Tag: maker space

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Semester full of Digital Making !

Wow the semester has flew by. I remember taking my disability design course and being heavily encouraged to take this course from my professor Dr Deana McDonagh. I heard countless success stories and instantly got interested. I remember the entire process  of sending a resume and asking access from the instructor. It made the course feel even more official and selective. I wanted to take the course because it could present even more fabrication resources and help me in product development in my startup.

Expectations…

Initially I didn’t necessarily know what to expect. From the course description I thought maybe the the class would be very hands on and explore various methods of fabrication. Even with these little to no expectations the course don’t over promise anything. The course itself wasn’t perfect but it was an overall great experience. It challenged us to think outside the box and look at what we usually consider problems as areas of opportunity for innovation. The structure of the course prompted us to use the parameters set and essentially work through things, which allowed us to learn even more. This style of teaching could go one of two ways. The class could be way to lose, which causes confusion and lack of understanding of expectations. Or it could be how this course went and really give students the opportunity to explore, fail, plan, and execute on an idea.

This course further enhanced some fabrication skills I already have and taught me some fairly new ones as well. As an industrial designer I’m constantly doing project and solving problems. Design thinking, user centered design, empathic design are all things this course subtly hinted in throughout the semester. The workshops enabled us to gain new skills and learn processes. Many of, if not all the guest speakers, provided meaningful insight throughout the semester as well. There are so many takeaways from this class.

Solestice

I was partnered with two bright young women from the college of business. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. We had a great dynamic and right away knew what we wanted to do for the remainder of the semester project.Through the many conducted interviews and mentors stories we gravitated towards Jenna. She shared with us the story of a time where she slipped on ice immediately after exiting her car. This happened all because she can’t wear boots due to the heavy nature of them. This prevents users like Jenna  and other prosthetic users from wearing them as their residual limbs are not strong enough to carry the amount of weight the boot has. This is where Solstice was birthed. We aimed to figure out a way for Jenna to increase traction without adding adding additional weight to her shoes. Our main goal was To create an attachable, lightweight shoe tread that can be used to travel in a variety of terrains.

Low Fidelity Prototype

My group and I brainstormed countless times trying to figure out how to make this idea into a real thing. We’d sketch  ideas and somehow came up with the thought of incorporating spikes ( like in track shoes) it would help with traction. Unfortunately after creating a low fidelity we realized that our user may be required to take said device off when walking indoors. We also wanted to make it as easy to use as possible, while providing a comfortable fit we thought to use velcro. This set us up perfectly to further ideate on this idea and create our very own functioning prototype at the makeathon.

At the Make-a-thon itself team Solstice focused on three main components of creating this product:  Arduino, molding, and attaching. The arduino portion was super cool and challenging. It was my first time coding and working with circuitry. Essentially this would add a unique tech factor to our tread that would allow users to have a sense of force feedback. From research we found prosthetic users have issues shifting weight which can lead to gaits abnormalities. This small pressure sensor would give them that data and in term help prevent this from happening. The design itself was fairly simple. We coded an Arduino Uno to illuminate LED lights that indicated pressure being applied. To create the pressure sensor, we sandwiched a piece of foam with two pieces of copper. Ideally, we wanted for there to be three lights, each indicating where the user is putting pressure on the tread. This would enable the user to ensure they are putting enough weight on their prosthetic to maximize stability.

In terms of creating the tread it we wanted to use a molding compound. This would allow for a lightweight thread, but ensure a grip tread form that resembles that of your regular high traction shoe. We created a mold of a shoe outsole. During this process, we coated the shoe in baby powder and mixed the molding compound to a viscosity similar to pancake mix. We held the shoe down until the mold dried. Following, we used a hot glue gun to fill in the mold with thermoplastic material. After the mold was completely filled, we used a heat gun to smooth the top of the sole, making sure the edges were slightly taller than the inside of the sole. The thermoplastic material we used was similar to silicone and, per our research, is a material that creates enough friction to prevent falling on ice.

For the sake of time and resources we opted to utilize velcro for our attaching method. It wasn’t the worst choice but also wasn’t the best as it came with its own constraints.

Overall I really did enjoy this course. From the challenging nature of it to its looseness it was a great experience. I got to learn new and exciting skills. I got to meet some amazing people. Most of all I got to make something with newly found campus wide resources. I’ve really grown as a individual because of this course. I find myself a better teammate. The collaborative portion of this course really ties teams together and promotes all hands. Hopefully you’ll see a team Solstice sole on the market. We really did nurture this product and can’t wait to see it reach its full potential. Never stop making!


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Make-a-thon

This week we got an introduction to the Make-a-thon. The participants of this event go beyond our Digital Making seminar course. Its expanded to Industrial design students from Dr. Deana McDonagh and Jim Kendall’s course, as well as students from Jeff Ginger’s Makerspace. This pre-event to the actual Make-a-thon gave us a general overview of what was going to take place leading up to the weekend long event. Later during the session there was a panel of a few returning experts and a few new ones. Some new faces were Isaac, John, and Steve. They all spoke about their disabilities and the daily frustrations they face. The panel even discussed some of the unique ways they’ve adapted to make the best of their situations.

John’s sock with three attached loops
Joh’s sock with three attached loops

Above is an image of one of John’s sock. I thought this was so simple, yet very effective. Apart of John’s condition is very minimal grip strength. So task like putting on socks or buttoning a shirt is difficult to him. A simple life hack he came up with was sewing loops on the outer edge of his sock, which he can fit around his fingers and pull on the sock. It crazy to think this is all it took and it making a huge difference.

Steve from the panel also gave us an overview of Clark Lindsey, which is a  premier retirement community for today’s accomplished adults. From the presentation he gave I found there to be quite some opportunity in this specific sector. He put a heavy emphasis on fall prevention. Maybe we can design some sort of new innovative thing around this opportunity.

The last part of the Make-a-thon pre-event was a social portion. This time was for everyone to meet and talk amongst each other. Since we’ve been working on our project for sometime  used this portion to to talk with some of the new experts and students to see if any wanted to get involved. We did meet a potential new team member from Jeff’s makerspace seminar. She seemed very interested in what it was Solestice is trying to do. After this It really just turned into a team meeting where we mapped out what we needed to from the session up until the Make-a-thon itself.


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Highlighting the FabLab: A Fabulous Resource

The UIUC FabLab is filled with unique resources not available anywhere else on campus. Even so, this semester is the first time many people in our course stepped foot in the building. I wanted to use my “Once a Semester Activity” to highlight this phenomenal place, the people inside who make it so accessible, the amazing projects that are done in this building on a regular basis, and how this location has been an asset to our course.

First Time FabLab Goers

The basics of the FabLab can be found on their website, but I think personal anecdotes are also useful in understanding the place itself. For me, the first time I entered the FabLab was in November 2017 when I was speaking with the staff about setting up a space for Stay Glassy. Stay Glassy is a part of the Illinois Enactus non-profit, creating products from glass waste. This was incredible of the FabLab to offer some of their space to student makers who had never known this space existed previously. Everything about the building is about enabling others to make what they want by giving them the skills and equipment to do it on their own. I felt this from the moment I entered the building, and while this was a niche reason to visit in the first place, I think that is common in what draws many people from campus. When you are looking for a specific tool, this place will catch your eye. When you are looking for a creative outlet, this place will catch your eye. When you are looking to make something, this place will catch your eye. While our BADM357 course brought many students for the first time, many students stumble upon this location on their own pursuing their own passion projects

Surveying some of the individuals in the FabLab, I found a common thread. Each had come either for a course, through an organization, or to work on an individual passion project. While each specific reason was different, there were many common feelings. A lot of students felt overwhelmed walking in for the first time. This was fueled mainly by the sheer number of resources, being in a new space for the first time, and being surrounded by people they had not met before. The inside of the building is also quite a juxtaposition to the outside, and the transition can be a lot. However, after overcoming the initial shock, understanding the layout, and learning the etiquette, all of the students I interviewed said they loved coming back. Going to a new place with tools you don’t know how to use can inherently be overwhelming, but the culture of the space is welcoming and fun. It is open to experimentation and artistic expression.

FabLab Etiquette

When you enter the FabLab for the first time, you may be overwhelmed as well. For that, I’d like to present a list of “What to do as a Newcomer” that will perhaps ease your transition to the space.

  1. Sign In – When you first arrive, you should sign-in on one of the tablets near the door. Signing in does not notify anyone but rather helps the FabLab keep track of who is coming and going from their facility. You don’t have to write in a particular reason for being there or fill all of the fields, but signing in is a courtesy.
  2. Find a Staff Member – There is an electronic board across from the main door that lists the staff on hand. While you may not see any of them immediately, it’s also very possible there are staff members around that aren’t listed on the board. The best thing to do is ask the first person you see if they can point you to a staff member. Many people in the FabLab are return visitors and can likely point you to someone if they themselves are not staff!
  3. Ask for a Tour – Wandering is great, but inefficient. The FabLab is filled with tools, and it’s likely you won’t know what they all do at first glance. Asking a staff member for a quick tour as a first-timer is a very easy ask and useful even if you are going in for one very specific task. Then if you ever need to go again, you’ll be familiar with the layout and the space’s capabilities!
  4. Test Yourself – Try a new example tutorial to test yourself on a new tool! If there’s a tool you are interested in but have no idea how to use it, check the tutorials page on the FabLab website. They have step-by-step instructions on anything from using SewArt to embroider clothing to creating silicone moulds to solar powered USB chargers. Starting here to learn a tool or technique is a great choice, and you can ask staff if you get stuck on any particular part.
  5. Pay for Materials or Tool Time – Some of the equipment and materials requires payment. Everything is very inexpensive for how incredible the resources are! Details about rates are posted around the shop by the machines they apply to while materials can be bought from a staff member. The FabLab accepts cash and card so it’s very accessible!
  6. Sign Out – Congratulations! You completed your first FabLab visit and hopefully overcame the first-time jitters while learning something new! On your next visit you can keep exploring, learning, and pointing out staffers to newcomers who see you as a senior FabLab-er.

Who’s at the FabLab?

The FabLab is filled with passionate individuals. In my visits, I have met people creating things for class, for fun, for profit, for their mom, for anything! There’s no good reason to not hang out at the FabLab! The FabLab is a community space, and they truly turn no one away. It is not just a student resource. It is open to community members and regularly hosts programming for kids in the area. One of the biggest users of the FabLab in the summer is summer campers! FabLab staff organizes many weekly camps all summer long to introduce kids to the space and teach them some really awesome skills. They also organize workshops for undergraduate student groups and you can browse the topics here.

Let’s See this Place!

  • Anycubic Photon 3D Resin Printer
  • User Guide for Lasers
  • Example Projects
  • 3D Printing Corner
  • Tools and Example Projects
  • Sewing Studio Room
  • Laser Options: Raster or Vector
  • Epilogue Laser in Action

While this far from encompasses everything the FabLab has to offer, it is the FabLab from my perspective.

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New Resources: A Fabulous Lab

FAB-TASTIC.

This week, we got a formal introduction to the Fab Lab. The director of the Fab Lab had previously been a guest speaker in the class, but this time we had a chance to host the class there and use their facilities. We first started with a tour of the place and the different tools they had there. They first went through their policies for use, which was surprisingly accessible. Most tools were only priced at $1 for use, and they allowed people to use their own materials while also having some for sale.

In terms of the tools, the staff went through the multiple applications of the electric cutter, which could not only be used to cut vinyl stickers, but also precision paint things if the knife part was replaced. Next, they showed us the screen printing and embroidering/sewing areas. They also introduced us to the concept of 3D printing on top of meshed fabric, which has been used a lot in the fashion industry recently (seen green scales picture for an example). Next, they showed us the milling, soldering, and electronics area, where they showed some applications, such as milling your own circuit board or working with microcontrollers. Finally, they brought us to the 3D printing and laser engraving workstations. Overall, it was really inspiring to see all these different technologies consolidated in a single area as well as to hear about many of the different projects that have been created at the lab. I was shocked to find out about such an untapped resource that I had not known that I could take advantage of as a resident of the Champaign-Urbana area.

FABRICATION IN PROGRESS.

After our brief but thorough tour, we were split into two groups to attend workshops run by the staff of the Fab Lab. I attended the workshop relating to using the laser engraver as well as the program used to vector model what we want to engrave, Inkscape. Inkscape is an open source program which is quite similar to Adobe Illustrator and allows people to vector model their illustrations; I found it really fascinating that the Fab Lab intentionally uses a lot of open source software so that when they teach people how to use their programs, the skills will continue to be applicable outside of the Fab Lab.

Within Inkscape, we started modelling an exercise watch made out of wood which would be able to track if outpatients are performing their exercises correctly. There will be motion sensors inside the watch, where if the face is facing one way, it would detect bicep curls and facing another way, wrist twists. We first modelled the watch face together while the instructors introduced us to the program, and once we started to become more familiar with Inkscape, the staff released us to add our own designs to the watch. We were instructed to keep the user base in mind and make our unique designs while thinking of certain groups, such as children or elderly outpatients.

With the last 45 minutes of class, we started brainstorming prototypes for our team products. While brainstorming, our TA Mehmet wanted us to think of new ideas quickly, never spending too much time on a single idea. We were instructed to brainstorm in different rounds with different restrictions. For example, one round we had to think as if we had a $0 budget, another if we had an unlimited budget, and yet another if we had to think of our product with children in mind. In the end, we then had to decide which prototype we thought would be the most feasible, easiest to implement, and most effective and decide based on individual team members’ decisions which prototype to make a crude 3D prototype of. In the end, Solestice decided to go with a sole that is attachable by Velcro strips to a shoe, and we will be making this prototype before the next class.