11/26/2019 — Project Update
Last week I attempted to improve my system for determining the success of certain ambient sounds against others to produce occupant comfort in the basement of Avery Hall. I mostly played bird song and also personally interviewed occupants once they finished the survey.
Much to my surprise, many occupants did not like bird song playing in the basement. They thought it made the space even more uncomfortable than it was before. For this reason, I have decided to spend the remainder of the semester honing in on what sounds have the most positive impact on occupant comfort in the space.
In order to gain as many responses as possible to help improve my research data, I needed to create a better method for collecting post occupant surveys than my previous survey box. Many users noted that my previous design was creepy, uninviting, and that the light shining from the box got in their eyes. For this purpose, I have created this new occupant survey box
This new survey box houses a Philips Hue motion activated light inside of it, creating a more intriguing installation that will hopefully draw in more users. It also houses the Amazon Echo Dot, a feature that will help deter theft of the device.
My hope is that this new method for surveying test subjects can be deployed and left unattended at night, thus allowing for more accurate, and frequent survey results. I will continue to utilize the Amazon Echo Dot, Philips Hue Hub, and Philips Hue Lightbulb as features of this installation. I am currently removing the D-Link camera from my tests due to privacy concerns.