Here it is folks… It’s been a long five months since my last entry, but I’ve got a newly completed project to share with ya’ll internet friends!
The Improvised Foam Device
A critical look at contemporary society’s tendency towards fear and overreaction. Inspired by two recent public art “scares.”
Do yourself a favor, and watch in fullscreen!
I started getting very interested in the graffiti installations and throwie LEDs that were used as street art. I wanted to incorporate the idea into something more functional and interactive. I call it the Throwlampthrowpy in which LED throwies are thrown into a lamp shade with a magnetic bottom to light up. The package that the lamp comes inside of is made from craft paper and meant to be ripped apart. On the inside one would find the pieces that are needed to assemble the lamp as well as 16 LEDs to light up the lamp. The instructions on how to build the lamp are also printed on the inside of the packaging.
The hair-brained inspiration behind this project was the notion than rather than getting lost in the bermuda triangle, Amelia Earhart blasted off to space and went adventuring to far away galaxies. While traversing a nebulous black-hole, her typical pilot hat was transformed into this technicoloured beacon of light that enabled her fight off alien species or the occasional asteroid. In this short film, I attempt to accurately depict her voyage in space:
The pilot hat is made of buttery black leather and lined with padded gold satin for space safety and comfort. It is illuminated by 17 Smart Pixel retina burning GRB LEDS, commanded by a cute Flora using code based off the sample code provided by AdaFruit. The stranded copper wire is stitched to the surface with gold embroidery thread and embellished with a few sequins and rhinestones. The pattern was drafted on a styrofoam head and enlarged for my giant noggin.
Process:
snazzy photos of a foxy lady wearing this jazzy number to be posted soon!
I am a huge fan of entomology displays, and wanted to create one that is interactive. When the copper tape on the surface of the frame is touched, the butterflies illuminate through a capacitive touch sensor. The blank white strip of paper to the side of each butterfly shows the name, scientific and common, for a bit of unexpected learning.
I created a box frame that is deep enough to house the paper butterflies along with the Arduino and breadboard. I would liked to have made a larger version with a ton of insects but three ended up being a challenge in itself.
Here is the display in action:
I would like to introduce to you Hour Clock v2.0. If you remember my thermo-chromatic clock did not work out as I had hoped and I had to leave that on the wayside. Hour Clock v2.0 is essentially the same logic, only I used the laser cutter to hatch out the numbers and used arduino along with a RTC chip to program my time.
I am quite happy with how the clock has turned out, below is a short rough video of how it functions as well as a couple more process shots.
Detail of the hatched numbers.
The code works!
DS1307 RTC Module
I’m really excited to share the Music Box Portrait with you. As you all know, I’m obsessed with analog photography (thats why many of my prototypes at SVA have been focused around cameras). This project is a 3D printed camera body that plays music and takes a picture when the user turns a crank. I even included some mirrored plexi so that you could check your hair before the big shoot.
Its a little absurd, but thats the point.
This particular iteration, “Version 2.0 ” is outfitted to work with a disposable camera.
Here is an early prototype made out of foam core and acrylic. I had a lot of fun in the early stages of development, figuring out how this would work. I felt a tad nostalgic for my architecture school days, making sketch models!
This photo shows the in-progress 3D print. I designed the parts in Solid Works with the help of some of my classmates. I’m a Rhino guy, what can I say? But Solid Works is a lot better for precise modeling and engineering. Yes, yes I actually calculated the gear ratios for this bad boy.
I had to saw off the handle for my little music box, but was able to attach the itty-bitty gear to it using acrylic glue. This photo shows – Nuts. Bolts. Prints. Music.
The finished product! Please check out my video.
I bike almost everyday in New York City. Because of work and school, I am often on the road late at night so road safety is a big concern. But even with LED headlights and taillights (as required by law), drivers seldom seem to pay much attention to those who travel on two wheels.
The Heart Bike Jacket is designed to bring a level of human-ness to my bike gear. By mimicking the shape of a real human heart, I hope to remind drivers behind me that I’m not just a nuisance on the road; I’m also a living human being, subject to the hazards of the road and much less protected than the driver.
Prototyping
I set out by illustrating vector shapes of the human heart and the various components of this complex organ based on 3D computer renders:
I then lasercut layers of frosted and clear acrylic, building in tiny holes for alignment.
Initially, I was unaware of the effects of epoxy on the EL panel, so I accidentally destroyed my first sample.
When I re-attempted, I scaled-up the pieces (in order to maximize the area of the EL panel), added additional holes along the edges in order to secure them together with thread, and used tape to attach the panel to the acrylic instead. The precut holes also allowed the light to be sewn directly onto the jacket.
Here is a video I created to showcase the Heart Bike Jacket:
I always loved to jump rope. Jump rope can be played with one or more people and it is a fun and good exercise for kinds in urban setting. In Japan, jump rope is very big among kids. They take this simple exercise very seriously(as you can see below). Growing up I learned a lot of fun jump rope skills.
Here’s my movie. I had so much fun making this movie.
My concept is centered around peace.
Being in a program that requires you to spend all your time with 16 other people, sometimes creates a tension, and I wanted my project to promote positive behavior in the workspace.
The Friend(ly) Light Bug is a bug that you connect to your lamp and into the socket. It reacts to the sound levels of your conversation, and when it thinks you are out of control, it will flash. As soon as you calm down so does the lamp.
Watch this video to learn more!