built with Processing
This graphic tool is designed for young children to create fractal-based generative art using a game controller. The goal is to get children excited and motivated about math, by having them create aesthetic digital artworks through their own hands.
I chose a game controller as the GUI because most people are familiar with the use of it, it gives instant response and gratification, and children usually associate with it something fun.
Over time, my project has evolved into a more interactive piece where the user has more power and control over the resulting image. The equations I included so far are: the Archimedean spiral, Peter De Jong attractor, and the tree fractal. In addition to being able to control and alter the shapes, children can also change color, rotate, filter, and view the image from a 3-dimensional perspective. I think that one of the key attractive focus for children is color effect, and the game controller lets them easily add filter/color effects with the press of a button. Another attractive aspect is the 3D attribute that allows the user to shift the shape like a paint brush through 3-dimensional space by using the joystick. It can introduce children to the idea of the z-axis, or just add interesting overlapping effects to their images.
I tested out this project on some students from my cooperating EDS class, Mrs. Mena's second grade class from North Terrace Elementary, Oceanside. At first, they were a little confused about what each button did, but after several minutes of playing around with it, they started making some unique art!
students works:
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