In the second half of the Final report – I wanted to show the procedure & steps taken by our robot  as it takes it final shape. Also, the challenges encountered till now and challenges what awaits me in pursuit of building a human size sci-fi inspired robot. The intended timeline of the project was as follows – Timeline:  April 1 – April 10: Sourcing of Components and order placement. April 10 – April 20: Design Concept final and fabrication material and plan readiness April…

I’ll be exploring the inspirations, vision, and design process behind my attempt to build a dynamic robot. Inspiration: I am fond of Sci-Fi literature as I believe this is most important form of literature which impact and guides the future of our world. It talks about how the world intend to be, how computers may forge the world of tomorrow among many other prescient events. My main inspiration for trying to build a sci fi robot aesthetic stems from – Simon Stålenhag’s Tales from the…

  Following this timeline, I started this project by choosing strandbeest as my inspiration and goal. From there, I created multiple sketches to try out different aesthetics I wanted my strandbeest to conform to. Initially, I was planning to have my aesthetic be lifelike/organic; however, when I started my 2nd iteration, I changed it to minimalistic/industrial. After Spring Break was where I began making CAD models of my design. The 1st iteration focused on getting the 2D layout down and how the leg would move.…

Ah! and the cycle of iteration continues. I have realized how much I was underestimating the time and resources required to pull off building an entire functional robot in middle of the semester. Anyhow, this was interesting tradeoffs which helped me zeroed in on my final build shape form. I have decided to build a 5 DOF robotic arm for which the CAD part is completed and I am planning to optimize the arms for the additively manufacturing. Also, the stepper motors have been ordered…

For my aesthetic, I have had considerable trouble trying to figure it out and decide on my project. However, I have always been interested in two major themes: organic architecture and engineering. I have always been interested in these 2 topics and a while ago I discovered kinetic sculptures. One of my favorite artists is Theo Jansen, a Dutch artist famous for making Strandbeest. “Theo Jansen is engaged in creating new forms of life: the so-called strandbeests. Skeletons made from yellow plastic tube (Dutch electricity…

For my final project, I plan to create a 3D-printed strandbeest. This is inspired by Theo Jansen who create Strandbeest, “Sand Beasts”. They are self-propelling walking sculptures. One such example of Jansen’s work is the picture above. I plan to take his designs and shrink them down to a more manageable design, about the size of a cat or small dog. I will be 3D printing it and using PLA as the base material. The image below is an example of a 3D printed Strandbeest…

The progress that I have made on my final project is primarily in the virtual sense. I have already had the 1st iteration of my Strandbeest leg done. This iteration was creating simple leg segments and assembling them in SolidWorks in a 2D layout. This allowed me to see how the segments interact with each other and gave me a general idea of the size of the final product. 1st iteration – Angled view   1st iteration – Front View   After the first iteration,…

In Part 1, I explored the inspirations, vision, and design process behind the Interactive Geometric Rock project. Now, in Part 2, let’s dive into the ‘how’ of the project, discussing the manufacturing process, challenges encountered, and the final outcome. Additionally, I will cover the experimentation with light panel prototypes and the use of wooden filament for the rock’s structure, as well as provide a project timeline. The timeline for my project is as follows – The intricate fabrication process commenced with the creation of the…

Inspirations and Existing Designs: The idea for the Interactive Geometric Rock was inspired by various sources, including nature, technology, and art. One such example is the work of artist and designer Jenny Sabin, whose “Lumen” installation (source: [https://www.jennysabin.com/lumen]) combines technology, geometry, and lighting to create immersive and interactive experiences. Other inspirations include natural rock formations, ambient lighting systems, and modern interactive sculptures. Vision and Specifications: The vision for the Interactive Geometric Rock project was to create a unique, versatile, and interactive lighting system that blends…

My documentation can be found here: http://bodhinpeterson-smart.me/Arduino.html#final

My documentation can be found here: http://bodhinpeterson-smart.me/Arduino.html#final

To upgrade the 4×4 prototype to the finished 8×8 board, my first focus was to build the full-size enclosure. I decided to use trim moulding to create a distinct pattern for the sides of my box. I needed additional height to allow the acrylic to sit within the frame, so I also constructed a secondary platform for the base to sit on. [1] 4 planks of trim moulding cut to size with 45° miter cuts on the edges [2] The bottom frame raising the overall…

To ensure my idea was possible to execute, I first needed to build a prototype version of the board, with only a 4×4 grid of squares. This prototype version uses 16 Hall Effect magnet sensors and 1 grid consisting of 256 Neopixels. The goal with this prototype was to ensure the internal wiring was done in such a way that it could be scaled up for the final version of the Chess Board. To accomplish this, I use a multiplexer to pair down the 16…

Julius Ferdinand Bluthner was a German piano maker who founded the very prestigious Bluthner piano company (Julius Bluthner Pianofortefabrik). He lived from 1824-1910 and was born in Germany. He started his piano manufacturing company in Leipzig, Germany in 1853. Julius Bluthner [1] Bluthner had incredible engineering prowess in addition to be an entrepreneur. His vision for his company was to make pianos that would be endorsed by the best composers and musicians. They exemplified German precision in how they were made and he even created…

For my Interactive Chess Board, there are a few goals and considerations to take into account. They are as follows:   Specifications: Players must be able to pick up and move pieces in the same fashion as a regular Chess Board. The Chess Board must be clear in its use of color to demarcate where pieces can and cannot be moved to. The Chess Board must feature some indicator for players to “reset” the board properly. White and Black squares must be easily identifiable whilst…

I have always been into watches and creating a timepiece from scratch has been my plan since a long time. I decided to build a wristwatch with a heavy inspiration from Art Nouveau and Clockpunk aesthetics which could be worn casually as well as on special occasion. After researching watchmaking tutorials and identifying the ST3600k hand-wound mechanical watch movement by Seagull, which I finalized as the mechanism I would use, I realized I would need to search a lot for the specific components of the…

I have always been into watches and creating a timepiece from scratch has been my plan since a long time. I decided to build a wristwatch with a heavy inspiration from Art Nouveau and Clockpunk aesthetics which could be worn casually as well as on special occasion. After researching watchmaking tutorials and identifying the ST3600k hand-wound mechanical watch movement by Seagull, which I finalized as the mechanism I would use, I realized I would need to search a lot for the specific components of the…

Even though this project idea came in rather quickly, as with any project, there are several specifications and restrictions to it’s design that must be considered. I have listed some of them here. Specifications: 1. Function I am an engineer and a very practical person, so I want this project to serve a purpose. That purpose will be to contain several video game controllers. How they are currently stored, they are a mess and I think starting with a goal for the project to achieve…

I have always wanted to create a timepiece from scratch and sought the opportunity create one focusing on the aesthetics. I had already watched tutorials on how people build their own wristwatches. I finalized the mechanism I’d utilize to the ST3600k, a skeletonized version of ST3600 which is a hand wound mechanical watch movement made by Seagull which is said to be a clone of the Swiss movement ETA6497/6498. I then had a starting point and found examples of watches using this movement. Some of…

For my final project of a wristwatch heavily inspired by Art Nouveau and clockpunk with open mechanism. I have a few specifications set (some of them are quite obvious) which are: It should be a wristwatch, and not a pocket watch. (I had considered making a pocket watch too) It should be a wristwatch with hour, minute, and seconds hands. (Some watches do not have all the hands) It should be comfortable to wear for an extended period. The final product should be aesthetically pleasing.…

One alternative I thought of for my project of the Art Nouveau and Clockpunk wristwatch that I described in my last post was a Cyberpunk wristwatch. Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on a futuristic, dystopian society where advanced technology and cybernetic implants are prevalent. A Cyberpunk wristwatch would be utilitarian in design, with a focus on displaying the bare electronics. The watch band would be made of metal, with an LCD screen that displays the time in a simple, digital font.…

This has been a very learning-intensive project for me. I am quite unfamiliar with woodworking in general and have never built a piece of furniture before. As such I asked a lot of questions of my roommate who is much more knowledgeable and experienced in these areas. This project turned out significantly better with his recommendations than it would have if I was left alone to complete it. My timeline for this project ended up breaking down as follows: Week of 3/27: Finalize rough idea.…

For my final project, I have a vision of creating a wristwatch and its aesthetic would be heavily inspired from Art Nouveau and Clockpunk aesthetics. Art Nouveau was a movement that emerged in the late 19th century and was popular in the early 20th century. It is characterized by its organic, flowing lines, and decorative elements inspired by nature. The movement’s aim was to combine art and design to create a total work of art, with a focus on craftsmanship and quality. The project’s use…

As discussed in the Main project report, I have created a tealight holder. The dynamic aspect of the project comes in the functioning of the tealight holder. The shadows cast by this holder look like a fire because of the warm orange color of the flame and the flickering of the flame gives the shadow a movement, making it look alive. The design of this tealight holder has been inspired by various concepts. This design was supposed to be for a  personal project. I intended…

Since the first week of syllabus discussion in class, I had been fixated on a certain theme for my final project artifact. Initially, I did not exactly know what the artifact would be, but I wanted to conform it to the theme of light and shadow or the interplay between them. The project requirements needed the artifact to be dynamic in nature. With these constraints in mind, I attempted three different variations for my final project. The first attempt was the design and 3D print…

I’ve spent almost all of my time making this project in the machine shop in the ITLL. I started with a bar of aluminum and a Solidworks model of the face plate and back panel. The most important part of the project is the face plate because it is the main thing people will see when they look at the headphone amplifier. It holds the power button, volume knob, input selector knob and the headphone output jack. For this reason it was going to be…

After sourcing all the necessary materials and considering the specifications and constraints of the project, I began the process of building the clock piece. In this section of the report, I will detail how the clock was constructed. The first step in building the clock was to prepare the wooden base. I purchased a wooden clock online that I would customize into my design. I painted the border of the clock with black patio paint to give it a defined border and make the flowers…

(Initial Timeline) (Actual Timeline) When I first started thinking about building a device for my bedroom, my main goal was to create something that would fit in with the overall aesthetic of the room. After some brainstorming, I decided to build a night light that would complement the marine animal theme I had going on fit the design of a one-meter-long toy whale on my bed. I also had an empty desk beside my bed that was just waiting for the perfect decoration. To get…

Video Building my project was honestly really fun. A real hoot and a half. Starting with the rocket, the building of it was pretty fun as all Lego’s are. The process was mostly just a following the directions of printed manual though not gonna lie there were parts of it that were pretty grindy to get done. There were many more intricacies in the design than I realized when starting which did make the building process longer than I had anticipated. Overall a good time…

In designing my project, I prioritized the aesthetic goal over the functional expectations. My primary objective was to create a design that looks tidy, simple, and cute, while also being dynamic. For the functional aspect, I wanted to use RGB LED lights for the colorful and ever-changing light effects. However, when I attempted to project the image onto the ceiling, I encountered brightness issues, resulting in a vague and blurry casting image. As a result, I decided to sacrifice the functionality of the piece and…

Manufacturing proved to be very difficult over the course of this project. I began by creating a CAD model of my design and tweaking it so that it would be as easy to manufacture as possible. I then chose my materials and ordered them – the exotic woods were from Ocooch Hardwoods and the dowel, ball bearing, and acrylic sheets were from Home Depot. The first step was to figure out how to align the bores for storage holes on the bottom section once I…

Originally, I wanted to machine a complicated mechanical drawing machine that utilized a motor mechanism to rotate a plate and pen, but I decided to simplify this based on budget and choose an approach that focused more on the aesthetic of the machine than the drawings. I’ve always liked steam punk/ braised copper tubes, so I used a rolling pipe cutter to cut a bunch of copper tubing to size and soldered these tubes together as seen below. This worked well to build a structure.…

Above is a rough outline of the different steps i had to do to get to my final result. I started doing a lot of different research on how to build a herschel enneheadron and the angles i needed to make it come to life. I also did research on what kind of plants would thrive in an enclosed terrarium. I went to different plant nurseries and asked question about the plants and what kind of plants are easy to take care. Once i felt…

My final project of my brutalism water wheel overall went very well and the process ended up working out okay, considering a few hiccups that I faced. To recap, below is a picture of my design timeline: A few things happened at the end of my timeline that made it difficult to meet this. My 3D printing class got cancelled, so I had to last minute order my 3D printing parts through the Idea Forge and am very lucky to have been able to do…

Part 2: How Although, I kind of flopped on documenting and taking photos of my project throughout the creation of this project, I am able to go into depth about the process, tools, and materials I utilized throughout the duration. Timeline Graphic: The first step I took to create my jewelry box was taking a deeper dive in my aesthetic; midcentury modern furniture. This involved creating a concept board ( included below), studying various designers from this era (refer to my previous post, final report…

Introduction This class project inspired me to branch out and try a new variation on an old skill. My final piece is a modular textile pattern, which can be used to make a variety of geometric textile designs. I’ve created 128 of these multi-colored pieces using yarns of a determined color palette to create a geometric art piece. The final sculpture is roughly 8 feet wide by 4 feet tall. A big portion of my background is in creating soft objects and textiles. I’m a…

When I first heard about the final project for this course I did not immediately have an idea for what I would like to make. I began thinking about how to make a dynamic work and what that would look like.  Immediately I began think about how to create motion mechanically, I think this is because in school most of my previous projects have involved a lot of CAD and engineering. Most projects involve designing  solid geometry that have a lot of precise holes and…

For my final project, I decided to take a tomato pin cushion, and make it the size of a foot rest. I started by finding an image of a circle split into six sections, then flattened out to start with my pattern, I then went into Adobe Acrobat to enlarge the pattern over several pieces of paper, I then cut it out, and sketched a diamond shape that would serve to be the green leaf part of the cushion. I then got red and dark…

As a brief re-introduction to my project, I designed and fabricated a wooden escapement mechanism to act primarily as an art piece for my apartment. I wanted to mimic the aesthetics that are present in antique clocks and wooden kinetic sculptures. This means that I focused on complex geared systems, using different woods to differentiate different parts of the mechanism, and using brass as connecting elements. The wooden escapement that I designed has been fully realized, though it requires a few minor adjustments which can be…

Timeline My plan for the project evolved quickly as I faced hardware constraints. I valued working on the aesthetics of the project and developing a plan to make the device in my design over rushing to complete a project I wouldn’t be happy with. This is why, even though my timeline states I will source parts and manufacture them, I instead worked on the design and some of the coding of the project. My Original Timeline Deviating from my original timeline, my timeline only included…

Mechanically Programmed Horse When I first thought of my idea, I had planned to make a mechanical buffalo running similar to the photo above. My plan for fabrication was to laser cut all of the parts out of 1/8″ plywood. Since I pivoted from this initial idea, I was able to take advantage of having a 3D printer in my room and design a product that was able to be easily 3D printed, as seen below. The design I ended up on for my first…

Timeline: Process: I began the fabrication process by sourcing materials. In my design plans I intended on using mdf for the main body and a piece of hardwood for the drawer front. I was on a bit of a tight budget, so I was patient and I waited for some quality scrap material to find its way into the CLC woodshop’s scrap pile. Eventually, I was blessed with some excellent material. I got a couple nice pieces of quarter inch mdf board that were large…

My final project plan has been a very ambitious project, but I really wanted to complete it the way I envisioned it. Since the design preview, I had been working on modelling the primary sculpture to get the desired effect of projecting 2 shadows from 2 viewing sides. I tried stacking cardboard, modelling clay and even using random objects around me to get the desired shape. But, with every new attempt, the model turned out too big, or very difficult to 3D model, or just…

Background For my final project, I decided to create a tabletop water fountain. I was mainly inspired by minimal and modern architectural aesthetics in creating this design. This aesthetic is mainly characterized by geometry, sleek lines, monochromatic colors, and refined materials. I have always liked this aesthetic and found it to be very fitting for the function that I wanted my design to create. After deciding on which aesthetic I wanted to go with, I started drafting design ideas using an AI image generator until…

Background: For my project, I want to create a maximalist cantilever rear suspension setup for an SN-95 Mustang. I wanted to dabble in fully custom modifications for cars and with suspension in particular. I have very little experience with suspension so I wanted to do something with it. I’ve always been enamored with cantilever suspension and wanted to try my hand at design and manufacturing one. I wanted the suspension to be the centerpiece of the interior of the car so I chose to go…

Since my last post, I have been building and assembling my mirror. I have learned a tremendous amount about assembling my mirror and overall thoroughly enjoyed the experience of using my hands to create something I was proud of. Before this project, I truly did not have much experience using tools and thinking logistically about a physical projects assembly. This project taught me a lot and will help me in the creation of future work I complete. I have used a similar aesthetic through my…

If you’re just joining me for the second art of my report, I ordered 20 Baltic Birch plywood sheets for laser cutting. This was going to create a highly detailed, high quality wood bathymetric map of Lake Vermillion, Minnesota. Unfortunately, UPS lost my wood in their Commerce City, Colorado sorting facility. I was able to get a refund of my $156, but that left me without a project or project material. I substituted carboard in for wood. This was a cheap and readily available material…

So, how I designed and manufactured the press? After knowing what I wanted to end with, I began doing some research on the topic of Topology optimization and its typical workflow. So the typical workflow of this kind of studies (at least in Solidworks) is: 1- Modeling a “simple” geometry basically used to define the limits and key features of the final model. After having designed all the assembly, this was the result: 2- After that I had to check that the model was able…

This is gonna be a lot like my progress update. First I got the two donor bikes, and cut off the head tube of the kids bike. The idea is to weld the cut head tube to the purple frame and then weld the steering stems together to make the extension work. This will let me run the 20 inch front end and get a lot more clearance for the cargo rack. With that done I put together the rack, running supports from the seat…

My original idea of making my boat-shaped puzzle box was for me to shove a bunch of electronics into a model ship I bought online. However, once I started putting together the ship I bought, I realized that I was no longer having fun making the project (here is a short timelapse of me starting the process and very quickly deciding not to continue: https://youtu.be/CkZPCzYBW5k). So, I made a last-minute decision to 3D print my ship instead of building a kit. Below is the CAD…

Link to Final Presentation: https://youtu.be/w53H1B6TMHI The above tensegrity table utilizes two cables, one that utilizes a pully system to stabilize the outer corners of the table, and one in the center that physically holds the entire weight of the top surface. The center wire is composed of two 20 lb steel wires that can hold up to 30 pounds on top of the table. The outer wire uses a single steel wire threaded through paracord to achieve an optimal strength and rigidity in order to…

For my main project I plan on constructing a deer mount out of MDF using a laser cutter similar to the featured image above that I have constructed in solid words. My main motive for this project is that I had this idea around 8 or 9 years ago but I didn’t have enough knowledge or resources to do it. Then a couple years ago I saw an ad on instagram and someone had the same idea but was actually able to do it and…

A Timeline of the Fabrication Process: Reference this timeline as a tool to understand the fabrication process, and how the piece was made, in tandem with the text below. The Fabrication Process  A quick recap of deciding upon my artifact’s aesthetic and design can be found within my previous post, The Fabrication of a Coffee Maker – Part 1 : What. After deciding upon an aesthetic, I began shipping parts and creating my SOLIDWORKS file for the piece simultaneously. I specifically shipped Arduino parts, acrylic for…

For my final project I knew from the start that it would be 3D printed. While I initially wished for it to be made out of metal, I knew that I wouldn’t have the dimensional accuracy to be satisfied. I had small gear teeth and if the dimensions were off by even a little, then I would observe a massive increase in friction. I experienced that the hard way when I tried resin printing. This additive manufacturing method is wet. If it isn’t correctly set…

Before I actually started to craft and manufacture the lighting fixture that I designed, I had a fairly clear and concise idea of how to execute the build. My design process left me with 2 basic sketches that really helped convey the aesthetic and product that I wanted to end with. Once I made the decision with which I wanted to move forward with, I ordered all of the necessary parts and was ready to move from my drawings to real life. Unfortunately, shortly after…

Since my last blog post, I have made a lot of progress and I have reached a finalized design! I completed the 3D printing and post processing, sourced a succulent plant, and completed the final assembly. The base module cover and the cup were made with black PLA that I was able to 3D print at my friend’s house, luckily, he was nice enough to let me use his printer since all the CU printers were busy. After 3D printing the base cover and the…

Summary: Overall, I am very happy with my final design. I think that I stayed close to my target aesthetics, and in addition also made a functional project that I’ll be able to use in the future. I aimed to create a desk lamp in the mid-century modern and contemporary aesthetic, with focus on minimalism and quality materials choice. Using quality wood and drafting a design before hand to approximate angles and dimensions helped greatly with this, and as a result my final project fell…

As mentioned in my Main project plan and inspiration post, I have initiated my work on building an anamorphic sculpture. The main function of this sculpture is to act as a model to cast shadows from two views. The dynamic aspect of the project requirements will be met with the anamorphic design of the sculpture. It will cast one shadow when illuminated from the front view of the model. And another shadow when illuminated from the side view. I plan to 3D print this sculpture,…

I started this build by sourcing materials. I had initially planned on building the main structure out of 1” plywood and building the drawers out of ¼”  plywood. However, I had a family friend give me five sheets of ½” plywood which I used for the entire build. I also bought four twin closet tracks to act as drawer slides and 36 bearings for the tracks to roll on. I also enlisted the help of my dad, since he has a lot more woodworking experience…