Gracy Whelihan

hi. im gracy

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Please hit me up with any question you have.

random window 1, 2024

acrylic, Ardunio Nano 33 IoT, servo motor

Random Windows 1 is 1 of 2 acrylic windows, Inspired by LEGO windows, that use random motion to create a moment of nostalgic playfulness.

Featured in the 2024 ITP Residents Show at Clive Davis Gallery.

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small houses made of acrylic housing arduinos and environmental sensors.

2023

PRNG is a random number generator that uses real-time environmental sensor data and a linear congruential generator (LCG) algoritm to generate random numbers.

This project originated from a curiosity about the generation of random numbers by humans and computers. While randomness has diverse applications, creating it poses a significant challenge. Computers generate pseudo-random numbers through deterministic processes, appearing statistically random but relying on a seed number and a complex algorithm.

In contrast to algorithmic randomness and biased human randomness, nature can produce true randomness. Observable phenomena like atmospheric noise, radioactive decay, and quantum events exhibit genuinely random behavior. Leveraging this concept, the project aims to develop a "closer to truly random" number generator by employing environmental sensors to collect data from the natural surroundings.

Various environmental sensors, such as sound, light, temperature, and distance sensors, collect data to generate a seed number for an algorithm. Each sensor is connected to an Arduino Nano 33 IoT, transmitting data through Wi-Fi and an MQTT broker to a server. The server computes the random number, which is logged into a dataset and displayed live on the screen for real-time observation.

Additionally, the generated numbers are sent back to the broker and can be used by other clients either by subscribing to the broker or throught an API call.

The implementation of environmental sensors is a critical aspect of this project, contributing to the creation of a truly random number generator. Each type of sensor plays a unique role in capturing the intricacies of the surrounding environment. The richness of our random number generation process lies not only in the diversity of the data but also in the variety of sensors employed.

The success of this project hinges on community contributions. With a diverse range of environmental data contributing to an extensive seed number, the goal is to achieve randomness closer to true randomness. This project opens the door for people worldwide to contribute to the random number generator, collectively creating a level of randomness that humans and computers have struggled to achieve independently.

PRNG is an open source project :)

To see the random numbers generating live, go here.

To contribute/view source code, go here.

*** currently this project is offline :( hopefully it will be up again soon!

** this project is still under construction :(

Compared to Yesterday is a weather app that allows you to see what the current weather is compared to yesterday.

This project uses the Geolocation API to get your location and the Open-Meteo API to get weather data.

Currently the Open-Meteo API call gets 48 hrs of weather data, including the historical data for yestday's weather, the current weather, and the forecast for today's weather.

The reason for making this app was because I found that all of the weather apps that we use only show the current and forecast weather, but when I am getting ready for my day in the morning I find myself wondering what the weather is like compared to yesterday. Because I have already lived that day!

I want to know if today I am going to need that sweater I carried around all day yesterday or if I can leave it at home. Or if it will be more or less rain then yesterday. How can you compare today to the future?

The app is currently under construction, and is being hosted here. Many more features and udates to come!