Dr Nate Adams

Live Streaming Circus Data

2022-08-15T00:00:00-07:00

While sick with the dreaded corona in March 2022, I sent a delirious text message to Marieke at Cheltenham Science Festival asking if there was any chance I could come and do something silly at the festival. Annoyingly she said I could come do the Demo Challenge again. Dammit.

For some reason I take the demo challenge very seriously. It’s the event where you can legit push yourself to the max creatively, cause there is a joyful glee that you might fail. But if you are going to fail, you may as well fail big. My challenge to myself, demonstrate the forces experienced by my body while performing circus tricks to demonstrate how we exploit beats and gravity to throw ourselves into different poses.

The Device

The idea behind my demo has been brewing since the start of the pandemic. While most of my pandemic was spent doom scrolling, my friend Tanya and I had an idea of live streaming the level of force experienced by the body of an aerialist while perfoming tricks, and then using that data to then do something. That was the easy part.

But what next? Making the damn thing. Time was spent with off the shelf USB accelerometers (can not live stream unless willing to spend lots of money), BBC MicroBits (interesting, but I could never get battery packs to work). How about the fancy Apple Watch I have on my wrist? Of course Apple locks down all the data on the device. I needed something hackable, that I could use Python on, and had some familiarity with - I settled on trying using an Arduino Nano 33 BLE.

Not only does it have a 64 MHz processor, with a whopping 1 Mb of hard drive space, it also contains a two very important parts - the 9 axis Accelerometer and Gyroscope for measuring current forces and position, and the Bluetooth Low Energy module which allows data to be wirelessly transmitted. The couple of battery connectors mean you can wire up an a coin cell battery and violá, you have an scratchy Apple watch that has terrible battery life and can’t even tell the time. But, you can programe it and with a bit of magic, interface it with Python to work with data!

What do I need?

To be recreate and extend this demo you will need to purchase (with example links for purchasing, but you find other suppliers):

Item	Notes	Link
Arduino Nano 33 BLE	The mircocontroller which has the sensors.	Arduino Nano 33 BLE
Coin Cell Battery Pack	You’ll need this to power the Arudino while you are in the air	Coin Cell Battery Pack
Harness	I had to find a way to attach the sensor to myself in a secure place that wouldn’t get damaged by the rope. After some trial and error, I decided an elastic harness was probably best. This is the one I bought.	Spider Harness The nature of buying harnesses mean that if you adventure further into this website, you might find some NSFW content 😬.
CR 2032 Coin Cell Batteries	You need to power your device.	From the Mega Corp
Needle and Thread	To attach the Arduino and Battery Pack to your harness
Windows Laptop	You need to ensure you have a Bluetooth 5.0 compatible chipset.	You could also buy a Bluetooth 5.0 chipset with high gain antenna (which I used for performance purposes)

I put all this together to make this beautiful system which I can wear on my back between my shoulder blades.

The Code

I broke down the goals of this demo into progressions of ‘difficulty’.

View accelerometer/gyroscope data
Stream data over BLE
Plot data
Live plot data on an animated graph
Send the data on to a game engine to make visualisations.

Comms between the Sensor and Python

The Arduino is very easy to connect to over USB as a Serial device to view, and even plot data live. But things get way more complicated when it comes to streaming data over BLE. In simple terms, BLE is a terrible protocol to use for live streaming data, as my friend Kevin told me multiple multiple times.

Thank god for Kevin - as without him I wouldn’t have got past step 1 in the time I had avaliable. Luckily Kevin is a very good software engineer and has lots of experiences with embedded software programming. While I was out training for the demonstration, Kevin wrote the code to get it all to work. Thanks Kevin! We also know that this code isn’t the neatest or most efficient, but we had very little time.

Let’s start with the link to the GitHub Repo which contains the code required to get everything up and running. In terms of requirements, we have only gotten things to work on Windows, but I imagine with a bit of editing you should also be able to use a Mac. It requires Python 3 and of course a number of other required packages.

Installation

Arduino

Download and install the Arduino Desktop software from Arduino. You will also need to install support for the Arduino Nano BLE and install the Ardiuno_LSM9DS1 and ArduinoBLE libraries using the package manager.

Use the Arduino desktop software to install the Nano_Data_Sensing.ino file onto the Arduino Nano 33 BLE. If everything compiles and works properly then you should be good to go!

Python Code

Personally I would set up a new virtual environment(https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-setup-virtual-environments-in-python/) for the system as the code needs quite a few packages, probably of a specific version.

Install the requirements into your new environment.

Running The Demo

Power up the Arduino Nano
Run the main.py script using this environment and if everything was installed correctly, and your bluetooth is all working then hopefully you should see a beutiful promt saying looking for Arduino. When it connects the plots will be displayed in a seperate window!
Hack together your own demos / visualisations / etc. You’ll notice that there is some code in there for websockets - we used this to stream the sensor data to an Unreal Game Engine - but you could use the data for all sorts of things.

Bike Touring

2019-10-14T01:40:22-07:00

Betty and George Michael relaxing on the Loire Valley in France

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few years cycle touring. Most of the time I’m with my husband exploring, but I also did my epic solo trip down the West Coast of America in 2018. It’s a different kind of ‘slow’ tourism. You get to smell the countryside.

A few people have asked for a ‘list’ of what our gear is, and when I was starting out, it was difficult to find exhaustive list – everyone has their own style, and I cribbed things from other people. Hopefully this will be helpful for those getting into touring. It’s the best.

The bike!

The most important part I suppose. There is loads of advice out there, steel, aluminium, mixes of both. After a lot of deliberation I went for the Tour de Fer 10, in a medium frame. I called her Betty (I’m not sure why). Everyone has their own priorities. Strength, weight, riding position etc. I tried out a few till I was happy.

Betty on the Pacific Coast Highway

The Gear!

Packing for a weekend, or 6 weeks...

Essential Gear

Panniers

I’ve got Ortleib City Rollers at the rear, and Roller Classic bags on the front rack, and I have a small Ortlieb Front bag for energy bars and maps.

Tent

The MSR Tour 2 is fantastic. Lightweight, and brilliant for 1 or 2 people. It has a porch so you can cook when it’s bucketing it down outside.

Sleeping Bags

We use 3 Season ones, and pack a silk liner if we think it’s going to get mega cold.

Pillows

Inflatable pillows like these ones from Decathlon are a life saver.

Air Bed

I love my Exped synmat mattress.

Stove and Gas

We haven’t been anywhere off the beaten track where we would need anything too complex. Our little Vango stove works extremely well, and you can buy gas at any outdoor store.

Repair kit

Spare pump
CO2 pump (life saver)
Spare inner tubes
Puncture repair kit
Chain Repair kit
Allen Keys
Leatherman
First Aid kit

Bike Lock

I’ve got a medium weight Abus Steel-O-Flex lock, which has travelled many miles with me so far.

Camp Life

Cookware and Silverwear

Having tested a few things, I’ve decided Trangier is the best. I’ve got $3 knife from Walmart, a tiny spatula, a mini chopping board and a set of plastic camping cutlery have done me fine.

Coffee!

Vital! We started off with the 3-in-1 sachets – but over time the overly sweet instant coffee sachets got too sickly. These days we use an Aeropress and it makes such a difference!

Sponge and suds

I cut a kitchen sponge in half. For detergent, I clean out an old hand sanitiser bottle and fill it with dish soap. I’m now going to pack a kitchen towel to dry things off.

Chair

Another amazing purchase you don’t realise is so important. In Europe where they don’t really provide picnic tables, our Helinox Chairs are AMAZING.

Sleeping Mask and Ear Plugs

Surprisingly useful, especially when camping next to cement factories or railway lines.

Toiletries and Towel

Pack light. But you’re exposed to the elements a lot so sunscreen and moisturiser are in my pack, along with medications, soap, anti-chafe cream, toothpaste, shaver etc.

Clothes

This is a personal list, after lots of trial and error, and the fact that I don’t mind getting a bit gross, as long as I can have a shower at the end of the day!

Cycle gear

1-2 pairs of Bib shorts
2 Cycle T-shirts
2 pairs of socks
Baselayer
Wind proof
Water proof
Leg warmers

Shoes

Cycle shoes – I clip in with SPD shoes and pedals.
Actual trainers – I’ve made the mistake of not packing these, and it meant I couldn’t do extended walks – I missed out on a fair few ‘cool’ sights in America.
Flipflops/sandels for camp.

Civilian Clothes

Pair of rip off out door trousers. So you can have shorts or trousers.
2 T-shirts
1 Jumper/Hoodie
1 Down Jacket
1 Cap and 1 Wooly Hat
Thermals
2 pairs of boxers and socks

Tech + Entertainment

I’ve been on tours where I had to keep in contact with work and do marking. I wouldn’t recommend taking an iPad, but that was the easiest way to keep up with work while not lugging round a laptop. Otherwise, the usual tech I pack include.

Phone

With a good camera so you don’t need to take a spare one. Keep in contact with family, have maps, access to the world and podcasts, useful when lonely/lost.

Kindle

Books! All the books without the weight.

GPS

My Garmin sends my location when I’m riding so my family know I’m safe (it even send a text if I crash). Add a heart rate monitor and have ALL THE STATS.

Battery Pack

Keep your tech on battery saver mode, and with a 20,000 mAH battery you can stay connected for almost a week.

Bone Conduction Headphones

Lifesavers at the end of an 8 hour slog to camp. Music, podcasts, audiobooks, all useful when you reach a mental roadblock. I’ve got the Aftershock Titanium.

Paper Maps

Useful for the broader perspective of where you are, great in the pub at the end of the day.

Torches

Head torch and a lamp for your tent are VITAL.

Getting circus fit for Cheltenham Science Festival

2019-06-15T04:40:34-07:00

Every year I set myself an over ambitious challenge. Something that takes an extended period of time to learn, practise and develop. Last year while I was riding down the Pacific Coast of America, I set on the idea that for my 33rd year, I would challenge myself to get good enough at Aerial Silks to be able to perform in front of an audience. At this year’s Over Ambitious Demonstration Challenge (#demochallenge) at Cheltenham Science Festival, I did just that, with my set called ‘The Science of Defying Gravity’.

While I have been doing aerial for about two and half years at this point, when I started properly training for this back in January of 2019, I thought I was physically fit, but I was amazed at how much more fitness I needed to be able to do this.

My baseline fitness was from doing silks once a week for 90 minutes, with regular cross training (I swim in winter and cycle in summer and try and climb as much as I can), but to get to the fitness level I needed, I had to change my entire attitude to training. With the support of my teachers and fellow aerialists in Sheffield I properly upped my training regime. This wasn’t an overnight transition, as there is a high risk of injury from suddenly overtraining. From January onwards, I gradually increased my training, and through a process of trial and error, I came up with the following conditioning sequence to get me fit enough to do 20 minutes of aerial (while speaking!). In terms of training time, it’s probably around 10 – 15 hours a week in the aerial gym 3 – 4 times a week.

A couple of things. If you’ve never done aerial before, go to class, skill share, and be consistent, ‘gains’ happen slowly! Don’t train by yourself, and work within your physical abilities, and have rest days (I wish I had more rest days). I hope this conditioning sequence is useful to amatuers like me who are looking to get strong enough to perform. I’ve adapted it from my lessons, reddits famous body weight fitness plan and a few other sources here and there.

So here goes: This is my conditioning that I’m currently doing, at least once or twice a week:
But first warm up currently my fave is Uptown Funk.

Floor Conditioning	On silks Conditioning
* 40 Dead bugs
* 10 arm in push ups	* 4 x 10 crunches in hammock knot
* 10 normal pushups	* French climb each side
* 10 hand rotated pushups	* Russian climb each side
* 30 side crunches each side	* Straddle climb
* 30 hip raises	* Same side inversion climb
* Planks – a minute for each one	* 4 x 5 shoulder shrugs
* Front	* 4 x 5 shoulder shrugs inverted
* Sides	* 3 x hiplock each side
* Back	* 4 x 5 side crunches each side from catches wrap
* 3 x 10 Plank pull thrus	* 2 x 10 sit ups from double ankle hang
* 5 x L-sits (where ever you are at)	* Meat hooks / nut crackers on each side till it hurts
* 10 x leg lifts from shoulder bridge	* Inversion (short or long arm)
* Core rolls-ups – as many as you can do rapidly	* 3 x pike
* 2 x 5 straddle and/or pike inversions	* 3 x straddle
* 20 x hip dips from plank	* 3 x tuck
* 1 minute supported hand stand against the wall
* 40 x each leg Quadruped Hip Extension
* 10 x each side ‘dog peeing on fire hydrant’ (but with straight legs)
* Shoulder/wrist mobility – I follow this – buy a theraband they are great.

I’ll usually take a 20 minute break at this point to recover, eat some food, have a coffee, then I start practising either my routine, or some moves I’m interested in working on. I’ll practise for an hour or two, and then have a cool down. On non conditioning days I just warm up and go straight for the routine or sequence practise until I hurt too much.