sensors might include: pushbuttons, motion sensors, floor mats, cameras, smart devices
Sensor 1: Light Switches at my Apartment
- Light turns on and off when hitting the button, and also automatically turns off when it does not sense our movement
- Not just a switch, it also senses the human motion/movement (or maybe sound/quietness). However, this only works to turn off the light
- The sensor does make itself known to me because they are everywhere in my apartment (bedroom, bathroom and kitchen). I know it has sensed when the lights are on or off
- There can be multiple stages of interactions, because unlike the usual switches, they not only have the touching function but also have the non-touch interaction to sense human movement
Sensor 2: Traffic Lights' Push Buttons
- When crossing the street, pedestrians sometimes need to hit the pushbutton to wait for the lights to turn green for them to cross
- The design of it (sign and the big arrow button) made it obvious for everyone to notice
- I know it has sensed when I heard the voice coming out of it saying "wait" or when the lights turn green immediately
- I think there's only one stage of interaction for this sensor
Sensor 3 and 4: Subway Entrance and Academic Building Entrance
- I encounter so many of this type of sensors in my daily life
1. Take the subway (can swipe my MetroCard or pay with phone: Apple/Google Pay) to enter the station
2. Enter my apartment building and 370 Jay Street building for class (these 2 look the same, both just need to swipe my NYU ID card)
- Of course they made themselves known to me, or else I couldn't make my way in
- I know it has sensed when the doorway/rail opens or is unlocked
- These sensors also only have one stage of interaction