Spider Toy: April 13th Update

I have made a lot of progress this week by building the wind up toy’s skeleton, but there is still a lot more to do before the ITLL Design Expo (4/23/2016)! First I began the week by going to the ITLL machine shop to start the fabrication process of my wind up spider toy and…
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Spider Toy: Wednesday Update March 30th – Industrial Aesthetics

Just got back from spring break, and the project is coming along slowly. I went to McGuckins Hardware Store to collect several “solar powered hobby cars” to collect small plastic gears and metal parts to build a prototype of my design, and then salvage the parts for the final design.  I also bought spring steel…
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Spider Toy: Final Report #2

Introduction: This is the second part of my final report blog, and it will cover my project summary and lessons learned for students taking Aesthetic of Design. The project summary is a review of the successes, and failures of my wind up spider toy design. The purpose of this part of the report is to…
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Levitation Audio Visualizer Final Report Part 1

Project Description The Levitation Audio Visualizer is a dynamic sculptural-like device that allows a user to interact with music in a new way. Seven ping pong balls are suspended in clear columns using fans, and their suspended height is changed according to filtered frequency bands of input audio. The enclosure is made of opaque white acrylic which is illuminated by high power…
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Levitation Audio Visualizer Update

This past week was spent gathering the last of the loose ends before assembly. I purchased all the required fasteners, pipe clamps, fans, tubes, and the remaining electronic components. I was nervous about some components that were shipping from China, but luckily those arrived over the weekend. One of the items I was waiting on was the power…
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Progress Update

This week I managed to successfully filter input audio using the MSGEQ7 IC. This chip allows you to input the audio signal, and it will assign a value between 0 and 1023 for each filter range: 63Hz, 160Hz, 400Hz, 1kHz, 2.5kHz, 6.25kHz and 16kHz. After some frustrations (poor data sheet and a few mistakes while…
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Project and Schedule Udpate

My levitation audio visualizer is off to a good start. I have created a detailed BOM for the build, and I have ordered/received the parts required to prototype and functionally development one column. The remaining items to be purchased are only the ones that will be needed during the assembly of the final unit. As things are still in flux,…
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Tyler’s Project Inspiration -> Spiders!

I am really inspired by nature, especially biomimicry! Biomimicry is to look at animals and plants for sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested evolution and strategies. Note that most animals and plants can create a lot of energy, chemical changes, and power with very little initial input energy, harmless in most cases,…
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Thomas’ Aspritations

When I first decided to go into mechanical engineering, I had the idea that I would be personally designing, constructing, and assembling hardware on my day to day job. I have since found out that (most) mechanical engineers don’t actually have a large role beyond design and documentation. My dream job would be wearing the hat of…
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Tyler Smyth’s Skills

Hi team, I hope your week is going well! If you do not remember my major is mechanical engineering, so I am knowledgeable in basic coding (C, C++, Matlab, LabView), coding aurduinos, machining, electronics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and concept design. My strongest skills are in machining, welding, and design: For machining specifically, I am…
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I Don’t Even Have Any Good Skills.

I come from a mechanical background, so I have decent experience in designing for manufacturing, CAD using SolidWorks, and GD&T drafting/tolerancing for part prints. Additionally, I know how to use most of the tools in the ITLL machine shop, the instron machine, and the laser cutter. In my free time I really enjoy tinkering with electronics, and can…
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Surf Board Night Stand – Completed Project

Here is my completed surfboard night stand! I have wanted to do this project for a while, because a summer back I drove this surfboard all the way from my hometown in Newport Beach, CA. And this was the first time a well thought out idea had come to mind during the upcycle project. The…
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Upcycling A Bird Bath

                It was hard to find the right idea when beginning this Upcycle project. I built a surf board table, broke a bunch scrap material around my house and tried to make anything from it, and I electrocuted myself too. But after travelling with a friend to Boulder Scrap Yard (63rd & Arapahoe), I finally thought of the…
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Bucket Hat

Every ten or so years, the bucket hat seems to make a come back in fashion and trendy streetwear. With each life cycle, the style is tweaked, and it somehow resumes a completely reinvented aesthetic. If you do not know about this trend, this article does a far better job at explaining the background that I can: http://www.bustle.com/articles/27831-whatever-happened-to-bucket-hats-oh-wait-theyre-back The current trend of…
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The Evolving Nerd Culture

The Nerd (adjective: nerdy), is a descriptive word to identify a person who is overly intelligent, obsessive, and/or lacking social skills. Typically this individual may spend outrageous amount of time on obscure, unpopular, non-mainstream activities or culture. Also, generally speaking the topics usually have a highly technical theme or relating to fantasy and fiction. A…
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Modern Aesthetics of Coffee

For many people, drinking their morning coffee is a ritual needed to kick start the day. Coffee was popularized across Europe in the 17th century, which quickly launched Brazil into becoming the worlds largest bean producer [1]. Today, the average US citizen consumes 7.5lb of beans annually [2]. Recently, coffee has experienced a craft revolution that has popularized micro-roasteries, local coffee shops, espresso drinks,…
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