THE TECHNIQUE¶

Narrative¶

A motor rotates &, setting a gear in motion, lifts the bubbles, initiating a rhythm that resembles breathing-like movements. The object defines the rhythm. The wearer begins to adapt, slowly attuning to its rhythm.

It becomes a quiet reminder: to listen to nature, to reconnect with its tempo, & to relearn how to adapt— rather than expecting the world to adapt to us.

Hardware Assumptions¶

System Flow (Simplified)¶

The power bank supplies power to the Seeed XIAO RP2040 through USB.
The 7.4V Li-ion battery supplies power to the TB6612FNG motor driver.
The XIAO RP2040 reads the push button input.
The button toggles the motor state on and off.
The TB6612FNG motor driver receives control signals from the XIAO.
The motor driver powers the MG-6V-1 DC gear motor.
The motor rotates the gear mechanism.
The gear mechanism lifts the bubbles and initiates a breathing-like motion.
The object defines the rhythm; the wearer adapts to it.

Short¶

XIAO = Brain (logic)
Push button = Input (trigger)
TB6612FNG = Motor control interface
DC gear motor = Output (movement)
Power bank = Logic power
7.4V Li-ion battery = Motor power
Gear mechanism = Motion transfer

System Components & Functions¶

Component Overview¶

Component	Type	Role in the System	Important Notes
Seeed XIAO RP2040	Microcontroller	Central controller: reads the button state and controls the motor driver	Powered separately by the power bank via USB
Power Bank	Power source	Supplies power to the XIAO RP2040	Used only for the microcontroller / logic side
7.4V Li-ion Battery	Power source	Supplies power to the motor driver and motor	Must share common ground with the XIAO system
TB6612FNG Motor Driver	Driver / Interface	Controls the DC motor based on signals from the XIAO	The motor must not be driven directly from the microcontroller
MG-6V-1 380-30RPM DC Gear Motor	Actuator	Generates rotational movement	Drives the gear mechanism; rated for 6V, so 7.4V should be used with caution
Push Button	Input	Toggles the motor state on and off	Uses internal pull-up in the code
Gear Mechanism	Mechanical transmission	Transfers motor rotation into lifting motion	Converts motor rotation into the breathing movement of the bubbles
Wiring (jumper wires, connectors, etc.)	Connectivity	Connects all components electrically	Common ground is essential

Wiring Connections¶

Power Supply¶

Logic Power - Power bank USB → Seeed XIAO RP2040 USB-C port Motor Power - 7.4V Li-ion Battery (+) → TB6612FNG VM - 7.4V Li-ion Battery (−) → TB6612FNG GND Driver Logic Power - XIAO 5V or 3.3V → TB6612FNG VCC - XIAO GND → TB6612FNG GND

Common Ground (Very Important)¶

Even though the XIAO & motor use separate power sources, they must share a common ground: - XIAO GND → TB6612FNG GND - Li-ion battery (−) → TB6612FNG GND All grounds must be connected together.

Microcontroller (Seeed XIAO RP2040)¶

Control Pins from Code | XIAO Pin | Function | | -------- | -------- | | D10 | PWMA | | D9 | IN1 | | D8 | IN2 | | D7 | STBY | | D6 | BUTTON |

Push Button¶

One side of the push button → XIAO D6
Other side of the push button → GND

TB6612FNG Motor Driver¶

TB6612FNG Pin	Connection
VM	7.4V Li-ion battery (+)
VCC	XIAO 5V or 3.3V
GND	Common GND
PWMA	XIAO D10
AIN1	XIAO D9
AIN2	XIAO D8
STBY	XIAO D7

DC Motor¶

Motor Terminal	Connection
Motor wire 1	TB6612FNG A01
Motor wire 2	TB6612FNG A02

THE CODE¶

#define PWMA D10
#define IN1  D9
#define IN2  D8
#define STBY D7
#define BUTTON D6

bool motorState = false;      // false = OFF, true = ON
bool lastButtonState = HIGH;  // for detecting button press

void setup() {
  pinMode(PWMA, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN2, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(STBY, OUTPUT);

  pinMode(BUTTON, INPUT_PULLUP); // internal pull-up resistor

  // Enable motor driver
  digitalWrite(STBY, HIGH);

  stopMotor();
}

void loop() {
  bool currentButtonState = digitalRead(BUTTON);

  // Detect button press (HIGH → LOW transition)
  if (lastButtonState == HIGH && currentButtonState == LOW) {
    motorState = !motorState; // toggle state
    delay(200); // simple debounce
  }

  lastButtonState = currentButtonState;

  // Control motor based on state
  if (motorState) {
    rotateForward(40);
  } else {
    stopMotor();
  }
}

void rotateForward(int speed) {
  digitalWrite(IN1, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(IN2, LOW);
  analogWrite(PWMA, speed);
}

void stopMotor() {
  digitalWrite(IN1, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN2, LOW);
  analogWrite(PWMA, 0);
}

THE PLACEMENT¶

with technical support of: Jose Ángel Gerardo Mora Aquino

. . . . . . .

All project & material experiment images are my own & were photographed by me.

Other images are credited to the respective artists below.