12/02/05

CodaChrome is a new computational construction kit to allow children and adults to design and build interactive, animated color patterns on electronic jewelry and sculptures. The CodaChrome system is a combination of hardware (tricolor LEDs and a microcontroller) and software for their programming.

Video of project:

Master Thesis. For my master's thesis I developed the CodaChrome software environment for the programming of the color patterns on the tricolor LEDs.  I then worked with children and adults during three user studies where they created electronic jewelry.

MS thesis file: Coloring Time With CodaChrome (pdf, 3.64MB).

User studies

Main ideas. The main idea of the interaction with the system is the programming of light modules that can display and transition between millions of colors with a new software environment supporting many widgets for choosing the color sequence and their fading times to create various light effects. One of the important concepts in the user interface design, were the synchronization of the patterns on the connected LEDs.

CodaChrome is also a tool for the researchers that look more closely into issues of personal creativity and expression in connection to children as well as adults. As an application, CodaChrome can help rethink and create hardware and software tools that match the ways in which artists and designers prefer to engage with their materials.

People involved