CDS2522 Creative expression through physical computing

This unit introduces you to physical computing as a creative endeavour, and is particularly suited for creative practitioners working across art, design and architecture. Electronic microcontrollers and sensors allow us to sense properties of our physical world, such as light, sound, heat, vision and motion. The data collected from these microcontrollers can be reinterpreted and creatively expressed in software in the form of images, animation, simulation, visualisation, video, sculpture and sound.

Through a series of practical workshops, you will progressively learn how to write simple microcontroller code and fabricate prototypes to explore innovative interactions. There is no prerequisite knowledge of coding or electronics needed – you will learn this through the weekly workshop activities. This unit will equip you with a creative appreciation for working across both digital and tangible aspects of computing, allowing you to actively engage with creative exploration driven by physical computing and sensed/digitised data.

In-depth studies and discussions of contemporary leaders in tangible embodied interaction, in the fields of art, design and architecture, will contextualise the significance and interdisciplinary nature of physical computing.