01x12 - Bodies Electric

[bunniefuu]

Last time on Design

Squad,the teams got in touch

with their artistic side and had

to create...

Kinetic sculpture, driven by

the wind.

The teams found that building

a wind-powered sculpture was

hardly a breeze.

I don't care whether you like

this challenge or not.

Get your stuff together and help

out.

I don't care either.

Red Team's Aquariumgot mixed

reviews.

This is very dangerous.

But Blue Team's Urban Tornado

turned heads.

It's very simple and elegant,

and everything looks

intentional.

So with two challenges to go,

Natasha is still at the top of

the leader board.

But the real race is between

Mike and Noah for second place

and the chance to face off

against Natasha for the college

scholarship.

Now I'm beginning to feel the

pressure for the point system.

Now the competition's

starting to, you know, heat up a

little bit.

I would rather face off

against Natasha.

I think that she's capable of

doing good work, but she also

doing good work, but she also needs someone there helping her

needs someone there helping her

♪ We've got two days

to get this straight

♪ Got a challenge

just won't wait

our eyes are on the prize

♪ Two engineers

just set the date

♪ Got this client

can't be late

oh, no, it's go time

♪ Build it, test, fix it

debug now and kick it

♪ Got to get it off the ground

yeah

♪ Stick around and you'll see

what teamwork's supposed to mean

♪ It's so key

Design Squad

Design Squad Design Squad...♪

Design Squad...♪

Come on, let's go.

Oh, my god.

Hot.

Hey, design squads.

Meet Wyatt Jackson, today's

client.

Hello.

Hi, squads.

How are you doing?

All right.

So now, I am a hip hop dancer

and choreographer.

I have this show coming up, and

I need your help.

It's actually a dance with an

engineering twist.

Let's learn the moves right now.

So come on, let's go.

Spread out.

The first movement is all foot

stuff.

You're going to go one, two,

hop, one, two, hop.

Then you're going to go in, in,

out, out, in, in, cross, out,

in.

The next piece is the Egyptian

section.

We're going to go one, two, then

three, and then down, four.

Then you're going to go one,

two, now switch, three.

This is the complicated part.

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven.

Use your left hand.

Da, da, da, in, out, up, down.

Dee, da, da, dee, dee, da, da.

All right, the next section is

the big finale.

One, two, cross, cross, cross,

cross.

Now here's the end, freestyle.

Doon, doon, ga, doon, doon, ga,

doon, doon, ga, five, six, and

five, six, seven, and eight!

Yes, great.

Great job.

Remember, I said earlier that

this choreography is going to

have a technology twist, right?

Your challenge is to design a

sound and light show to

accompany the choreography that

you've learned today.

For the sound portion of the

show you're going to design four

sensors which will be put on the

dance floor.

When you step on a sensor, it's

going to trigger a sound file,

sound files that you create from

scratch.

It might sound something like

this.

[ beat boxing]

Come on!

So you guys will also have

sensors on your arms so that

when you move your arms it'll

select the color and the

intensity of six stage lights.

Everything you need is back

in your workspaces.

We're also going to provide you

with two computer programmers,

either Elaine or David, that can

help you program anything you

need for your sound and light

show.

And the most creative sound

and light show will be featured

and light show will be featured in our performance.

in our performance.

All right, now as usual,

members of the winning team get

points each.

But this time around, it's extra

important because of our three

top scorers, Mike, Natasha, and

Noah.

Because for the final

challenge we're going to put the

two top scorers and their teams

head to head to figure out who

wins the ultimate prize of the

college scholarship.

All right, go change into

your team colors and start

brainstorming.

brainstorming. All right.

All right.

Natasha.

Kim.

Hey, David.

Nice to meet you guys.

All right, so we have four flex

sensors which can go on your

elbows, knees, wrists, ankles,

anywhere you want to put them.

The squads will design their

light show using flex sensors.

A flex sensor is an electrical

device that bends.

The greater the flex, the more

it resists current.

The flex sensor is wired to a

microcontroller called a basic

stem that measures this

resistance and sends a value to

the laptop.

Customized software interprets

this value as a color pattern

and triggers the lights.

Using the sensors, we can

light up the screen using the

blaze.

We can do fun things with the

light like fade between

different colors, fade them in,

fade them out as fast as you

guys need it to be.

So there are four sets of

switches for the four sensors,

and the way they go off is for

each set you have these two

pieces of metal.

You just have to figure out how

to get these two to touch when

you want them to touch.

The squads will use floor

sensors to trigger their sound

effects.

The floor sensors need to work

like a light switch that opens

and closes an electrical

circuit.

The sensors are connected to a

small computer called a cricket.

The cricket detects when each

sensor is open or closed, and

sends this information by an

infrared signal to the laptop.

Depending on which sensor is

pressed, the software program

plays different sounds.

There's also a microphone

here that you guys can record

your own sounds.

How many different sounds can

we make?

You can make as many sounds

as you want, and I can program

your sounds depending on whether

you step on the floor sensors,

or any sequence or combination

you guys need.

So we'll have tweaking with

the stuff.

Oh, you guys don't worry.

I'll make sure Blue Team wins.

LCA?

Limits, Criteria, and

Assumptions.

What the...

Why don't we just brainstorm?

It's an engineering term.

So we have two types of

sensors-- flex and touch.

We need to make floor

sensors, right, you guys?

Yeah.

We need to make the sound

bits.

There you go.

That's one.

Yeah.

I have plenty up my sleeves.

And then we have to figure

out what we want the lights to

do.

I think a really good plan

for execution here is to break

down each one of these basic

moves into body isolations.

If you break down your left arm

to see where it is at all times

in the dance, it'd be great to

know, like, is there enough

movement there to put a sensor?

Should we split up into

teams?

You and Giselle can work on the

body isolation part and Tom and

I can work on the floor sensors?

Right.

Okay.

I think that's cool.

And Giselle and I can think

about where you're placing your

feet in general so that we can

place sensors there.

We're making the floor

sensor.

We're going to have two layers

of this stainless steel sheet

metal with the wires soldered to

them, and then in between we're

going to have this plastic-y

stuff.

It's got some thickness to it,

but it's also... it can push it

down.

So when you step on it, the two

sides of the sheet metal will

touch and that'll activate our

sound.

Tom's right.

The thin sheet metal, or shim

stock, conducts electricity.

But the foam plastic sheet does

not.

When the dancer steps on the

sheet metal, holes in the

plastic will let the two sheets

touch, closing the sensor's

circuit and triggering the sound

effect.

What, what?

There's actually different

options.

You can have it play if it's

just pressed, if it is pressed,

like, continually playing, or if

it was just released.

That works out great.

All right, make the sensors.

If we look at our first sheet

of arm movements that we did, we

can probably figure out where to

place sensors.

There are bends at your elbows

in certain directions.

The sensors, they bend back and

forth.

So we obviously wouldn't be able

to place a sensor on your arm

this way, because it wouldn't be

able to bend if it's laying

flat.

Yeah.

So we want to put it in our

outside of the joint.

Okay.

I'm probably just going to put

it somewhere where we could use,

just test how it moves, and try

the dance, or try a part of it.

Can you bend your arm?

Let's see where it bends.

Okay, right in the middle.

All right, that's good.

When you bend it back it

flashes.

Yeah, if I get back to, like,

here on, and then anything

before that is off.

before that is off. Now let your wrist up slowly.

Now let your wrist up slowly.

Yeah, but, like, you can see,

like, with the hand motions.

This might be key, because

it's elbows bent as well as the

wrists bent.

A lot of them are, too.

There's a lot of shoulder

motion.

There's shoulder motions.

It's like...

But I was thinking we could

have one on the back of your

knee, because there is knee

bending.

Wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee.

Wrist, shoulder, elbow, knee.

Elbows, knee.

What the...

I think it's great that

they're combining technology and

dance, because we're turning

this dancer to control the stage

effect, instead of the stage

effect to match and blend in

with the actual dancer.

These two will make the same

sound, and these two will make

the same sound, right?

You put two circuits in

parallel, activating one will

activate the whole circuit.

Since they're going to be both

branches from the same wires,

it'll work.

David's right.

Their cricket can receive up to

four different input signals.

Each sensor can be connected to

a separate input and trigger a

different sound.

But if two sensors are wired in

parallel, they're both connected

to the same input.

That means every time either of

the two sensors are pressed,

they will trigger the same

sound.

So the way we were planning

to do the sensors is this.

We only have four sensors.

Four sensors, but that

doesn't necessarily mean four

pads.

Right.

So what we wanted to do is we

want to have these two in

essence be the same, but wire

them so that it'll make the same

sound when you press either of

them.

And it only takes up one sensor

spot.

We want to have two separate

sensors up here, because you

want to have two unique sounds.

And then there can also be a

sensor on the home base so that

when she steps back into home

position she'll make a sound.

Everyone pick a number.

I'll be number three.

I'll be number two.

Four.

And I'll be number one.

Some of them can be words.

You don't want to have everyone

like, "Mmm, uh..."

Pay attention.

I'm going really slowly.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Boom.

[ imitating sound effect]

Boom.

[ imitating sound effect]

Boom.

[ imitating sound effect]

Boom.

[ imitating sound effect]

I'll just do it in sections.

No, she was saying...

[ laughter]

I love my team.

The first time we worked

together was a little bit

difficult.

And I remember talking about how

the guys were kind of

overpowering the girls'

opinions.

But now it's like we're doing a

creative challenge.

They're completely open to our

ideas.

So we're all on even playing

ground, and we're working really

well together.

So I like this.

Guys, it is time to come

together.

All right, bring us back, bring

us back.

The first thing that we're going

to, you know, split up to do is

we've got the light show.

You two are still going to

finish it.

All right, we're going to get

that programmed in while Joey

and I are also working on the

sensors.

Right

Our whole process depends on us

finishing the lights, and then

your sound part comes in.

The last thing to keep in

mind for everything, the

freestyle moment at the end.

That's the really random part.

That's where we need to make it

sound the best.

Say something random.

Three, two, one.

Wait a second.

Where is that?

Hip hop is life.

Unity.

Open up a can of whup...

Time's up, design squads.

That's it for day one.

That's it for day one. See you tomorrow.

See you tomorrow.

We really need to get our

floor pads done.

If you have two many words on

top of each other, if you have,

like, "Ah, yeah, what, how, when

where, why" like, it doesn't

sound good.

You can have it so that when we

step on one it doesn't have to

say anything.

Oh, okay.

I understand.

So we don't have to try to

compensate for a sound every

single time someone takes a

step.

We can just...

Oh, that was good.

Talking to myself.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Ladies and gentlemen, clap your

hands.

Ladies and gentlemen, here it

is.

Come on.

Come on.

So, like, open it up.

What?

Open it up?

What?

Open it up?

It's ambient noises, ambient

sounds, and it all comes

together.

It could just be a simple,

"What."

Do it again.

What!

What! It doesn't work that well.

It doesn't work that well.

We're in the bathroom right

now because this is the only

quiet place in the shop, unless

someone's using it.

This is cozy.

Put it in your mouth.

That's weird.

More noises.

It's so hot in here.

I cannot work in here.

Yeah, well, deal with it.

I've got to get some fresh

air.

All right.

Check it out.

Check it out.

Say what?

Say what?

B-b-b-bathroom.

Bathroom.

This is...

Three, two, one.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen.

[ sped up] Ladies and

gentlemen.

Clap your hands.

Here it is.

Here it is.

One, two, three.

What was that?

The teeth, the lips, the tip of

the tongue.

Come on.

What?

It's a way of... warm up your

mouth.

What did you say, though?

The teeth, the lips, the tip

of the tongue.

Meaning?

It's just vocals.

You're working on your... never

mind.

What are you supposed to do?

It just warms up your mouth

when you say it.

Say pump.

Pump.

Three, two, one.

Why'd you have to say that?

Hey, guys.

Hey.

How's it going?

Pretty good, actually.

Yeah?

What do you guys think of

this challenge?

I thought the faster

challenge was creative.

Yeah.

Boy, this is...

Cool twist on things, huh?

You get to try your hand at some

electrical engineering and some

computer engineering.

You guys are programming.

It's really cool.

We're not programming.

But you guys actually are

programming.

I mean, when you lay out a flow

chart like that, it's just

laying out what you want to do

when.

And the coding is the way that

you make the computer understand

what you want to do.

Well, let me know if you have

any more questions.

Otherwise we'll come and check

on you later on.

They need to put what order

they want, and, like, when they

want to switch, what sound comes

out of what sensor.

Like, they need to give Elaine

all that information so she can

just do it and get it out quick.

But the sensors are all made.

They just need to be hooked up

They just need to be hooked up later on.

later on.

Don't badmouth other people.

I'm not badmouthing you.

I'm just saying you guys need to

get to work on that.

I thought the order was done.

It's going to work now.

Go, go, go.

Here it is.

Let me do these real quick,

and we'll get to the sound.

So this is how it goes.

It goes red, purple, orange,

white, blue, green, orange

yellow, white.

yellow, white. And then it's white off.

And then it's white off.

Take two, now.

Take two, now. Three, two, one.

Three, two, one.

Three, two, one. Go ahead, now.

Go ahead, now.

And one.

You can still have the lights

be controlled through time.

You don't have to do them with

the flex sensors.

Why can't we just have

everything on times to begin

with?

The idea behind this

challenge is that we make

everything sense what the dancer

does.

Red, orange, yellow.

This one's white, that one's

white.

The middle four, color.

It's going to be...

All the odds on one color.

In the intro, what colors do

you want flashing?

It's all going to be one

color, like, one big color.

So these are all going to be

timed as opposed to being

activated by the sensors.

Now, with the Egyptian section,

up, this, this, down, that's

going to be triggered by the

sensors.

Okay.

The only problem for you from

here to here is that...

The same thing.

Yeah, because it's staying

bent.

So that might be timed.

That might be timed?

Okay.

This is a belt that will be

worn around Joey so that he can

move around with the sensors.

Do you guys want to try it

once with what we have so far?

Okay.

Joey?

Joey!

Okay.

But this feels weird.

All right.

Oh, come on.

Next things is I have to wire

up your sensors, so don't move.

What are you doing back

there?

It feels so weird.

I'm not doing anything.

I feel something pressing up

against my backside.

That's a chair.

No!

Stop that.

It tickles.

Can I get a mirror?

Because I don't know, I don't

trust him back there.

He's just wiring things up.

Two goes to the right elbow.

This is two, right elbow.

Does that make it hard to

move, that one?

All right, guys, we've got it

set up.

Let's test it before Wyatt gets

Let's test it before Wyatt gets here.

here.

It's not even working.

Yeah, it's not.

Well, I think the problem is

that we've programmed the direct

sequence in, so if any of the

pads are missed then it throws

off the sequence.

We just have to do it a

couple times over and make sure

that you know exactly where the

pads are.

All right, we're going to go

through the whole light show now

with all the sounds.

Make sure you use your upper

arms.

Just do it.

I don't hear it.

Something's wrong with that

sensor.

It's not supposed to be like

that.

I want to check how the wires

are connected.

I should just make up the

sounds, try to throw my voice to

the computer like a

ventriloquist.

I swear, it's all automated.

Come on.

I'm not talking.

That's not obvious at all,

Joey.

Right now we just need to

make sure that we can go through

a whole run-through and get %

of what's supposed to be done

done.

And the only thing that seems to

be working is part of the sound

at the very beginning.

Ladies and gentlemen, here it

is.

You can't really hear the

sounds at the end of it, if they

are there.

I don't hear it.

And the lights, we need to

find some way to make them work.

And if they don't, then we're

not really going to have a light

not really going to have a light show.

show.

All right Blue Squad, what's

All right Blue Squad, what's up?

up?

up? Five, six, seven, eight.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Five, six, seven, eight. That's great.

That's great.

All right, now.

All right, now.

Come on.

And, and...

[ cheers and applause]

All right, Red Team, bring it

out.

Let's see what you've got.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Ladies and gentlemen, clap

your hands.

Clap your hands.

Ladies and gentlemen...

Ladies and gentlemen... Just do it.

Just do it.

Oh, what now?

Oh, what now? Nice.

Nice.

[ cheers and applause]

That was awesome.

Cool stuff, man.

Now we're going to have to make

our decision the night of the

show.

Okay, so you'll let us know

then?

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

All right.

We'll see you at the show then.

Yes, definitely.

Great.

I really want to win.

I hate losing no matter what.

No matter what the point total

is, it doesn't really matter.

I just... I hate losing.

But I think Mike and Noah are

feeling the pressure a lot more,

because for them it's do or die

right now.

Getting harder and harder as

we're going along.

If they lose this one, then

one of them's out.

And so I think Mike's feeling

the pressure a lot more.

I don't know about Noah.

But you win no matter what.

Yeah.

You're in the final two.

I'm in the final two no

matter what.

So what do you care whether

you win or lose?

Because I hate losing.

Oh, okay.

You're so good at it, though.

Look who's talking, Mr. I Was

In Last Place for Most of the

Show.

Yeah, whatever.

I can't wait until our next

challenge.

I want to win this one, and I

I want to win this one, and I want to win the next one.

want to win the next one.

This is a citywide event

where a lot of different youth

groups are going to be

performing.

And the coolest thing about this

is that our piece is opening up

the whole event.

All right, Wyatt.

Well, you saw both performances.

What'd you think?

Blue Team won this challenge,

because they had a great use of

color, great use of rhythm and

space, and imagination.

And that's what I'm big on.

Nor, Red Team had this fantastic

middle section, the Egyptian

section.

They were able to really give

me, like, the difference of

color with those incredible

moves.

So we're going to use them as

well.

We have a winner.

Hey, guys.

Hey.

We have the news.

Blue Team, you win.

But it's not quite that

simple.

Wyatt loved both performances.

He really liked the beginning

and the end of the Blue Team's

performance, and he loved the

light show in the Egyptian part

of the Red Team's performance.

So that actually means that

what we're going to do is

combine the two performances

into one.

That's cool.

That also means the point

split-up is a little

interesting.

points go to the Blue Team

and points go to the Red

Team.

Right.

That means in the point totals,

Noah pulls just ahead of Mike,

so the last challenge is going

to have Noah versus Natasha for

the Intel Foundation

scholarship.

[ cheers and applause]

Because at the last minute we

had to combine the two shows

together, Wyatt's downstairs

working with Stephanie, and he's

put in a special request.

He wants Krishana and Joey to

join him onstage.

You guys warmed up, you ready to

go?

Yeah.

The sound and lighting design

of Design Squad.

Let's give it up for Stephanie,

Krishana, and Joey.

Krishana, and Joey. Bring it!

Bring it!

Yeah, all right!

Design Squad!

Design Squad! Design Squad!

Design Squad!

Captioned by

Media Access Group at WGBH

Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org

access.wgbh.org

With one challenge to go,

Natasha has made all the right

moves and leads the pack with

points.

A win for Blue means Noah holds

onto second place, will face

onto second place, will face Natasha in the final showdown.

Natasha in the final showdown.

All right, Deanne, here's a new

challenge: describe the Design

SquadWeb site in ten seconds.

Go.

There are games, photos, new

challenges, videos, quizzes,

scoring updates.

Time's up.

Ugh! A very tough choice.

Find out next time on Design

Squad.

Hi.

I'm Lieutenant Darren Barber, an

electrical engineer in charge of

sonar for the USS Texas,the

newest submarine in the United

States Navy.

We need sonar due to the fact

that we don't have windows on

submarines.

Sonar is basically how the

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submerged.

When we send out sound from our

ship, that sound hits objects in

the ocean environment and is

bounced back to us.

We use the time interval to

determine how far away the

object is.

The science and math that I

learned in college, I would say

I use it on a daily basis.

You have to use mathematical

calculations to actually

calculate how fast the boat has

to drive to reach a specific

point.

This is a map of the ocean, like

a road map.

We actually use it to determine

how far or how fast we need to

go to a particular point in a

given amount of time.

Being an engineer aboard a

submarine is the coolest job.

It's not every day you get to be

in charge of a nuclear powered

in charge of a nuclear powered machine.