ArtLab UROP Poster Presentation 2015

Laura Nicholson was our Undergraduate Research Opportunity Placement (UROP) 2015 student. On Wednesday 11th November Laura presented her UROP research poster.



The poster reflected the two strands to Laura’s UROP experience. Laura began UROP in the ArtLab developing ideas for Widening Participation workshops in schools to introduce children to electronics through art. The sessions were developed over the summer, trialling them in local Reading schools, discussing and refining the workshops with members of the ArtLab team. Laura also developed ideas for sessions with Reading Scholars and UNESCO’s year of Light. 

During the schools workshops Laura was able to develop a creative approach to technology for children in schools, focussing on facilitating kinetic elements in the objects using the littlebits electronics kits. 



She also developed approaches for using storytelling to help children understand how the electronics work. 

The UROP poster also displayed Laura’s work as part of the SPHEREresearch project.The project researches ideas for wearable technology to monitor health in the home. Laura was able to discuss ideas for wearable technologies with members of the team from systems engineering and worked towards developing a piece of clothing that could potentially  monitor posture. She was able to research current trends in fashion and share with the technologists ideas to create a shirt that was attractive and practical. Her experiments with silicon rubber embedding the sensors highlighted problems with durability, size and comfort of the current projects sensors.The images below show a prototype teeshirt, the shirt has sensors to show spine position and also contains vibration. There is still much more to develop with this idea.

Creature in a Cup Workshop

On Tuesday this week we took the littleBits kit from the ArtLab to the Institute of Education so that a group of (trainee) primary school teachers could experience the Creature in a Cup Workshop first hand and see how it cold potentially be used within their own teaching practice. After a short introduction about how to use the modules by Kassie and Laura, each of the group created a simple creature using basic craft materials.

Unlike the Creature in a Cup workshop we gave at the primary schools over the Summer, where children made creatures out of any materials to hand (including boxes, plastic bottles, etc.) this workshop used only paper cups and a variety of craft materials to create the creatures. We had only 1.5 hours for this workshop, so anything larger would have been difficult!

This creature has an antenna that swings to and fro on top and wheels so that it can move around on the table:

This bird-like example has a moving tail ....

... and I think this one has moving arks, powered by a servo:

Some additional photos of the workshop:

Feedback was collected at the end of the workshop using an audio recorder, and suggests that the activity could be used (possibly in a variety of modified forms) for school workshops to assist in teaching subject right across the curriculum. We have invited the group to visit the ArtLab at the Department of Art at Reading University so that they can see the facilities for Widening Participation, and to arrange future workshop sessions.

ArtLab Introduction Enhancement Week Nov 2nd 2015

During the ArtLab Intro session we discussed a Widening Participation Workshop and The SPHERE Research Project. After introductions to the projects, we divided up in to two groups and spent 45mins brainstorming each idea then swapping. We hope to hold more sessions this term and next as there was a lot more to find our and experiment with.

Widening Participation Workshop Antonio Portas suggested we create a based on the City X Project and our Creature in a Cup workshop that would encourage creativity, invention and develop knowledge about 3D software and 3D printing. The City X design project for children aged 8-12 uses the idea of people colonising a planet, who only have a 3D printer, requesting Earth to help them create things that don't already exist to help solve their problems.

 

We looked at the City X project resources, including the 3D modelling software Tinkercad and the video message from the City X Mayor, as we watched this video one of the ArtLab students, Katy said “thats my brother!” Still reeling from this coincidence, we discussed how we might combine some of the ideas of the City X project with how we work with the Creature in a Cup workshop exploring more of an art based angle, with the idea to make it appeal to older students.

We had noticed that the International Space Station was reported in the news 28.10.15 to have printed ratchet wrench from the new 3-D printer aboard the International Space Station. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30549341 

Astronaut Barry Wilmore asked for a ratcheting socket wench

"The printer completed the first phase of a NASA technology demonstration by printing a tool with a design file that was transmitted from the ground to the printer. This demonstrated that a 3D printer works normally in space. In general, a 3D printer extrudes streams of heated plastic, metal or other material, building layer on top of layer to create 3 dimensional objects. Testing a 3D printer using relatively low-temperature plastic feedstock on the International Space Station is the first step towards establishing an on-demand machine shop in space, a critical enabling component for deep-space crewed missions and in-space manufacturing.”

We discussed producing items for the space station, from tooth picks to spare parts and that people would need art as well as tools if they were to inhabit space. We thought it would be interesting to propose a project where students created the first art exhibition for the International Space Station. This could entail practical design problems such as how to deal with zero gravity when exhibiting the work etc and well as great potential for creativity and invention. The workshop would encourage students to create a prototype gravity version for Earth using littleBits and various materials and a Zero gravity version to be sent as stl files for the 3D printer in the Space Station.

SPHERE Research Introduction

The group looked at the intro to fashion trends and wearable technologies that fashion designer Ella Sharp had presented to SPHERE researchers including the video of Hussein Chalayans collection from 2007. We explained that the SPHERE projects aim is to create wearables for monitoring health in the home, but that to make the idea of being monitored become desirable/acceptable the clothes needed to be inventive and appeal to people so they would want to wear them. So coming at the problem an art perspective gives another layer of potential for the researchers ideas. The issue of whether the idea of creating clothes that monitor you was ethical was also discussed and raises interesting complex issues.

 

The image below shows Laura and Nic working who have been working on the SPHERE with half the group exploring how sensors could be installed into clothing as part of the SPHERE research project, we had various clothes available for people to try embedding the sensors but the designer model drawings were most popular. There were some really interesting ideas, we need more time to explore how they can be embedded into clothes or into the material itself.

A few example of initial ideas for Wearable Sensors. (you can find them all on the ArtLab SPHERE page)

Introduction to ARTLAB Enhancement 

ArtLab promotes Widening Participation and Research. The Enhancement session will introduce students to two projects running as part of ArtLab, we hope students at the intro session will generate ideas and gain an understanding of the potential of the technology, and be inspired for their own practice and contribute to existing ArtLab projects. We hope to hold further sessions throughout the academic year.

Project ONE   “Life the Universe and Everything” (Adams, D., 1982) 

Developing a Widening Participation workshop for secondary schools that encourages students to think creatively designing objects that might be needed by people who are on a planet with only a 3D printer. The idea is to find out what they need on the planet and invent new objects, that don’t exist on earth, first by making a prototype using hands-on recycled materials and littleBits electronics kits, then transferring the design into a 3D modelling program and print out using the 3D printer.

We will use the following materials as a starting point:

A design project for Primary Schools http://www.cityxproject.com

An easy to use, free, 3D design software application https://www.tinkercad.com/
The idea is to take some of the ideas of the City X project and mix in with a workshop we have been doing called 'Creature in a Cup' using Littlebits. You can find out what we did here
http://artlabuniversityofreading.blogspot.co.uk/p/creature-in-cup.html#arttech
We are hoping to develop a new version of the workshop, designing something to send off to the 3d printer, after prototyping it in a hands-on session with boxes, and tubes and tape and littlebits.
We may need to develop our own learning resources such as an alternative introductory video, or other ways of conveying the info, to set the scene?
How can we make it appeal to students at Secondary School? We hope to visit schools in the Reading area in 2016 with this workshop.

Project Two: Wearable Technologies SPHERE Research Workshop

Contributing to the EPSRC funded research project SPHERE


SPHERE is working with clinicians, engineers, designers and social care professionals as well as members of the public to develop sensor technologies that could be used to monitor health that would be acceptable for the public to use in their homes.

The technology could help in the following ways:
The sensors for health could help in a number of ways for example, predict falls and detect strokes so that help may be summoned.
Analyse eating behaviour - including whether people are taking prescribed medication.
Detect periods of depression or anxiety and intervene using a computer based therapy

SPHERE is developing a number of different sensors that will combine to build a picture of how we live in our homes. This information can then be used to spot issues that might indicate a medical or well-being problem.

ArtLab has been invited to experiment with embedding sensors in clothing and to experiment creating ideas, designs for wearable technologies in clothes, jewellery, for health, artwork, dance, instruments, etc.

Brackets for littleBits Servos

During the 'Creature in a Cup' workshops that we have been giving at the schools in Reading, it became clear that some form of support was required for the servos to hold them in place when building mechanical things. For example, many students wanted their creature to have a mouth or beak which opened and closed, or arms that moved, but simply sticking the servo using tape was not satisfactory, and the servo usually became detached very quickly. The problem is that the servo itself has a small surface area at the base, and so there is not enough contact area here to mount it firmly. As a response to this issue, we created a very simple servo bracket, and 3D printed it using our CubeX. Here is the first version (in black):

The servo bracket (version 1) straight after 3D printing.

Close up of the servo bracket.

 Here is the same bracket with the servo inserted. It fits tight inside, so only requires a small piece of tape to hold it in place:

Servo bracket with servo in place

A close up view of the servo bracket with servo in place

An alternate view of the servo bracket with servo in place

Although the version 1 servo bracket did indeed work well, we upgraded it slightly and made the surface area larger, also left some space to wrap tape (or wire) around. This next version is printed in neon green, and stands out better:

Version 2 of servo bracket (in neon green) and the original black servo bracket.

Close up of version 2 servo bracket.

We are currently road testing the new servo brackets, and will post the results in the next week or so.

The video below shows the bracket in use during on eof the school workshops:

Idea development for Widening Participation Schools Workshops 2015

Laura and Matthew our ArtLab Undergraduate Research Opportunity Students (UROP) tried out the littleBits kits in preparation for our summer Widening Participation Workshop series at local schools.

They were developing ideas for Creature in a Cup exploring how to create movement and sounds with the Synth kits.

Matt described this as a Zombie in a cup.......

Lauras cat in cup.....

Laura makes some interesting scifi sounds with this one

Animating drawing as cutouts

UROP Student Workshop for laser engraving and cutting

We planned on giving our UROP Summer placement students some time in the ArtLab so they could try some of the equipment (e.g. the laser cutter, 3D printers and 3D scanner), as they are directly involved with the WP workshops that start this coming week. On Wednesday this week they were given some time using the laser cutter. The workshop started with a simple example using a digestive biscuit, on which Laura etched an image. The settings used for the biscuit were the same as for a light engrave for Birch plywood, and the biscuit engraved well.

On reflection, perhaps a biscuit without so much surface texture would give a better output ... we'll keep on experimenting. Note: we placed the biscuit onto a clean sheet of paper before engraving so you could eat the biscuit afterwards.

Laura also cut out a basic keyfob which she had designed with the laserCut software, using fluorescent yellow acrylic:

Setting up the start point for cutting.

Then Matthew created a simple design for a keyfob (for his dog) using Birch plywood. In both cases this illustrates three basic  processes using the laser cutter: engraving, inner cut and outer cut.

Laser Cutter workshop 2

On Tuesday we held another session using the LS3060 laser cutter so that staff members in the Art Department at Reading University could try out the laser cutter. Those present were: Tina, Wendy and Nick. To kick off, there was a short demo to illustrate the basic process in which we engraved some text on a digestive biscuit, just for the fun of it:

The each participant at the workshop created a simple keyfob to illustrate three basic processes: engraving, inner cuts and outer cuts. Unfortunately, nobody took photos of them at the workshop (including me), so we'll have to add them later!

Note: we'll be doing a few more workshops for staff in Dept of Art if anyone reading this is interested. It can be anything from AutoCad basics, 3D Max, laser cutting and etching, and 3D printing.

Unblocking the print head on the CubePro

The CubePro is shown in the image above on the left. The week before last one of the extruders became jammed, which meant that it had to be removed, dismantled and then examining to see where the blockage came from.

Here's what I had to do according to the procedure supplied by Cubify:

1. Level the plate and uninstall filament from the other extruder.
2. Switch off the machine, unplug the circuit board form the rear of extruder #1, and then remove the plate that holds the filament tubes in place.
3. Remove the torx screw holding the extruder in place.

It came apart quite easily, and was easy to dismantle the extruder. The filament had snapped in the filament tube (which I already knew about) but this then became lodged in the extruder itself, and prevented new filament from being installed. The blockage was removed and the extruder refitted.

Then came the fun part of levelling the plate using the setup program. It seemed to work okay, but then you also have to go through the procedure of calibrating the plate (z-gap) so that the filament dispenses evenly, and this took over an hour to get right. The big problem with this is that Cubify rather stupidly chose coarse threads for the machine screws that are used to adjust the print plate. The upshot of this is that you need to turn the screws a microscopic amount to calibrate the plate properly. A fraction of a turn too much and the filament either does not fuse properly, or overlaps too much. It takes a lot of effort of trial and error to get this right.

After finally getting the z-gap correct (well as near as I could get it) I did a test print for a tooth paste dispenser. Here is the result:

[Image to be added later]

I don't think the quality of print is as good as the little Cube 3. It should be better, so I guess it still needs work to get it right.

First Staff Workshop in the ArtLab

Yesterday was the first staff workshop for the ArtLab, and attended by two staff members in the Dept of Art. This was a short (two hour) workshop to introduce the laser cutter, show what it's capabilities are and how to do some basic engraving and cutting. The task was to create a simple keyfob with engraved text, a simple engraved image, and a hole for the keyring. This example was chosen since it demonstrates image and text engraving, inner cut (for the hole) and an outer cut. The idea was demonstrated by Nic:

Nic showing the keyfob idea.

Showing the wooden example I made earlier.

The design on the keyfob was to be a soundwave that we recorded (of the Cube 3D printer making a lot of whirring and clunking noises), converted to a black and white 1-bit bitmap and then imported to LaserCut, plus text underneath.

Christine is importing the image file and adding text to the design to be uploaded to the laser cutter.

The design was then etched onto dark tinted acrylic, and cut out:

Christine's design etched onto tinted acrylic

The acrylic sheet on the laser cutter bed

the next workshop will be in June, and we will be showing the summer placement students (who will be working alongside us on the Creature in a Cup workshops) how to use some of the kit, including the 3D scanner, 3D printers and the laser cutter.

Driving a Stepper Motor with an ATTiny85 Microcontroller

Tim Sunerton is currently a student in the Art Dept at The University of Reading and wanted to power a number of roller blinds with motors so that they would move up and down. He had already produced one which moved the blind down into a trough of paint and then lifted this back up again and smeared the paint onto a canvas (see Tim's Blind). The blind was powered by a NEMA17 type stepper motor, a motor driver and an Arduino Uno. To attach the motor to the blind, a coupling was fabricated using the 3D printer. 

For the current project (four blinds) and as an exercise in making things smaller I suggested that the blinds could be powered by ATTiny85 microcontrollers, as we don't need all of the ports that the Uno offers. I built a test rig using some stripboard, a voltage regulator (plus a few capacitors) and an ATTiny85. The first image shows the ATTiny85 on the stripboard:

The two wires coming out of the left side of the board connect it to the power supply (in this case a bench power supply @ 12V); the wires at the right power the stepper driver and provide the pulses to drive the motor:

The ATTiny85 was programmed by piggy-backing on an Uno, which I have to say is very easy, although I eventually decided to make a programmer shield for the Uno so that you can just plug in the ATTiny85 directly into the shield and program it without needing to connect any wires. (Note: the stepper motor above was not used for Tim's blind project - just for testing. He used much larger motors for his project).

I made three of these boards and Tim used them in his project. We also had to fabricate 4 new adapters for the blinds. One of the blinds was quite big, and even though Tim used a higher torque motor, the weight of the canvas on the blind pulled the blind down against the force of the motor. This was a bit of a problem, and the solution seemed to be in gearing the motor in some way to increase the torque. After a little thought, I came up with this:

A worm gear that would increase the torque by an order of magnitude, and stop the blind from pulling down. Here's the work in progress as we tested out the motor driver (and killed it, though fortunately had a spare) and programmed the microcontroller for speed and the correct number of rotations:

We used the Uno for this particular arrangement after having blown the original driver. The motor was later attached to the frame using the bracket that we fabricated with the Cube:

Note the lack of hole in the centre of the front mount. Whoops. We later drilled a hole using a pillar drill.