Node.js Interactive 2015

From a textile loom to a desktop computer; the stitches in your garment and the letters on your screen are both the result of operations executed on data. As a web engineer, I never wondered what the data looked like to computers.

Then I started a craft project to convert graphics into knit patterns for an electric knitting machine. Little did I know, I was researching the origins of computer: textile looms operated by punch cards. By knitting fabric, I learned to give instructions to a machine with just 2 signals. I discovered what a 'bit' really is, in my scarf! This tactile experience with binary made everything in my JavaScript work much clearer.

I'd like to share my learning from making "Node.js app for craft" (8 bit punch card computer with Arduino + Jhonny-Five + Socket.io with web interface) It involves JS Robotics, Websockets, Canvas, and electron.js to tie all together.