Talk:Visual Beats

Project Evaluation

Crucial challenges are not addressed

Will the speaker volume that produce patterns be unsafe for the users? One challenge addresses chattering glass. Ear damage is significantly more probable and more important. Potential health issues arising from this project must be addressed in detail, explaining mitigation, safety, and response procedures.

How relevant is the cabinet shape and the surface dimensions in the generation of sand patterns?

Are the patterns generated using pure frequencies (i.e., using a low distortion amplifier), or using harmonics generated by the amplifier/speaker/cabinet system?

What is the frequency range that the system must be able to generate?

One challenge mentions using water and ferrofluids. Using water close to a high power amplifier is dangerous, and using ferrofluids close to a subwoofer speaker will probably mean that the ferrofluid will get stuck at the center of the speaker.

My main concern with this proposal is that it is completely unclear at this point why do the sand shapes appear, and therefore it is impossible to plan a design with a minimum chance of success. The team must understand the basic underlying physical principle before any item is specified or purchased.

Objectives are not properly stated

The sentence "The main objective is to be able to perform the different natural shapes on the set up creates" does not make much sense. Do the generated shapes have any desirable properties in terms of size, density, complexity, etc?

Budget is not justified by objectives and overview

The current budget specifies a 125W RMS speaker designed for subwoofers (20Hz-1KHz) and a ~30W amplifier with a high distortion rate (10%THD). It is completely unclear why this combination is adequate.

Also, the budget includes a 1x1 ft aluminum sheet and a 2x2 ft plywood sheet. Why these materials? What are the foundations for the choice of dimensions? How will the materials be assembled? What are the assembly costs?

Gantt chart is unsatisfactory

There is no task or responsibility division in the chart among the team members.

The second item in the chart is "Experimenting", even though at that point there is no Matlab code, no physical set up, nor Arduino keyboard. I don't see how those experiments will be performed.

There is a two-week item considering "Adding features". What features are those, and why are they not specified in the objectives?

The chart mentions an "Arduino keyboard" and "Debugging/Matlab". How will the Arduino and Matlab interact? Why do you need Matlab code if the Arduino keyboard will generate the analog signals?

The chart assigns 9 days to complete the cabinet enclosure for the speaker and the setup for the surface. That is not realistic, and the chart does not identify the stages for that mechanical design.

This proposal must address the potential health issues related to this project. A revised proposal must be submitted before Friday September 23 at 5pm.

-- Humberto 01:04, 17 September 2016 (CDT)