ITP
Meet the MakerBots
I introduced ITP’s resident MakerBots, the Cupcake CNC and Thing-O-Matic at an ITP Camp session last week. Adi Marom and I have been assembling and getting to know the ‘Bots over the course of the Spring semester. We’re still having some problems with the Thing-O-Matic, but the Cupcake is running smoothly. During the session we [...]
Circadian Sea: Video
Yesterday I presented my thesis, Circadian Sea, to ITP faculty and students. Circadian Sea is an interactive display of bioluminescent algae. Cultures of Pyrocystis fusiformis are enclosed in a structure of transparent acrylic spheres, inviting users to manipulate and inspect the algae on a range of scales, from small groups of individually discernable plankton to [...]
Thesis: Visual documentation
In order to document my thesis work, I’ve been struggling to shoot photos and video of bioluminescent algae as it glows. The challenge stems from the fact that the algae only glows when it’s agitated, and it can only be seen in the dark. Last night I took a few pictures and shot some video [...]
Bestiary at MoCCA Festival
We’ll be showing Bestiary at the MoCCA Festival this weekend. Come visit us and see some great comics-related work by other ITP students, faculty, and alumni.
Bio & Materiality: Solar Power from Stained Glass
A couple of weeks ago a visitor from Konarka came to speak to our Design Frontiers in Biology and Materiality class about their flexible and printable solar panels. The panels are extremely thin, bendable, and semi-transparent. They can be printed in different colors and patterns. I worked with Jill Haeffle and Elizabeth Fuller to develop [...]
Cabinets of Wonder: Treehouse Museum
Treehouse Museum Presentation Slides. During Cabinets of Wonder, a course on design for museums, we were asked us to present a pitch for our “dream museum.” We were to assume we had a massive budget, and that any barriers could be overcome; if it was physically possible, we could propose it. I chose to focus [...]
Thesis: Midterm Presentation
Thesis Midterm Presentation Slides We had a few visitors in class last week, and I really enjoyed hearing their feedback on my thesis. In developing my presentation, I realized that I have several unanswered questions that I’m grappling with, outside of the technical challenges of developing a rewarding way for people to interact with bioluminescent [...]
Bio & Materiality: c-lab
We were asked to provide a short overview of someone working in Bio Art for our classmates in Design Frontiers in Biology and Materiality; I chose c-lab, an art/science studio lab based in London. It’s led by two artists, Howard Boland and Laura Cinti, who aim “to produce cultural holes that allow artistic exploration of [...]
Thesis: What is it?
This week Despina asked us three questions: Write 2-3 sentences clear description of your project (imagine it is Thanksgiving and your 16 year cousin and 74 year uncle ask you to describe your thesis). I am building a display that will let you experience the magic of bioluminescent algae outside of its usual context. The [...]
Thesis: Preliminary Drawings
This week I’ve been doing some preliminary sketches for what I’m starting to think of as algae pixels. The idea is to create a way for people to experience an interaction with bioluminescent algae that’s not too far off from seeing it in the ocean. For the first prototype I’m going to be testing ways [...]
Toy Design Workshop: Mood Board
For Toy Design Workshop I’m developing a building toy that will integrate well with outdoor play and natural materials. As a kid I was always frustrated by the disconnect between the aesthetics of Legos or blocks and the twigs and moss I liked to build with in my yard. So, my plan is to prototype [...]
Thesis: Timeline
Feb. 18: concept drawings, grow box, annotated bibliography, paper outline, request for space, project calendar/worksheet Feb. 25: containers for pixels, agitation & sensor possibilities, presentation for mid-semester critique, work out low-light photos for documentation March 4: fake interaction test (wizard of oz), order components, pixel working without sensing, documentation March 11: module with sensing, documentation [...]
Bio & Materiality: Bioluminescence
Our first assignment in Design Frontiers in Biology and Materiality was to recreate favorite science experiments from when we were kids. I immediately thought back to summer evenings I spent on Orcas Island, skipping stones into water that sparkled with bioluminescence. After doing a little reading to see if I could actually grow bioluminescent algae [...]
Thesis: Mood Board
Thesis Mood Board Stuff it includes: America Windows by Marc Chagall Bioglyphs exhibit at MSU Bozeman Rocky Shore exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium Wind Board by Leah Buechley Funky Forest by Theo Watson Bestiary by me and Bryan Lence Firefly by Jason Krugman Music: where_have_all_my_files_gone? by Rachel’s
Gratitude
Gratitude is an interactive display that encourages people to reflect upon moments of feeling grateful. It is comprised of a wall-mounted wood panel, lit from behind. Capacitive touch sensing allows users to seed the panel with moments of gratitude that inspire later moments of contemplation for each other. Materials include laser cut pecan veneer, sanded [...]
Rest of You: Controlling Video with Heart Rate
In working with the HRMI over the last few weeks, I’ve been intrigued by how easy it is to manipulate my own heart rate, either slowing it by sitting still and breathing deeply, or speeding it up simply by waving my arms a little. I also happened to watch some video of jellyfish, and I [...]
Cabinets Week 8: Museum Design Manifesto
Week 8: time to distill what we’ve loved and hated about all of our museum visits over the past few weeks into our own experience design manifestos. Here’s mine… Transport and/or transform the audience, if only for a moment. Inspire wonder, curiosity, and delight, even in the face of difficult subjects. Expect the best from [...]
Rest of You Week 3: Graphing Data from a File
Slowly getting there… I’m still having problems with the FileGrapherScroll sketch, but I got the plain FileGrapher working with a few small changes: Red is the sound level, which I still need to smooth out a bit. Green is my heart rate. Note that the y values are increasing rather than decreasing as they head [...]
Cabinets Week 5: New York Hall of Science
My first thought upon walking into the New York Hall of Science was, “Yay! We get to play!” My second thought was, “And I won’t have to feel like I am hogging the exhibits since there are hardly any kids here.” (Third thought? “Please don’t let me get pink eye or swine flu or whatever [...]
1-in-1: Cross-Pollination Hats
For 1-in-1 during ITP’s 30th anniversary, Kate Hartman and I made some hats in an attempt to visualize the sharing of ideas that happens everyday around the 4th floor. We were glad to find some photographic evidence of people playing with them after we left for the night.
Cabinets Week 4: Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History has always been one of my favorite places in the city, but for some reason I was really grouchy when I visited this time, and my notes reflect that. So, sorry AMNH, but this will not be the love song I might have written to you had I visited [...]
Cabinets Week 3: MJH, NMAI, & Eldridge St.
For our third week of visits, Nancy asked us to explore three museums focused on the history or art of specific communities. I chose to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and the National Museum of the American Indian. I had visited the Museum at Eldridge Street a few weeks ago, and my time there [...]
Rest of You Week 2: Heart Rate, meet Noise.
For Rest of You this week, Dan asked us to collect data from two sensors and send the data to a file. He suggested that one sensor be facing inward (e.g. galvanic skin response, heart rate, body temperature) and one be facing outward to detect environmental changes (e.g. light, noise, air temperature). I decided to [...]