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…

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…

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

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…

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…

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…

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…

When I began this project, I wasn’t too sure of how it would look, let alone what it was going to be. I’ve been talking about Japanese aesthetic throughout this class, specifically the Ma asethetic as described here. I like the idea of incorporating vagueness, abstraction, and irregularity to my work, but I just wasn’t sure how to do it. I thought about it for a little while, and an epiphany came when I realized that, perhaps, I didn’t have to make something physical. Traditionally,…

As a nature lover, I was always fascinated by the beauty of the natural world. So when I decided to create a piece of art for my final project, I knew I had to incorporate nature in some way. After brainstorming several ideas, I settled on a clock piece that would showcase the beauty of pressed flowers and leaves and the passage of time.   To create the piece, I first sourced all the necessary materials, which can be seen in the images above. I…

So, here is my final project. My entire game plan with making is got a little messed up. First I got the flu and was stuck in bed for a week, then some other nonsense came up in my personal life, then this weekend, I wasn’t able to use the machine shops because of various expos, but I still managed to get it done to a point I’m satisfied with. This project was a continuation of my upcycle project. I chose to use a spacecore…

For my final project, I wanted to combine functionality and form, and I wanted my dynamic element to be purposeful and not solely aesthetic. I chose to create a puzzle box, which is a storage container that is often difficult to open and requires a hidden series of slides, twists, pushes, and other manipulations to access the storage area. My design contains several dynamic elements, including two rotating portions of the puzzle and a ball which must slide between slots in order to enact the…

Here she is (embedded link to video). I’ve got half of the rocket built, as you can see from the photo, the bottom half of the rocket is enough to get the main idea across. I can build the  rest of the rocket between Part 1 and Part 2 and up till the expo if need be. The building of the Lego itself wasn’t too bad, it’s pretty par for the course here and I just followed the directions to build the model. I really…

Above you can see my product as it stands. This is only a prototype at the moment to see how much I like it. I am considering doing a redesign since the product feels a little simplistic. I am thinking about styling the product more like a car differential in the future and will have updated schematics in my next post. I am still debating whether I would like to paint it but beside that the device is fully functional and accomplishes its job. I…

For my final project I decided to build out the back of my truck for camping. This ended up being a one big “box” with two drawers to hold my stuff. As discussed in my design preview I really wanted to create a space that I could use as a base camp of sorts for ski adventures. Ever since entering college I have wanted to spend a winter break road tripping around the country and skiing all the iconic resorts that I haven’t been able…

If one thing I had clear about the Main Project is that I was going to design a manual press of some kind. First I was attracted by old machinery design (industrial revolution aesthetic) but after a while I switched my interest towards the organic/generative design that has lately been possibly done thanks to computation. In fact, what I loved about the Industrial Revolution machinery aesthetic is its organic shapes. I have been always attracted for art-noveau nature shapes and also by nature itself. If…

I decided to name my “little” device the “Pirtle”, as a combination of the word pi from raspberry pi and portal, as it acts as a portal to the history of video-gaming and to the memories I made playing some these games as a kid. This device also opens up a whole world of games that I’ve never played and many more I’ve never heard of. Thanks to communities like NesDev, there are still high quality games being made for old consoles like the NES,…

For my final presentation, I created a water wheel with the aesthetic of brutalism. Some key aspects of my aesthetic that I wanted to capture in my design is the harsh, geometric lines characteristic of brutalism and a concrete-inspired texture and color also a staple of brutalism architecture. An inspiration picture of brutalism architecture is shown below.[1] Boston City Hall (built in 1969) This picture was very inspirational for my design as it features the lines in between the concrete that give it a sense…

. This project has had some rather severe turns and changes throughout the semester. I originally planned to make myself a pair of moccasins, but found that I had very little I was considering for that project as far as an aesthetic vision of any kind. To allow myself to consider the aesthetics rather than prioritizing function and availability of raw materials, I shifted to a project in line with my hobby as a gunsmith. I have been working for the past few semesters to…

I’ve been working on cars with my dad since highschool. Most of the work has been light modification type stuff and maintenance stuff. I wanted to start doing some fully custom work and thought I could start some of that with this project. Ever since I’ve been into cars I’ve been enamored by cantilever suspension setups. I never thought I had the ability to make anything like that until recently. After some research, I realized that you can make a cantilever suspension setup without much…

Anchor Escapement – Wikipedia Antique Escapement Mechanism – RF Cafe Since the prompt for this project, creating a dynamic artifact, was so board, I knew I wanted to incorporate mechanical design into the focus of aesthetics. I have always really enjoyed clean mechanical designs with intricate gear systems. Their complexity has always impressed me, and continues to do so as I have learned more about their operation and design. While ideating for this project, I was immediately drawn to the idea of an escapement mechanism…

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 with dynamic viewer-controlled motion components. The final sculpture is roughly 8 feet wide by 4 feet tall. Vision & Inspirations A big portion of my background is in…

The inspiration for my chair design came from a logo I created while studying abroad in Europe. The logo had a unique shape that I adapted and applied to the chair’s design. The chair’s initial design was complex and had a lot of curves and edges, but I realized that this would make it unstable, so I simplified it to make it more stable and simpler in design. My vision for the project was to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing chair. I wanted to…

When thinking about what I wanted for my final project, my first overarching idea was to create a memento from CU that I could bring home, show off to my friends, and have for years. My next lightbulb idea under the CU memento theme came from a mechanically programmed horse I found on YouTube, as seen in the image below. I thought I could replicate this idea but for a buffalo instead. Mechanically Programmed Horse As I started working on the CAD in SolidWorks, I…

The final bit of this project has been solidifying secondary operations on the jewelry box. I was able to make the rectangular cutout in the lid for the stained glass. Using the scroll saw I was able to make that cutout in the center of the panel. Because the scroll saw is very sensitive it wasn’t a perfect rectangle so I used a wood file to make those edges straight. My previous posts give a more in depth description of the math and design intent…

I still have some things to finish on my project, but it is looking a lot like what I imagined it would and it is matching the CAD. For a quick overview of what my project is, I am making the face plate of a headphone amplifier as well as the circuitry inside. Progress in the shop has been slower than I’d hope because it’s busy with other students also finishing their projects, but I should be able to finish this week. This is where…

My ‘wood’ bathymetric map is ‘done’. Unfortunately, I ran into issues with UPS delivering my wood, so plans had to change. For this project, I set out to create a Wood Bathymetric Map of Lake Vermilion, MN. The aesthetic of ‘wood bathymetric maps’ had a large, but niche following in creating stunning visual displays of lake depth out of laser cut wood. This creates a tabletop or wall hanging display. My vision was to create this of a lake familiar to me, Lake Vermilion. I…

Project Aesthetic  For my final project, I made an ebike battery. My original plan was to match the battery to the bike as best I could. This didn’t necessarily mean matching the current aesthetic of the bike but rather finding a similar style that pairs nicely with it. The bike style is minimalist and streamline. It has a brushed aluminum finish that is semi satin. The graphics on the bike are minimal and so the whole look is very clean and sleek. The ebike I…

My final project was a mechanical flower that opens and closes using a rack and pinion gear, in the featured image, the center part is the rack, and each petal has a pinion attached. The goal was that when one of the petals moved, all of them would move together. Below is some of the concept CAD models. The project was done entirely on SolidWorks, including the initial drafts of the art. Unfortunately the iterations I made were lost with time since I didn’t create…

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…

As with any good engineering project, I started with a problem that I wanted to solve. I frequently entertain myself with PC gaming, and some of that involves flight sims, including Atmosphere and Newtonian space. As such I have a decent collection of joysticks, throttles, and pedals that unfortunately frequently end up in a pile beside my computer itself or at the end of my bed. Both places are ugly and messy looking and difficult to get what I want when I want it and…

As a visual artist and filmmaker, I’ve always had the desire to create a largish installation of some sort. I’ve thought of ways to display video works on a larger scale than just a computer or phone screen. I’ve been fascinated by large led screens like the ones in Times Square or even the CASE building here at CU. I think this is a crazy cool way to display art or moving pictures. It also makes a statement. These passions led me to explore creative…

Inspirations For this project, my inspiration came from the modern industrial aesthetic. I wanted to create a drawer that would fit seamlessly into the desk I had previously designed and built. The desk had clean lines, raw materials like wood and steel, and an overall minimalist vibe. I wanted the drawer to reflect these same design principles. I drew inspiration from a variety of sources, including other modern industrial furniture pieces, architecture, and even nature. I wanted to incorporate materials that would complement the desk,…

My progress for my final project is that I have started ordering my materials. I expect them to be delivered this weekend and can begin constructing my final project. I am excited to see where my project goes and the final product. I am very excited to begin constructing and truly make something from start to finish. I am worried about the roadblocks I will come across while creating the final product.  I decided that I was going to go with buying copper picture frames…

For my project, I have built a scaled down replica of a record player with a motor driven turntable. The aesthetic choice I have gone with is a 70’s and 80’s rock and roll aesthetic. This aesthetic includes album artwork from Pink Floyd and Eddie Van Helen’s guitar one each side. I decided to make a record player because it is how the songs of the era were listened to. My two favorite Pink Floyd albums are “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “The…

In fulfilling the Aesthetics of Design final project, I wanted to build a cabinet for my dart board. I decided on wood as my medium, as I wanted to learn a new skill. I have little to no experience in woodworking, but have always admired the craft. In establishing my aesthetic I wanted something simple but elegant. I decide on using walnut  paired with silver hardware. My aesthetic is most closely associated with the Art Deco movement. In my initial design iterations, I decided on…

The final stretch of this project has been building the actual version of the solidworks model above. The below photos showcase the initial build.                                 The table came out great and holds its own weight well with the exception of a little bit of bending in the center beams. I made a subtle change to the center to lessen the bending which you can see in the final design at…

The vision I had for this project was something minimal, sleek, and somewhat mysterious. I really wanted to create something that was small enough for me to keep it forever no matter where I move after graduating from CU. I imagined something functional that I could enjoy seeing every day, something I was passionate about, and something that would allow me to explore some areas of engineering that I didn’t get as much time to explore in the past 4 years. This vision led me…

Skateboarding has been around since the 60s and has changed quite a bit since its introduction. Over the years, advances in manufacturing, materials, and general deck knowledge have caused the skateboard deck to evolve significantly. For my final project, I  made my own skateboard deck using a homemade press and mold. The mold provides the contours into which the deck will be pressed, while the press provides the force which tightly adheres the wooden veneers together with glue. This method of manufacturing, while on a…

For my final design project, I decided to make a puzzle box in the shape of a model boat. I work at an escape room company, so puzzles are naturally a big part of my life. However, all of the puzzles I have worked with so far have been fairly large-scale (room vs small object), so I wasn’t quite sure of how to transfer what I have learned at work to the model ship design. Originally, I had wanted to go for a maritime aesthetic,…

I recently finished construction of my iris mechanism table. The progress so far can be seen in the previous few blog posts. My progress since has been the assembly of the table and figuring out how to make the mechanism operate smoothly. First I put together the base of the table by gluing and nailing the pieces together. Since the angles were already cut, once the pieces were assembled they created a perfect hexagon. Once I made the grooves into the base piece for the…

Throughout the semester, I have expressed a particular infatuation with the coffeehouse aesthetic. The aesthetic is defined by a domination of the space with earthen tones; browns and greens and blacks. I’ve found the aesthetic particularly conducive to work, and the natural of aroma of coffee is nothing short of heavenly. Given my feelings towards coffeehouses, I decided to create my final project in the coffeehouse aesthetic; and I figured what better item to create than a coffee maker itself. Below is an example of…

The artifact that I have been producing is a violin double pendulum machine. For this class, I was inspired to go with a Baroque/ Rococo aesthetic style combined with the traits from the arts and crafts movement. This style really spoke to me because it is associated with the time era from which the violin is extremely popular. During this era, humanity built several buildings custom made to accommodate and amplify the tone and acoustics of the violin. Because of this, the violin has very…

I had been going back and forth on how to implement my drawing machine, and what aesthetic to pursue. Originally I wanted to do a fully automated, motor driven drawing machine, but as I learned more about various drawing machines that’ve been built, I found that you can accomplish quite a bit with a gravity driven machine, so I decided to pursue that approach to save money and simplify the mechanism. I wanted to have a clear aesthetic to my design, and I’ve been interested…

To read my final report, click here.

Inspirations: Almost a year ago late at night i watched a video on YouTube made by Ideal Idea. In his video he created an icosahedron which is a 20 sided shape infinity box made out of acrylic. He began by laser cutting each side and carefully glued each side together. Before glueing every piece together he set two-way film onto each piece. With the box finally built he began to design corner caps to hold LED strips and covers for these caps. he designed the…

Initial Ideas and Inspiration For my final project, I wanted to create a custom deck box for Magic The Gathering cards and was inspired by this flower night light. My initial idea was to create a deck box that opens like a flower. I decided on a natural aesthetic mirroring the real forms of a flower as closely as possible. This decision is intended to accent the deck contained within the box which is built around a card decorated with a serene field of lotuses.…

What- Inspiration Works by https://www.carnovsky.com/works.htm Carnovsky is a Milan based art and design duo comprised of Francesco Rugi and Silvia Quintanilla Carnovsky create and exhibit their unique style of art under different lighting colors and conditions revealing and hiding different aspects of their work. Layering different compositions with different tinted colors, making the magic happen when it interacts with the lighting and your perception. This art style uses some of the same basic principles used in ‘low tech’ 3D imaging (like the red and blue…

The What: As a brief summary, I created a wooden trinket box that I felt would’ve been displayed in a traditional mid-century modern room. Abstract shape, design, raw wood, and muted tones yet vibrant and fun. The box was inspired obviously by mid-century modern design, specifically furniture. While the entire series of mid-century modern furniture influenced my work, I looked closely at the work of 3 specific designers who were pivotal leaders of change during this art movement. These three designer include furniture designers, architects,…

What? My final project is a contemporary desk lamp. I wanted to create a small lamp that would would blend in well with my furniture, which is mostly contemporary and constructed of wood. Inspirations My inspirations for this project were the contemporary and mid-century modern aesthetics. These aesthetics prioritize minimalism while still keeping some of the more “cozy” and “soft” aspects of design, such as warmer tones and rounded edges. I was also interested in incorporating some elements of scandinavian design in my surface finish…

The artifact I will be producing is a Ferris wheel that has become overrun by nature. This goes back to the very first aesthetic I explored! Depictions of this aesthetic include imagery of nature flourishing despite man-made obstacles – how humanity has abandoned, neglected, or mistreated a space that was once vital to everyday life. This style was popularized by multiple forms of media, ranging from photographs, paintings, films, shows, and video games. As concern for climate change and other environmental impacts grew, it was…

Three-Position Ice Tools My final project for this course was to design and manufacture a pair of ice tools for use in both competitive and natural settings. Over the past couple of months, I have gone from vague goals to ideation, design, and manufacturing to make a pair of ice tools that are optimized for the technical movement and intense strain of competitions, have three positions for optimal efficiency and reach, and yet can still be swung into ice. Ice tools are quite expensive so…

For my final artifact, I chose to go with a minimalistic hourglass. I originally was going to go with a modern aesthetic. However, after doing the sketching exercise, I was really inspired by the minimalist design. This final artifact I will keep on my desk and I personally have a very minimalistic style. I purchased an hour glass to use in my project. I originally wanted to blow the glass myself, but I realized I don’t have the time or the resources to do this.…

They are done… At least functionally, I am currently waiting for them to come back from anodizing. Starting with the Computer Aided Machining (CAM), Mastercam is software which allows the user to upload Computer Aided Design and generate gcode (the code which computer numeric control (CNC) machines understand). I will be machining these ice tools out of a 6061-T6 aluminum plate which will be cut into blanks to fit on the 3-axis vertical CNC mill. I started out by rough cutting 21.5″ x 6″ x…