Intro to Physical Computing
Jeff Feddersen email me
Spring 2005 Syllabus

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Final - the pitch

Scenario 1: You are pitching your latest invention to a company.

The class becomes the board of directors of Company X. You get to choose the company, or make one up. You have to convince them to bring your invention to market. Create a presentation (web and physical) with he following:

1. Name. Give you invention a name, the catchier the better.
2. Target company. Who is the class supposed to be?
3. Rationale. Explain exactly what your invention is. What does it do? Who is it for? Why is it necessary? Is it better/faster/smaller/louder/more fun than what it is replacing? If it’s a game, how do you play it? If its an instrument, who will play it? How much will it cost? Who will buy it?
4. Prototype. Show a prototype. Totally functional is good for this kind of presentation – turn it on and all of it works. Appearance is less important – that’s for marketing to worry about – but there should be plenty “physical debugging” built into the design: blinking lights or little sounds or something that tells you the inventor exactly what your invention is doing so that you can be sure the presentation will go smoothly. The prototype can be a proof of concept – but it has to rigorously prove the concept – show how it fits into your grand scheme.
5. Documentation. Include documentation of the work that will facilitate production. This must include a circuit diagram or schematic, and a parts list including relevant specs. For example, if you used a servo, what is its torque and supply voltage?

Scenario 2: You are pitching your work to a museum or funding organization.

Your latest digital art proposal is in the final round of consideration for a) a major grant or b) a gallery or museum show. You may pick the museum or funding organization of your choice. You must convince the committee (the class) that your proposal is worthy of their final decision. Create a presentation (web and physical) with the following:

1. Name. Give your project a name.
2. Target organization. Who is the class supposed to be.
3. Rationale. Argue your work’s merits. In what tradition, if any, does it lie? What/who’s work has influenced it/you? What is its purpose, and how does it achieve it? Why is that purpose significant? Who is the audience for the work? If its site-specific, what’s the site and how does it relate to it? If its interactive, what’s the interaction?
4. Prototype. Show a prototype. The committee is already familiar with your work – it’s the technical feasibility of your project they are now trying to assess. If the prototype is a fraction of a larger whole it should also show exactly how the prototype relates to that whole and that you can pull off the larger work you’re proposing.
5. Documentation. Include documentation that will facilitate installation of your work. If your work is a large installation then show a system diagram: what are the functional components of the installation and how do they interact/interconnect? If your work is a stand-alone piece include a circuit diagram and maintenance instructions. Include either sketches from your process or a visualization (3D or otherwise) of the final work.