The story telling balloon project is an exploration into making audible activity in space into something tangible, visible and feel-able through air). The project captures spoken word in space and as words are spoken gradually inflates the balloon until it’s full and then deflates, spilling its contents back out in the space. The output scenario is not yet fixed. Possible scenarios include projection of words or playback of words simultaneously as the balloon deflates. Given that the balloon if gone beyond its capacity will explode, the project needs a safe kill switch. Two reliable options came to mind: a pressure sensor inside a chamber or some conductive material that would act as kill switch when the pressure of the balloon strategically placed will make the connection once balloon is full and deflate the balloon. The max patch is on its way but was not included for the prototype.

1. mic setup faraway to bypass feedback loop (in 2nd iteration instead of threshold there will be voice recognition recording any actual conversation where by it is speaking and not just any noise that will activate the valve)
2. amplitude over certain threshold will active pneumatic valve
3. amplitude under certain threshold will shut off pneumatic valve
4. process keeps iterating until balloon is full and this is where the kill switch comes into play
5. when balloon is filled the top of it will touch the bottom of the cabinet where 2 pieces of conductive tape are hanging
6. ballon pushes against the tape and makes a connection which in turn turn on the solenoid for deflation
7. simultaneously the word spoken into the balloon will playback in reverse based on the time of deflation
8. ie. if the total time of inflation (words spoken) is 30seconds and deflation time is 10 seconds then the playback will speed up by 3 times and playback in reverse while the balloon is deflating
9. with voice recognition the words would ideally by scattered onto where the balloons deflate
   

void setup()
{
  pinMode(12, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(2, INPUT);
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(4, INPUT);
}
void loop()
{
  if(digitalRead(2) == HIGH)
  {
    digitalWrite(12, HIGH);
    delay(10000);
  }
  else
  {
    digitalWrite(12, LOW);
  }

  if(digitalRead(4) == HIGH)
  {
    digitalWrite(13, HIGH); 
  }
  else
  {
    digitalWrite(13, LOW);
  }
}

material properties

• physical:
  liquid form (paint) water-based, nontoxic. can use hardener to adjust density. standard acrylic or water-based paints can even be used alongside Electric Paint to act as insulation or to create multi-layer circuitry!
  
  
• electrical:
  electrically conductive! can be used as controller or potentiometer. works with low voltage dc power
  
  
• structural:
  can paint wires onto things like models, clothes, furniture, walls, almost anything you can think of.
  
  
• perceptual and aesthetics:
  by itself it doesn't offer much, it drips, it dries but where and how or the method of painting & what it can be painted onto can is an open field for perceptual and aesthetic experimentation
  
  
• production/supply/ cost:
  here or here... no production or supply problems, can be found and ordered online or bought at Spikenzie/ Abra etc.
  $25 for 50ml at spark fun (link), or you can make your self for a couple dollars
  
  
• environmental impact and safety:
  the water-based version although costly if store bought is pretty safe, pretty much if there's no led in there you'll be fine
  
  
• types of manipulation and processing:
  can play with density based on use, can be processed using glue, water-based liquids generally and texture can be changed through blending paint with flour or something neutral
  

As mentioned above, paint can be applied to anything to either demand a reaction, output, get some data out of it or used as potentiometer up to 5 sensor capacity (this i with the silver paint). Ideas involve painting surface based on some sort of labyrinth pattern and passerby will actuate sound light or something all in the interest of manipulation and accentuation of some spatial perceptual qualities of space. Alternatively conductive thread can be used to achieve something similar.