deadends and adaptations

another long day in the lab, although much of it was waiting for tech support.

there's a couple of rather frustrating issues that are going to prune back my ambitions for the completion of the project:
 - the replacement solenoids are quite weak and don't generate a very engaging SHUDDER effect
 - we've run out of time to network the plants together

the first issue is a consequence of having too many functions for the microprocessor. in retrospect, the SHUDDER effect was far more interesting, visually and perhaps interpretively, anyway and if i replicate the project in the future i'll jettison the SWAY effect all together. there was a bloke who dropped in, another techy type, who was very excited bout the potential of lights and sounds being generated, which was always my intention and reinforces the option to use those as second and third effects to add to the mix (and i'm quite certain they'll also require less power drainage).

the possibility of bringing this project to its potential outcome (that is, properly networked plants with engaging effects) is now very much in reach. so although i won't achieve its ideal resolution tomorrow, for the final day, i will have the basic framework to cobble it together more effectively by myself in the studio.

for the purposes of putting a conclusion to the project at medialab, i'll run the plants independently, each one running random fluctuations between their SHUDDER and WAVE functions. it won't be perfect, but it'll still be an activation of the plant body which was the premise of the project at the outset.