WaveMaker
An interactive installation talks about microplastic environmental protection
Project Overview
This interactive installation is designed to raise people’s awareness of protecting the ocean. Microplastics have become a severe problem in today’s society and if human beings keep polluting the environment with plastics, nature will finally punish us.
Project
Interaction Design
My role
Interaction Designer
Timeline
16 weeks
Tool Used
Arduino
Solidworks
Background
Distribution of litter types in different
Data Resources：https://litterbase.awi.de/
15 million marine organisms die each year because of plastic waste
Fishing nets are likely to entangle in marine lives, such as turtles and fish
About 40 million tons of heavy mercury are classified into the ocean each year
Data visualization
Global composition of marine litter
Aquatic life affected by litter
Types of entounters
Microplastic (PM2.5) in Ocean
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. As a pollutant, microplastics can be harmful to the environment and animal health.
Where do the Ocean's Microplastics come from?
Case Study
Case1: Great Pacific garbage patch
Case2: High levels of microplastics found in Northwest Atlantic
Typically living at depths of 200-1,000 meters, these fish could spread microplastic pollution throughout the marine ecosystem, by carrying microplastics from the surface down to deeper waters. They are also prey for fish eaten by humans, meaning that microplastics could indirectly contaminate our food supply.
A new study finds 73 percent of mesopelagic fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic had microplastics in their stomachs -- one of the highest levels globally.
Microplastics have, so far, been found in 114 different marine species.
Analyze
MoodBoard
Core function
Prototype
Movement Imitate
Using various materials prototyping to imitate the wave movement.
Sketch
Connection
Arduino Hardware
A0 pin of L298N motor driver board
A1 pin of L298N motor driver board
A2 pin of L298N motor driver board
A3 pin of L298N motor driver board
10 pin of automatic fans
Out1 + Out2 of stepper motor coil A Out3 + Out4 of stepper motor coil B
2 Trig pin of ultrasonic sensor
3 Echo pin of ultrasonic sensor
5v VCC pin of ultrasonic sensor
Final Design
Flowchart
When people approach the installation, the receptor will report to Arduino. Then fans will turn faster, making the plastic pellets more active.
Distance receptor
Arduino
Motors
Wavemaker
Hands
Fans
01
When a person approaches the distance sensor, Arduino detects and increases the speed of the fan to cause strong winds to blow away the plastic pellets.
When there is no disturbance, the motor keeps rotating at a constant speed and the fan keeps rotating at a low speed.
02
Final work
