tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-303349722024-03-05T04:42:34.017-05:00fussing with stuffFeeling clever? Here are is a collection of project ideas, documentation and reflection on teaching and learning. When we are Fussing with Stuff, we take greater control of the devices and systems in our lives.Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-84611785904109291012011-04-20T09:54:00.000-04:002011-04-20T09:55:13.344-04:00Maker Classroom Resources<a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5102/5614409088_8555449c48_z.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 300px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5102/5614409088_8555449c48_z.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p><br /></p><p>In your <a href="http://makered.makezine.com/profiles/blogs/learning-environments-and" _mce_href="http://makered.makezine.com/profiles/blogs/learning-environments-and" target="_self">maker classroom</a>, you might to see the resources for teaching and learning as Widespread, Shared or Scarce. How you provision your learning environment will depend on how any given supply or tool fits into these categories.</p> <p><strong>Widespread resources</strong></p> <p>These are the supplies, materials, tools that are readily available in quantity and without reservation. In many schools, copier paper fits in this category, pencils, paper clips and other traditional supplies can be had with a minimum of begging. If there is a drink machine in the building, plastic bottles should be readily available. You may also arrange a donation of some amazing resource that will be available from the community. Several years ago, I worked out a deal with a parent employed at a corporation to donate 80 Pentium II and III computers. They arrived on two pallets along with mice, keyboards and a couple of boxes of power cords. Where before the donation, computers were a relatively scarce resource, suddenly I had so many computers that they were literally stacked three machines high under the the classroom tables. After using them as computers for students to rebuild, the components had a long life. From this ubiquitous resource of compujunk, we learned a lot about how computers work, how to fix them and how to repurpose the components, all the way down to harvesting cd drives for their motors, switches and amplifier chips. </p> <p><strong>Shared resources</strong></p> <p>For some materials, tools and even spaces, it makes much more sense for them to be shared. If there is an expensive tool that you don't use all that often, it can see more action in a shared environment. This is the case with 3D printers, electronic component collections and even the work room itself. Teachers who travel with a cart know about shared resources, as do people who frequent hackerspaces, community centers and vacation camps. With shared resources, tools and supplies can be concentrated in an area where other people have access to them, an the resources' use may be sporadic. These devices and supplies may be donated equipment or purchased with the intent to share.<br /></p> <p>With shared resources, it is important that people recognize the shared nature of the device and manage their time and access accordingly. If the whole class is sharing access to the laser cutter, or 3D printer, and others are waiting on machine time, then doing short cuts or short prints will help move the whole group to get a chance to use the tool. Saving a long print or a long cut until last in line when most of the group has moved on to their next class will help get everybody through. Trying out a new process that might take a lot of machine time can prevent others from getting their ideas made. If a student is waiting for access to the vinyl cutter, she should sit near the machine watching how the other people operate the machine so that she can get her project made quickly when it becomes her turn. People sitting near the machine should use it and move along so others can get their chance. They shouldn't sit and hang out, preventing others from accessing the resource.</p> <p>With shared resources, the expense can be spread out over a greater amount of users who will access it. If a 3D printer costs $1,000 and thirty people can get access to the tool in a classroom or shared learning space, the cost per person is lower than if it's bought as a personal machine that stays at home and only one or two people use it.</p> <p><strong>Scarce resources</strong></p> <p>Some materials that student and community learners can benefit from are very difficult to get, expensive or potentially dangerous if not operated properly. If your classroom has one sewing machine, and there are twenty students, this scarce resource will need to be managed. While one person uses it, another might watch, but the other students will need to be working on other phases of the project while they wait their turn. Some might be designing, preparing materials, gathering information before using the machine, and others might be finishing their work and documenting their projects with photographs, video, text and posters after sewing with the machine. </p> <p>If your classroom is equipped with just a little bit of white paint, this scarce resource must be managed carefully to make sure it gets used well. Sure, maybe you could go out and buy some, but what if time or money is also a limited resource, and you can't get more? How can the resource be managed? You may also want to make a resource scarce for other reasons. Soldering irons or utility knives are resources that I personally prefer to keep as scarce resources. It makes me more comfortable knowing that there are only a few of them to keep my eyes on.Having potentially troublesome tools kept scarce helps encourage students to use their time in a more focused manner. If you have large class size, then storage space might be more scarce than if you have small class size. This will affect the types of projects that will be appropriate.<br /></p><p>Some resources may start out as scarce, then move on to shared and ultimately become ubiquitous. Computers hold a good example here. In the early days of computers, a student would have been lucky to get any computer time. Eventually, computer terminals allowed some schools to give access, then personal computers appeared in a few classrooms. It is now fairly standard for there to be at least one computer in each classroom, making it possible for shared access. Some classrooms have widespread access where every student has a computer. Digital cameras have followed a similar arc as they have gone from unusual and expensive to standard and embedded on just about every cellphone that students may have. As more students have greater access to these resources, it becomes easier to design projects around their use. </p> <p>What are the Widespread, Shared and Scarce resources in your learning environment? How do you manage students' access to various devices and supplies to get the most learning out everything students can use?</p><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><br /><!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><script type="text/javascript">var sc_project=1699971; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_partition=16; var sc_security="52ecaf58"; </script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-10209636349756438602011-02-13T10:25:00.016-05:002011-02-13T11:34:06.972-05:00Programming Play<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijABumPitYBrVC7vlSsL1rs7R50m7ehKnJx-KNZ__FWU58h3rzp0P47eoeWEVUgHNKLDJgI5GlXYYnZ-vfqBpGR-tK5ZNF2jtF_8xGqgIsSOSE31d_6E7NKJHwpMf7CByV4JKyGw/s1600/programmingPlay.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 410px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijABumPitYBrVC7vlSsL1rs7R50m7ehKnJx-KNZ__FWU58h3rzp0P47eoeWEVUgHNKLDJgI5GlXYYnZ-vfqBpGR-tK5ZNF2jtF_8xGqgIsSOSE31d_6E7NKJHwpMf7CByV4JKyGw/s320/programmingPlay.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573204677761431106" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><div>This project is similar to the <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/09/how-to-program-a-person.html">Program a Person project</a> from a few years ago. The main idea is to create a format for teaching programming through combining storytelling and object oriented code.</div><div><br /></div><div>The participants in this project would be students/learners who don't know much about code, but are familiar with stories. Any age group could work. If there were participants who knew a bit more about programming, that would be great. This is also a great way to combine the disciplines of theater, writing and programming.</div><div><br /></div><div>Everything that exists in the story has to be defined/instantiated/called as an object in the code.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Some objects would be:</b></div><div>theStage</div><div>theAudience</div><div>aCharacter</div><div>aHouse</div><div><br /></div><div><b>For example, if the story were The Three Little Pigs, there would be calls for:</b></div><div>theStage = thisStage //stages can be given a variety of attributes, small, large, classroom, with lights, etc</div><div>theAudience = thisAudience //adult, children, deaf, blind, etc</div><div>aCharacter = littlePigOne aCharacter = littlePigTwo, aCharacter = littlePigThree, aCharacter = bigBadWolf, </div><div>aHouse = strawHouse, aHouse = stickHouse, aHouse = brickHouse</div><div>etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the story develops and unfolds, the code would be displayed, highlighted, spoken to the audience. This could be be a line or block of code that is shown on a card. It could be shown on a display on a screen adjacent to the stage. It could also be spoken by a narrator (also an object instantiated above). Audience members could have a copy of the program or script, or they could write the program as they see the show. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Actions would be defined by a line of code: </b></div><div>littlePigOne build stickHouse;</div><div>bigBadWolf printf "I will huff and puff and blow your house down";</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Desired outcomes:</b></div><div>The end result would be that participants would have a better knowledge of how code works, and could start to see the way programming applies to everyday situations. A pretest and posttest could identify learning that results from this technique.</div><div>This experience could be followed up by:</div><div><ul><li>A more elaborate play programmed by participants</li><li>Type based programming projects</li><li>GUI based programming projects</li><li>Discussions of how aspects of a program could be acted out</li><li>Allowing the language of programming to be used in conversation to explain how things work in the world</li></ul></div><div>If you are interested in helping develop the idea, keep the conversation rolling. If you have a teaching situation, try it with your students. I'm not aware of other projects that are similar to this, but surely somebody has done something along these lines. </div></span><!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><script type="text/javascript">var sc_project=1699971; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_partition=16; var sc_security="52ecaf58"; </script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-59230581301510510442011-02-13T10:25:00.002-05:002011-02-13T10:30:47.968-05:00Programming Play<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><div>This project is kind of similar to the <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/09/how-to-program-a-person.html">Program a Person project</a> I wrote a few years ago.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>The main idea is to create a format for teaching programming through combining storytelling and object oriented code.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The participants in this project would be students/learners who don't know much about code, but are familiar with stories. Any age group could work. If there were participants who knew a bit more about programming, that would be great. This is also a great way to combine the disciplines of theater, writing and programming.</div><div><br /></div><div>Everything that exists in the story has to be defined/instantiated/called as an object in the code.</div><div><br /></div><div>(my syntax is sloppy below...)</div><div><br /></div><div>Some objects would be:</div><div>theStage</div><div>theAudience</div><div>aCharacter</div><div>aHouse</div><div><br /></div><div>For example, if the story were The Three Little Pigs, there would be calls for </div><div>theStage = thisStage </div><div>theAudience = thisAudience</div><div>aCharacter = littlePigOne aCharacter = littlePigTwo, aCharacter = littlePigThree, aCharacter = bigBadWolf, </div><div>aHouse = strawHouse, aHouse = stickHouse, aHouse = brickHouse</div><div>etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the story develops/unfolds, the code would be displayed/highlighted/spoken to the audience. This could be be a line or block of code that is shown on a card. It could be shown on a display on a screen adjacent to the stage. It could also be spoken by a narrator (also an object instantiated above)</div><div><br /></div><div>Actions would be defined by a line of code: </div><div>littlePigOne build stickHouse;</div><div>bigBadWolf printf "I will huff and puff and blow your house down";</div><div><br /></div><div>The end result would be that participants would have a better knowledge of how code works, and could start to see the way programming applies to everyday situations. </div><div>This experience could be followed up by:</div><div><ul><li>A more elaborate play programmed by participants</li><li>Type based programming projects</li><li>GUI based programming projects</li><li>Discussions of how various aspects of a program could be acted out</li><li>Allowing the language of programming to be used in conversation to explain how things work in the world</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>If you are interested in helping develop the idea, keep the conversation rolling. I have a teaching situation in Pembroke where we could test it out, or you may have a venue that you'd like to work with. I'm not aware of any other projects that are similar to this, but surely somebody has done something along these lines.</div></span><!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><script type="text/javascript">var sc_project=1699971; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_partition=16; var sc_security="52ecaf58"; </script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-71506759259063325272009-12-13T19:30:00.005-05:002009-12-13T19:39:40.011-05:00Designing in Sketchup<form id="40199" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BaseAssembly.jpg" src="http://blog.makezine.com/BaseAssembly.jpg" class="mt-image-none" style="width: 384px; height: 282px;" /></form><br />In my <a href="http://principles.pbworks.com/">Principles of Technology class</a>, we're using <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/">Sketchup</a> to design the parts we will make for the Mendocino Motor. Though we'll fabricate the parts with hand and power tools, you can also use Sketchup to make the files needed to cut parts on a mill, <a href="http://makerbot.com/">Makerbot</a>, <a href="http://shopbottools.com/">Shopbot</a> or other CNC tools.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=mendocino+motor">Mendocino Motor</a> project appears in the Teachers' Pet Projects section in <a href="http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol20/?pg=80&pm=2&u1=friend">MAKE, Volume 20, page 79</a>.<br /><br />Here are some techniques to design parts for the motor:<br /><br />First get familiar with the Sketchup interface. This is pretty easy, the software is rather intuitive. A good place to start is by making whole shapes with the rectangle and circle tools. Draw a shape, then use the Push/Pull tool to extrude it up or down. You can make a shape on the side of another shape, then pull it out or push it in. Make some shapes. Mouse over the tool icons and you should see the name of the tool in a popup.<br /><br />You can also do some neat stuff with the Move tool. If you have a cube, draw a line at the midpoints (again, mouse over, and watch for the popups). If you pull the line up with the Move tool. This will give you something that looks a lot like a roof of a house on the cube. If you pay attention to the color of the line while you are moving it, you'll see that it takes on the color of the blue axis if you are pulling straight up. This means that you are moving parallel to the Z or vertical axis.<br /><br />As the designers made the software easy to use, it is not very straightforward to resize objects and move features. Some other CAD software packages, such as <a href="http://www.prodesktop.net/">ProDesktop</a>, <a href="http://www.ptc.com/products/proengineer/">ProEngineer</a>, <a href="http://blender.org/">Blender</a>, <a href="http://www.solidworks.com/">Solidworks</a>, <a href="http://autodesk.com/">AutoCAD</a>, <a href="http://www.rhino3d.com/">Rhino</a> and more definitely do have measurement features that are probably easier to access. In general, these other packages are harder to learn, a tradeoff for their greater precision and parametric features. These other software packages (excepting Blender) will also set you back more than a few bucks, though most offer student/educator versions and discounts to help out some of us.<br /><br />To get a more accurate design out of Sketchup, you'll want to start paying attention to the measurement box on the bottom right side of the screen. If you make a rectangle and then type in the dimensions you want it to be and hit the enter key, the rectangle will be the size you specified. For reference, I've made a set of screenshots of just about all the steps taken in this tutorial. The tools themselves are not shown on the screenshot, but you can tell which tool is being used by looking at the icons in the toolbar. The measurements of all the parts are listed on the <a href="http://principles.pbworks.com/MendoMeasurements">MendoMeasurements</a> page of the course's wiki.<br /><br />For the base of the motor, we need to make a 3 3/4 by 9 inch rectangle. Draw any rectangle to the right of the origin intersection. Immediately after, type the size, 9, 3 3/4 or 9, 3.75 and hit enter. The rectangle should be resized along the x axis. The first number is the distance along the x axis, the comma separates the x and y values, and the second number is the distance along the y axis. You can check the measurements with the Tape Measure tool.<br /><br />Next, we'll want to extrude the shape up 3/4 of an inch. To do this, we use the Push/Pull tool. Switch to the tool, then hover over the rectangle. You will see the shading change. Click the mouse and push up any distance. To size the extrusion, type 3/4 or .75 and hit the enter key.<br /><br />To place the grooves that the magnets will sit in, we need to make some guides. The grooves will be half of the thickness of the wood, or 3/8" and they will be 1/2" thick. Use the Tape Measure tool to make the guide. In the tool, first click on the bottom or top edge of the shape. Drag down and type 3/8 to place the line. It should be a dotted line. On the front edge of the block, make a guide that is 2 1/4" from either end. To locate the other side of the groove, measure towards the middle of the block 1/2" and place another guideline. Next, use the Line drawing tool that looks like a pencil to draw in the three lines of the groove. Once the lines are in place, you can use the Push/Pull tool to remove the material of the groove. Once the file is complete, save it as BaseWithGrooves.skp.<br /><br />The next two parts are easy to make in Sketchup. The upright is 3 3/4 square and 3/4" thick. When you make the rectangle to start the part, put the coordinates in as 3 3/4, 3/4. This will save you from having to rotate it later. Use the Push/Pull tool to extrude it up to 3 3/4. Save this file as Upright.skp. To make the mirror, use the same process. Make the rectangle with the measurements of 3 3/4, 1/8 and then push it up to 3 3/4. Save this file as Mirror.skp.<br /><br />Now you have three parts that you have designed. To put them together, you create a new file that you will save as BaseAssembly.skp. Bring in the first part you made, BaseWithGrooves.skp. Place the part at the origin of the three axes. It should snap into place at the origin. While the part is selected, you can go to the Edit menu and Lock the component. This will keep it from moving around later.<br /><br />Next, you bring in the Upright.skp. Go to the File menu and choose Import. Then find the part. If you also place this part at the origin, you can move it into place with the move tool. You can also eyeball its placement, but let's go for accuracy. Use the Orbit tool to move the view around so you are looking at the origin. You can roll the scroll wheel on the mouse to zoom in and out, or you can use the zoom tool. Click on the upright component with the Move tool, it should have a blue box around it. Select the bottom corner closest to the origin of the axes. Move it up on the Blue axis a bit and type in 3/4. This should place it on the top of the BaseWithGrooves part.<br /><br />To place the Mirror.skp part, do the same thing. Import the part and place it at the origin. Move it up 3/4" and then move it along the RED? axis 3/4" It should be now placed on top of the BaseWithGrooves and alongside the Mirror part. Save the file.<br /><br />You can also do some neat visual styling of the parts by selecting them and using the paint bucket tool to color them. If you want to color one face different from the others, you will need to select the part, then go to the Edit menu and choose Explode. This will allow you to change the part, even paint the faces different colors and more.Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-14758552858762273982009-11-21T00:58:00.002-05:002009-11-21T01:03:25.080-05:00Wear your helmet EVERY TIME YOU RIDE<!-- Start of StatCounter Code -->On Tuesday afternoon I went for a refreshing bike ride near my house. Somehow or another, I got clotheslined on a dog's leash as I rode down a dirt path. I flew off my bike at a high rate of speed, landing square on my head. Several hours later, I came to in the ER of the local hospital babbling and repeatedly asking my wife Liz the same handful of questions over and over. Angela was at horseback riding during my misadventure, and ended up staying the night at our neighbor's house and we're tapping our network of friends to get her delivered to and from her many activities. <p>Physically, I'm kind of a wreck, my head, knee, shoulders, elbow and neck hurt. Mentally, I'm foggy, talking slow, tired, unable to focus on much, can't take much screen time, and overall kind of slow.</p> <p>Years ago I decided to always wear a bike helmet. I had a bunch of bad spills as a teenager, but that seemed to stop around the time I started wearing a helmet. This was my first big spill since my reckless youth, and probably worse than any I had as a kid.</p> <p>On Tuesday, I hopped on my bike, helmet on, probably with music going through my headphones, wearing a favorite hoodie and red jacket. Behind the seat I've got a blinky LED array to help my rearward visibility. </p> <p>Through (probably) no fault of my own, I hit the dog's leash at full speed down hill. The bike stopped, but my body took flight. I ragdolled on the trail where I was peeled off the ground by my neighbor, the EMT. I assume the other end of the leash held the woman who called 911. I bet her arm hurts pretty bad.</p> <p>Most of the whole day of Tuesday is gone from my memory. Wednesday was a wash, as we waited until after 6pm for the last consult. Thursday went to three doctors' visits that I couldn't drive myself to. Friday held only one dr visit, but I needed rides to and from. This week I missed three days of work, and next week looks like a washout as well. Substitute plans just aren't the same for the students as having me in the classroom.</p> <p>This has been an enormous disruption, and there is plenty left on the plate. What I would ask of you, my bike riding friends, is to keep this in mind every time you get on a bike, skateboard, set of skis, snowboard or experimental homebrew vehicle. You don't know what will happen to you as you ride, and you cannot control how you will land. Even with a helmet, your life can become amazingly complex in less time than you an say 'look out!' </p> <p>At the risk of coming off preachy, let me just say:<br />WEAR YOUR HELMET EVERY TIME!</p><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-36678994641754262702009-10-31T21:25:00.003-04:002009-10-31T21:36:17.734-04:00Creepy baby<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/connors934/4062673010/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2710/4062673010_09e994bf30.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/connors934/4062673010/">2009-10-31 20.35.07.jpg</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/connors934/">connors934</a>.</span></div><p>It was getting close to trick or treat time, and I needed something quick. Looking around, I remembered the dismembered dumpscore doll under the desk. Glowing eyes. That's what she needed. Red? sure, but wait, how about these multicolored blinky ones from <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/09/throwie_bending_jig.html">Jimmie's throwie workshop</a>? Yeah, that'll work. Fire up the Dremel, do a little eye surgery.</p><p>Next the circuit. Cut up a piece of stranded CAT5 cable to bring the connections down. Test the polarity before soldering. Put a little heat shrink on the wires before soldering, then move it into place after the connection is cool. Next up, a red LED for the heart. I dug out a 2AA battery pack for the power. The last part of the circuit was a switch so that it could be turned on and off for dramatic effect. Stuff the blinky LEDs into the head cavity, fit them into the eyes, then put the battery pack into the back area. The head is held in place with a zip tie, and she's dressed in some old doll clothes. She took an hour or so of fiddling, but everything in the supplies was already in the room when I started.<br /><br />Out on Halloween night, she was a hit. I carried her in a sling, just like her older sister when she was a baby. Every so often I would ask people if they would like to see my new baby. As they got close, I flipped the eyes on with the switch behind her neck. Good response. Surprisingly, she raked in a bunch of candy of her own.</p>Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-88176952539445447482009-09-05T10:25:00.004-04:002009-09-05T10:39:29.831-04:00No gas car September 11th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/262139888_f379cd2237_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 531px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/262139888_f379cd2237_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Here is an idea that I have been working with for a few years: a movement to have people avoid gasoline powered transportation on the anniversary of September 11. I have been doing it since 2002, and I like it. There has been a bit of inconvenience at times: torrential rainpour on the ride home from work a few years ago, and picking up my daughter at a playdate a few towns away on the bike with a tagalong was kind of tough. Each time, though I am confirmed that this is a valuable experience.<br /><br />It has few rules: Basically, don't drive. If you can use your feet or a bike, great. If you have access to public transportation, make use of it. Carpooling is good, electric drive vehicles are great. If you live too far from work, you could stay with a friend who lives closer and ride or walk in. We can still do business and get our needs satisfied while using less or no fossil fuels.<br /><br />Here are <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/connors934/sets/72157622127836875/">a few pictures</a> I took a while ago to mark the idea.<br /><br />If you would like to join me in riding to work each year, then come along. If you have some project ideas that we can work on to help raise awareness, then bring it on.Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-30912652905283902812009-05-15T22:05:00.004-04:002009-07-02T07:19:45.755-04:00catsci<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/zom-bot/2806692734/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2806692734_ac9cbc973d.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); width: 384px; height: 291px;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/zom-bot/2806692734/">catsci</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/zom-bot/">Dr. Monster</a>.</span></div><p>Science fair fun!</p>Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-88494242421561778392009-01-12T16:20:00.004-05:002009-01-12T16:57:47.195-05:00Hello Blink!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fussingwithstuff.com/uploaded_images/HelloBlink-745827.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 407px; height: 304px;" src="http://fussingwithstuff.com/uploaded_images/HelloBlink-745781.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Everybody seems to be messing with <a href="http://www.arduino.cc/">Arduino</a> lately. So today was my chance to give it a go. Jimmie Rodgers of <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/01/boston_arduino_users_group_at_willo.html">Willoughby and Baltic</a> helped me set up the software on my laptop at Noise Night. It was incredibly easy, and he helped me to understand that the IDE for the 'regular Arduinos' is different for that used on the Minty POV and Brain Machine.<br /><br />Stephanie, one of my Programming students had a piece of code running on her laptop and wanted to test it with four LEDs. We set up a breadboard with the LEDs, and she got her program to run. She had it going Cylon style, where the light would pass from side to side. After she left, I noticed the breadboard sitting on the table, still hooked up to the arduino, so I figured I would give it a whirl. I plugged it into the USB port, fired up the IDE and saw her program run.<br /><br />Then I decided I wanted to mess with it on my own, so I did a search for "Hello World Arduino" Hello World is usually the simplest program you can run in a computer language. I wanted simple, so I could understand what it was doing. I found the code, which is also in the Help Menu under something or another, but I couldn't find it easily. I recalled that Jimmie had told me that <a href="http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Blink">Blink is the first program you want to run</a>.<br /><br />I copied the code and pasted it into the script window. Then I had to figure out how to get it to the board. I hit the Compile window, which looks like a play button, and saw that it compiled. I tried changing a few things, and broke it.<br /><br />Earlier, Stephanie had some basic problems as well, such as not spelling the variable names exactly the same throughout the code. Hand typed code is case sensitive, so it's important not to mess with it too much. When we were debugging her code, I put some comment marks ( // ) in front of the lines that were throwing the errors. Eventually, we figured out that the problem was capitalization.<br /><br />After compiling, I had to save the file, and then download it to the board. I was very happy when I saw that one LED blink. After about a half a minute, I got bored, and started messing with the code. I tried changing the duration of the blink and pause, and then I made each of the four LEDs do thier blinky thing.<br /><br />So now I have made an <a href="http://www.makershed.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=43">Arduino</a> blink. There is so much <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/arduino/">more</a> that can be done, but it all has to start someplace. This step for me has been a major block. For some reason, I haven't been able to get it going. But now it is going. Hopefully others may find this moment useful. If you do, let me know in the comments.<br /><br /><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-89626360830873925252008-11-23T14:22:00.011-05:002008-11-24T00:36:31.892-05:00Makeit: open source kit idea<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"><div style="margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 8px; font: normal normal normal small/normal arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; white-space: pre; font-family:Arial;font-size:10px;"><object width="400" height="388"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8dh7VlIyTFs&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8dh7VlIyTFs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="388"></embed></object></span><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 8px; font: normal normal normal small/normal arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; ">Here is an idea that showed up recently:<br />It is handwritten because I needed to get it out quick. <br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/3051988828_15c04373e2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 51); ">http://farm4.static.flickr.<wbr>com/3058/3051988828_<wbr>15c04373e2_o_d.jpg</a><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/3052001508_e40c10b472_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 51); ">http://farm4.static.flickr.<wbr>com/3160/3052001508_<wbr>e40c10b472_o_d.jpg</a><br /><br />Here is a link to the set:<br /><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/connors934/sets/72157609759515238/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 51); ">http://flickr.com/photos/<wbr>connors934/sets/<wbr>72157609759515238/</a><br /><br />This was inspired by getting one of those cheapie battery operated fans that have plastic floppy blades. It cost a buck, had a nice little dc motor, a 2 AA battery pack with a switch, and a removable hub that holds the fan blade on. As I drove home, I couldn't believe what a great deal it was for the dollarfan. When I got back, I made a quick little video of the "what could you do if you had a lot of these little fans?" idea. I probably get a couple dozen at least of the fans. There are probably more than two or three in the house already. If prople could weigh in on project ideas, then others could try the project idea out with whatever stuff they have handy. They could then post it up and the open source project could be widened with reader commentary and documentation.<br /><br />The larger idea: is to create a kit based on very cheap objects like the fan. Things that have incredibly good cost to features value, like the dollarfan. Things like the old cd drives I used for a <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/turning_trash_to_treasure.html">workshop at the Duxbury Student Union a few weeks ago</a>, and other electromechanical junk. Inside the kit could be supplies like coroplast, magnet wire, machine screws and nuts, some hardware, some tools, all very cheap, replaceable, upgradeable. Enough to get some things done, cheap enough to provide variety. This would give people a way to experiment with the <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/using_the_design_process.html">Design Process</a> in a collaborative and low stakes manner.<br /><br />Included in the information side of the kit would be some project ideas, questions that could be answered with inventions, thought triggers on paper, and in digital form. All of the projects would be listed first on the web in a forums like place. People would show their products in flickr, youtube, and what ever other systems they wanted to use. If they used a consistent tag, then the products would be easier to find. Makekit would be a decent tag to use. This could even turn into a formal curriculum if that were an interesting idea to the right people.<br /><br />If somebody could create a simple project that would work on say turning a cd drive into a small remote control car, or creating a mp3 speaker out of a water bottle or yogurt cup and some headphones, then that kind of thing would be enough to get the ball rolling. Probably a dozen or so sample projects would relieve some of the 'gettting started' anxiety. Then, as supplies run low in the kit from project use, people should be recognizing the junk around them and the potential it holds. Of course, some of the text based material would include possible resources for finding replenishment supplies. The kit is a starter, and it grows as the user gains experience.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 8px; font: normal normal normal small/normal arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">To keep the thing rolling, people, organizations and schools could use a subscription model. Once a month, or at some other interval, a new package would arrive with a few suggestions of project ideas. Maybe a tool could be in the package, like a little screwdriver with phillips and straight tip or needle nose pliers with wire cutters. That would be the JunkOfTheMonth club model, as <a href="http://colorcutter.com/">Perry Kaye</a> put it.</span></div><div style="margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 8px; font: normal normal normal small/normal arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 8px; font: normal normal normal small/normal arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; ">This idea will run out in as open a fashion as possible. Ideally, it should get lots of feedback and inspire some people to be collaborators. There are a few to turn to at this time, but through the forums and comments, certainly more would come out. It would also be possible to have people add ideas from developing countries.</span></div><div style="margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 8px; font: normal normal normal small/normal arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; ">So anyway, what do you think? What should be the first device to deconstruct/morph/hack/mashup? CD drive, dollarfan, cassette player? If you want in, send me a message, or add info into the comments. Tag your product with kitjunk or Makeit to help us keep track of what each other are doing.</span></div><div style="margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 8px; font: normal normal normal small/normal arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></div></span></div><div><br /></div><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-162637574479368132008-11-11T11:15:00.006-05:002008-11-11T11:23:44.431-05:00User reviewed cell coverage<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><iframe src="http://www.gotreception.com/GREmbed.aspx?domain=www.gotreception.com&zoom=10&latitude=42.010019624240606&longitude=-70.65994262695312&width=380&height=570&carriers=ATnT_Sprint_Nextel_T-Mobile_Verizon%20Wireless_" style="border: 1px solid black;" height="570" scrolling="no" width="380"></iframe><br /><br />This is a neat visualization for cell coverage. It also has embedded into the maps the location of the call towers of various vendors. I know that it is not up to date at this writing because it doesn't show the cell antennae in First Parish Church in Duxbury.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-7635730928845140482008-11-06T06:33:00.005-05:002008-11-06T06:54:41.913-05:00Makezine Education Blogging<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fussingwithstuff.com/uploaded_images/mtmakeui-770569.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 113px;" src="http://fussingwithstuff.com/uploaded_images/mtmakeui-770567.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Over the past few years, I have been watching and informally contributing to Make Magazine's blog, <a href="http://makezine.com/">Makezine.com</a>. During a conversation with Phillip Torrone this year's Maker Faire, he suggested I blog for the site.<br /><br />In talking with Phil and Dale Dougherty, we came to an agreement that my beat would be education. So my charge is to help bring together teachers and learners from across the world and help them find the best techniques and project resources.<br /><br />Do you work with youth or adults, helping people to learn? Where do you get project ideas, supplies, community support or other resources? Do you have examples of incredibly good teachers? If you do, please share them with me so that we can all benefit. You can post to the comments of <a href="http://fussingwithstuff.com/">FussingWithStuff.com</a> or the <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/teach_make.html">Make blog</a>.<br /><br />Here is my introductory post on the Make site: <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/teach_make.html">Link</a><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-13764383580677972952008-11-04T14:46:00.006-05:002008-11-04T19:32:11.869-05:00Open Robo Baby<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/connors934/sets/72157608655525957/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 440px; height: 578px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/3003649182_3a7ec5be87_d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In a school near you there is (hopefully) a program that teaches teens the issues of teen pregnancy. Babies are needy little beasties who want attention, care and feeding around the clock. While it is unwise and probably dangerous to send a fleet of fleshy babies out in the sometimes indifferent arms of our nation's teenagers, it is more practical to arm them with something a bit less animated.<br /><br />Enter RoboBaby! For close to a thousand bucks, your school system can 'adopt' a glorified doll loaded with data logging circuitry.<br /><br />Couldn't this be done for considerably less money? The one pictured here seems to have been dropped at least once too many. It may be an easy fix, but even after it is done, is it worth it for a school to spend so much on something like this?<br /><br />So here, you can do your part to educate the seemingly all knowing, invincible and infertile teens of the world. How about OpenRoboBaby? What is out there that will work? How can schools produce their own?<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br />Here are some photos to get you thinking: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/connors934/sets/72157608655525957/">Link</a><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-53393034424822336592008-11-03T18:39:00.003-05:002008-11-03T19:08:27.456-05:00Vibrobot workshop at Duxbury Student Union<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fussingwithstuff.com/uploaded_images/MAKE_V10_high-758149.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="http://fussingwithstuff.com/uploaded_images/MAKE_V10_high-757444.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- Start of StatCounter Code -->Calling all Tinkerers!<br /><br />Do you enjoy tinkering with broken parts to make them work? Do you like knowing how motors and systems do what they do? If you are a girl or boy aged 12-18, you might like to make "The Vibrabot", a twitchy, bug-like robot with a toy motor and a mint tin. The project is featured on the cover and page 119 of Make Magazine #10 from O'Reilly Publications.<br /><br />This introductory and experimental program is designed to develop curiosity, problem solving techniques and mesh the various mediums of documenting to build confidence and know-how for future projects. In the future, the Duxbury Student Union would like to create more workshops and experiences that help girls and boys take creative control over the systems and devices that they use every day.<br /><br />This introductory session is offered free of charge this Friday, November 7th from 2.30pm - 5.00pm at the Duxbury Student Union. This workshop, led by Duxbury Technology and Engineering teacher Chris Connors, Alec Resnick from NubLabs.org and several collaborators will be documented with photography and video to be included on the Make Magazine website <a href="http://makezine.com/" target="_blank">makezine.com</a>.<br /><br />To register, please call Sue Lawrence at 781.934.2290. Space may be limited to ensure that girls and boys have access to this workshop.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-6885808589174737082008-11-02T14:21:00.001-05:002008-11-02T14:23:48.475-05:00When trash talks to you: The educational value of junk<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://flickr.com/photos/connors934/153939008/in/set-72157607723190514"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 443px; height: 331px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/66/153939008_5e2b6c0f5c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><b><span style="font-size:6;">When trash talks to you:</span><br />The educational value of junk</b><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Intro:</span><br />As a teacher, tinkerer and curious person, I have learned a lot from junk. The discarded things and devices I have learned from have helped me to teach and learn about electronics, product design, mechanical devices and many other interesting ideas. Like many people picking through the discards of others, I have a few rules on what I will and will not gather. It should be useful when I pick it up, or fairly easy to make useful. I don't like dirty, moldy or otherwise noxious stuff. Obviously, if you are in relationship with others, those people may or may not be thrilled about a taste for trash. Spouses and neighbors, even city officials or neighborhood associations may have some opinions on what you can and cannot accumulate. Somehow, everybody has to be kept happy.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />The value of emotionally unattached junk.</span><br />If somebody tossed it, you can do whatever you want to it. If you brick a device that came out of the trash, nobody will cry that they paid $400 for it five years ago. This is the most powerful concept of learning from trash. When I started working on a dumpscore computer, trying to turn it into a server for my classroom website, I realized that I could screw it up royally and nobody would be mad at me. That realization released me to be able to experiment without the fear of failure. It was trash. If I ruined it, I could put it back in the computer pile at the dump and nobody would know the difference. I made the computer into a server and used it effectively for years until I found another way of hosting websites.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">What can you learn?</span><br />Electronics, mechanisms, product design, how things work, the history of technology, innovation, environmentalism,<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">How can trash talk?</span><br /><b>Use your senses:<br />eyes -</b> How does it look, does it have parts that are useful? What is written on it? What is the design of it?<br /><b>ears -</b> When you start it, use it, run it, does it make noises? Where are the noises from? When you pick it up, are there loose parts inside?<br /><b>touch</b> - What does it feel like, is it heavy, smooth? Can you feel the craftsmanship?<br /><b>smell</b> - Mostly, I give it a sniff test to see if it is musty. This is especially useful for books and computer that were used in basements.<br /><b>taste</b> - You probably shouldn't taste it, but some people don't have a problem with carefully found trash food.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />How can you use the junk?</span><br />use it as it is<br />fix it<br />take it apart<br />make something new<br />take parts from one to fix another<br />take systems from one thing and add it to another thing<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">What do do when you are done with it</span><br />Take it back to where it came from.<br />Use it.<br />Give it away.<br />Sell it.<br />Take pictures of it.<br />Get rid of it.<br />Use it for parts.<br />Try to get rid of it.<br />Eventually, you probably ought to get rid of it.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Where can you get trashed?</span><br />The trash can in the house/school/office/etc.<br />Swap pile at the town dump<br />Dumpster<br />Loading dock<br />Somebody's junk heap/pile/room/etc. But always get permission first, because they may have something in mind.<br />Yard sale<br />Flea market<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Photos to illustrate the ideas</span><br />Here are a few pictures that might go along with it, though I have many more. I have been doing this for years, and have a habit of often photographing as I go.<br /><br /><a href="http://flickr.com/search/?q=dumpscore&w=13559856%40N00" target="_blank">http://flickr.com/search/?q=<wbr>dumpscore&w=13559856%40N00</a><br /><br />Here is a set of a project that I did a few years ago. I still have the radio, and may add to the project. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/connors934/sets/72157607723190514/" target="_blank">http://flickr.com/photos/<wbr>connors934/sets/<wbr>72157607723190514/ </a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It was fun to take the old radio apart, see what all the components did, how they were connected to the circuits of the other components and imagine how they could be reorganized into another device. I attached them to a scrap piece of plywood, and intended to add an mp3 player input where the cassette head was, and an FM transmitter to the output so that it could be used to transmit the input to other radios in the house.<br /></span>Resources to help with the ideas</span><br />Duxbury, the town I live in, has an active picking pile at the dump. It is actually called the Duxbury Mall. I have been using it as a project supply resource for years. Many of my students use the dump for a lot of the points of this outlined topic. I can tap into the experiences those people ranging from kids to college students to adults. Many of the people who graduate from my program at Duxbury High School learned a lot of what they know using these techniques and are now studying or working in the engineering field. I know many other people in other places who share this mindset.<br /><br />If you have projects that came from trash, let me know. What did you learn from the trash? What did you make? Where did you get it? How do you dispose of the tailings of your trashy life?<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-46281907703716040892008-11-01T03:35:00.004-04:002008-11-02T13:23:32.187-05:00How I share my information<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fussingwithstuff.com/uploaded_images/tags-737175.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 320px;" src="http://fussingwithstuff.com/uploaded_images/tags-737172.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In the past few weeks, I have been having discussions with people about how to share information online so that their interesting projects can find an audience. In one of these discussions, most of the text of this post came out as an email. I have referred to it enough times that the idea needs its own web address.<br /><br />For online, I like free. I also like instant availability and worldwide access. I aspire to travel, sometimes I actually do. One thing I hope is that people in other parts of the world will see some of my work and that of the people around me and be inspired to think about it and maybe even try something similar.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Photos</span><br />Posting photos is much more useful than leaving them on a hard drive. I am using flickr for my photos. For a pro account it's $25 a year for unlimited uploads and storage (yes I have tried to find the limit). I started using it because of the Make Flickr Pool. Happy ever since. I put everything up, and it is basically a second place to store it in case something tragic happens to my hard drive. Another nice thing about it is that if I recall a photo, I can get at it no matter where I am or who I am working with. Sometimes it comes in handy as a way of illustrating a point. Sometimes it allows me to do something creative on short notice. Sometimes I just need to use it to move a picture from one computer to another without a flash drive. If it goes into my Flickr account, it is retrievable.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Video</span><br />Most digital cameras have video capability. many cellphones do as well. Since we have them with us most if not all the time, we should use them. Youtube is good as a place to put the videos, mostly because of the community and audience that it will reach. Vimeo has fewer ads, and the quality seems better. Flickr also has video, but it is new and the size and duration of the files is pretty limited.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Wiki</span><br />There are many other ways of making a wiki, I use pbwiki for most of my daily online text posting. Mediawiki is more powerful, but more like driving a manual shift car. There are probably better solutions, but the markup is incredibly easy, and again, its free. When I start a new project, I just make a new wiki and add it to my little wiki farm. I have a few dozen at this point, and see no reason to stop there. Each wiki gets about 10 megabytes of file storage. Certainly it is enough for text files, code and things like that.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Text and office documents</span><br />Open office should be the standard for hard drive based office type tools. Why should anybody pay for the software to make a text document or spreadsheet? If your document needs to be opened ofn MS Office, save it into that format. Free, open source software will help individuals and institutions save money and have more options.<br /><br />Google docs seems useful, I have made a few text documents and that kind of thing. It is also possible for people to collaborate on a single document. The power is there, but not many people get it yet. It definitely is a good way of posting your work, like slideshows or spreadsheet so that other people can view it. A student of mine posted his presentation on electric cars vs. gas powered cars. I thought it was a nice way of sharing the info. The calendar is also useful, and linkable, other people can import it into their calendars and stuff like that. The main problem with google docs is that nobody seems to be in the habit of using it. google code looks useful, though I have not really set to using it. Gmail works for me, and being able to search through the messages for the info helps.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blogs<br /></span>Often a blog post will start as an email to a particular person and then get copied into the blog interface. Wordpress, Moveable Type and Blogger are the blogging tools that I have tried. Blogger is the one I use for <a href="http://fussingwithstuff.com/" target="_blank">fussingwithstuff.com</a> It allows me to add some tracking code for Google Analytics, and I can change the css skin pretty easily. Everything lives on the server, no software on the hard drive. Web browser access means that you can update worldwide. It does take a bit of learning to get at what it can do, I am still trying to get better at it.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Cross publishing</span><br />Lately, I am trying to tie all of my media together. My facebook account seems to be the binder. I have it set so that it has plugins for twitter, youtube, delicous and flickr. Whenever I update one of those, it sends a message over to facebook, which adds it to my wall and alerts all my friends. It is also possible to post a link so when I make a new blog posting or find something good online, I can share it with people through my wall. I have been trying to assemble a good list of friends who are really interested in the same kinds of education and hacking projects that I am. I like the list so far, and each time I do a collaborative project I seem to find more clever people to add to the list.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Tags</span><br />Tags are essential in the modern web. By tagging EVERYTHING, I can find it myself, and so can the other people in the world. Search engines use tags to find what is out there on the web. If there is a project that is unique to me and the people I work with, I create a tag and start using it. duxtech is the handle that I use for my high school technology and engineering program. connors934 is the handle I use for most of my online presence. By searching for that, it will show many of my social media accounts. Through poking around in those and in the tags that I use on them, you can see what I am up to.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br />Hopefully you found this helpful. Each of these systems takes time and patience to figure out. Once you get into it, you will find that there are powerful things that can be done by sharing ideas online. By showing others what your projects and ideas are, you can help find and build community around the interesting work you do.<br /><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-28324032176841882932008-10-28T06:13:00.005-04:002008-10-28T06:23:36.387-04:00Bret Dickerson on using the Shopbot in school<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3K8lV6fQ75s&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3K8lV6fQ75s&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Brett has been using Shopbot in his classroom for over 22 years. He likes what he sees in the changes that his students have shown. He likes the way that his students have grown socially and intellectually through the projects they have done. He has had a great time learning alongside his students.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-18906615470508816782008-10-26T14:42:00.006-04:002008-10-26T15:11:48.760-04:00A conversation with Mitch Altman at Maker Faire<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WwPFCTI1qnI&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WwPFCTI1qnI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Mitch Altman creates kits that inspire people to make things. "If we don't make things on our own, then we're stuck with what the corporations want to give us....If we make our own things, we can make whatever we want. If we can imagine it, we can make it."<br /><br />Wikipedia profile: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Altman">Link</a><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script>TV-B-Gone <a href="http://www.tvbgone.com/cfe_tvbg_main.php">Link</a><br />Brain Machine on Engadget <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/28/brain-machine-legally-induces-mind-trip/">Link</a><br />Mitch's profile on the Make site <a href="http://makezine.com/pub/au/Mitch_Altman">Link</a><br /><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-54378636703894737722008-10-25T20:22:00.005-04:002008-10-26T15:14:08.072-04:00Brain Machine Users at Maker Faire Austin<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/USA_LR2PkUs&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/USA_LR2PkUs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />The people in this video are using Mitch Altman's Brain machine. It uses a microcontroller to vary the blinky pattern of the leds and the sound through the headphones to match brain wave activities and give a terrific visual experience. The program runs 14 minutes and is quite exciting. Every person seems to have a different experience.<br /><br />The article in Make: 10 <a href="http://makezine.com/10/brainwave/">Link </a><br />Video Podcast <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/05/hack_your_brain_make_vide.html">Link</a><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script>Kit in the Maker Shed <a href="http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MSBM">Link</a><br />Hack it into a tin <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/09/build_hacking_the_brain_m_1.html">Link</a><br />Notes on Mitch's visit to AS220 during of the summer of 2008 <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/08/make_roadtrip_as220.html">Link</a><br />Mitch also invented the TVBGone <a href="http://www.tvbgone.com/cfe_main.php">Link</a><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-41675062625775557842008-10-24T16:56:00.005-04:002008-10-26T15:14:42.760-04:00Danny Brought his daughter to Maker Faire<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4a4ZSFTOwmU&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4a4ZSFTOwmU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Danny and his daughter returned to Maker Faire for some excitement with building and experimenting. While she was learning to print with silkscreen, he was checking out the Shopbot and surveying the nublabs Fab Lab.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-72649175019903916272008-10-24T16:33:00.004-04:002008-10-26T15:15:08.703-04:00Patrick Built his own CNC machine<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QwGeAKUimJw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QwGeAKUimJw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Patrick from Buildyourcnc.com talks about making his own computer numeric controlled machines. He originally started the project to make parts for a hobby, but now uses his machine to cut parts that he sells as kits so others can make their own machines. It is the machine that can make its own replacement.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br />His website has lots of information for people looking to get started making machines that can be controlled by computers.<br /><br />Site Link: <a href="http://buildyourcnc.com/latest.aspx">buildyourcnc.com<br /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-36773471388129110322008-10-24T15:22:00.009-04:002008-10-26T15:15:26.361-04:00Denise Made vinyl silkscreen stencils at the nublabs Fab Lab<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RrsMYgxOMek&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RrsMYgxOMek&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Denise is a chemistry teacher. She put on a contest for her students to design pictures for Mole Day. She brought the pictures to the nublabs FabLab where she used the vinyl cutter to make the stencils. Later that week, she printed the shirts with the students. The students then wore the shirts in schools bearing their custom designs. Limited edition ChemGeek shirts!<br /><br />She used the techniques for Silkscreen Print With Vinyl described <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Silkscreen-Print-with-Vinyl/">here</a><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><a href="http://nublabs.org/">nublabs </a>operated the <a href="http://fab.cba.mit.edu/">Fab Lab</a> at Maker Faire Austin 2008<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-54529108466431726182008-10-24T15:01:00.005-04:002008-10-26T15:17:12.008-04:00Matthew Dalton in the Maker's Shed Kit Building Area<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BYGBU7jOyGE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BYGBU7jOyGE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Matthew Dalton worked Maker Faire in the Kit Building Area of Maker Faire Austin. He showed people how to solder, and helped them through the process of building the kits that they bought at Maker Faire. By helping people get familiar with the tools of electronics, he's teaching them so that they can work on electronics at their home doing the projects they want to do.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-69634966985019042242008-10-24T08:19:00.008-04:002008-10-26T15:17:28.539-04:00Steve Davee Shows His Maker Notebook Projects<!-- Start of StatCounter Code --><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5XqMgK8ilnQ&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5XqMgK8ilnQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br />Steve Davee came to the nublabs Fab Lab at Austin Maker Faire 2008. He has been working on his Maker's Notebook, and shows some of the way he has modded the book and how he has used it as a way of storing and developing his ideas. He also talks about his experiences in education and how he is able to inspire kids to do amazing things. Steve is a teacher at the Opal Charter School in Portland Oregon.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30334972.post-3112576378288068652008-09-15T06:25:00.018-04:002008-09-16T06:54:45.525-04:00Distributed Manufacturing and Disaster Revovery<div><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/connors934/2858679041/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></a></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 420px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/2858679041_ff1dd02c3b_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Another weather update today: Hurricane heading for the Gulf Coast. It's the third time this month we have heard this announced. In the news report that triggered this writing, we hear that the contractors working on rebuilding from Hurricane Gustav are being asked to ramp up their 30 day contracts to repair damage so that the work can be done in a week or so. As this is being prepared for posting, we are hearing of the aftermath of Hurricane Ike and the destruction of Galvaston.<br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Three years ago, New Orleans was hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The population of the Gulf Coast was scattered all over the country because the government was not ready to quickly house the people and rebuild the area's housing stock. In the years since, we have heard of the problems with 'FEMA Trailers' and the environmental hazards the represent. Once people move out of these trailers, where are the trailers to go? Stockpile them for the next emergency?<br /><br />In the days after Katrina, I remember hearing that there was a sentiment that "Americans don't live in tents". Our people should not have cloth houses for even a while (unless there is hunting involved).<br /><br />So we have a problem and an opportunity.<br /><br />The problem is that we have large populations around the world that are located in high density areas, and these areas are subject to a variety of natural disasters. We have heard this year of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fires and tornadoes to name a few. Whenever these areas are wiped out, housing needs to be replaced, quickly and safely.<br /><br />The opportunity lies in how the housing is replaced. What if we had a system to rapidly manufacture housing that is safe, sturdy, attractive and can be used for permanent or temporary use? This housing would not be built using traditional methods developed a hundred years or more ago, it would be an opportunity to reinvent housing design, construction and use.<br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Distributed manufacturing of architecture</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />With computer controlled tools like those found in the Fab Lab system and manufactured by </span></span><a href="http://www.shopbottools.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ShopBot</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, we could create a network, locally, nationally and globally to provide good, safe, rapidly assembled housing. There are hundreds or thousands of tools around the United States and world that could be used on relatively short notice.<br /><br />The parts of the houses could be shipped to a distribution point, then trucked or trained in to the disaster zone. Once on location, the parts, which would have been cut to consistent specifications on similar materials. Obviously, some allowances would have to be made in the design to ensure that the parts would assemble properly. Assembly could occur with relatively simple tools like rubber mallets. The site would need to be prepped, a cement slab or some other foundation.<br /><br />Each set of parts from a distributed manufacture would have markings that would help with quality control. It would be possible to check the numbers carved into every part and tell which machine it came from, and from there tell which material was used, and other data that the tool owner/operator would keep track of. This would help in the design process by allowing the testing of materials and techniques.<br /><br />As the crisis is resolved, people in the emergency zone could continue to live in the housing, or they could turn it back for other housing. Since it is possible to build the house entirely with mortise and tenon, pressure fit, tab and slot techniques, the housing could be assembled with little or no hardware fasteners. If there is a surplus of these distributed manufactured housing units, they could be sold, moved or even cut up and chipped. </span></span><a href="http://www.willitblend.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Will it blend?</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Yes it will. But can we </span></span><a href="http://www.ssiworld.com/watch/watch-en.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Watch it Shred?</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Yeah, that too.<br /><br />In preparation for the next emergency, a number of these housing units could be stored warehouse style, maybe in shipping containers that could be put on trucks or trains. When the next hurricane/tornado/flood/fire/earthquake comes, pop the houses into the transportation system and get people into safe housing quickly. These stockpiled kits would be from manufacturers who had been properly proven as having good quality control, since these would be the first to hit the disaster zone. In days, or maybe even hours, it would be possible to get roofs over the heads of the people who recently lost their houses to mother nature.</span></span><div dir="ltr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />This would change the way we make houses. Instead of just making the housing faster, we would be reinventing the system of housing design, manufacture and construction. It would encourage collaboration and open source design. It would release the manufacture of the house from the local area, and support open source manufacturing. It would create a viable solution to the rapid and safe rebuilding of housing in areas where there are vulnerable displaced populations.<br /><br />Larry Sass of MIT has been working on developing a system very similar to this. His focus is on the </span></span><a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/arch-sass-0703.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">building </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">itself. His designs and those like his could form the base of the system. But between where we are now and having trailers loaded and ready to ship to the disaster zone, we would need to have several intermediate projects of lower stakes to prove out the system.<br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The test part is an important step in the design process of the project.. A whole set of test parts with calibration fitting points could be made on one machine that has a known calibration and a history of accurately cutting the project parts. These tester parts could then be shipped out to the project participants who would then make sure their machine can make parts that fit into the tester's calibration areas. It would have some mortise and tenons and holes and rectangles, and probably some more than that. The part would likely be no more than an 8th if a sheet of plywood. When the machine user can make similar parts that are compatible with the tester, then the machine is calibrated to the international standard. The machine user may just want to know the machine is set right.<br /><br />At that point, they can make an example duplicate of the tester and ship it back to a quality control group. If the part passes a test, then the machine is official. The official part would be optional unless the machine would be used on long distance group projects where intermachine compatibility is essential. The certification process could be done by shopbot, or some other group of trusted individuals.<br /><br />As far as proving the system, it would be absolutely essential to test it out on some low stakes projects first. This would allow the manufacturing team to go through the design process as many times as needed to get the system working accurately and effectively. If the project had a number of intermediate projects and goals to build up to the biggie of fabbing houses that would sit in shipping containers waiting for a disaster. When you get to that point, everybody involved has to completely trust the system with good data behind its' testing.<br /><br />Intermediate level projects could be the manufacture of something pretty simple but at least a bit complex like rubber band cars or a toy paddle boat or a simple chair/table/organizer/other piece of furniture.<br /><br />As the project progresses, the manufactured projects get more complex or made of larger runs of parts. The rules governing the design get more precise, so then you can get into items that can meet national or international standards for manufactured goods. <br /><br />Ultimately the project gets to make structures, maybe starting with a dog house design or storage shed or car port. When that system is working well, then the project tries out some even more complex designs</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><script type="text/javascript"><br />var sc_project=1699971; <br />var sc_invisible=1; <br />var sc_partition=16; <br />var sc_security="52ecaf58"; <br /></script><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Links</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Shopbot Tools - </span></span><a href="http://www.shopbottools.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://www.shopbottools.com/</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Blend Tech - </span></span><a href="http://www.willitblend.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://www.willitblend.com/</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />SSI -</span></span><a href="http://www.ssiworld.com/watch/watch-en.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> http://www.ssiworld.com/watch/watch-en.htm</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><br /></span></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter_xhtml.js"></script><noscript><div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c17.statcounter.com/1699971/0/52ecaf58/1/" alt="site hit counter" /></a></div></noscript><br /><!-- End of StatCounter Code -->Chris Connors, Connors934http://www.blogger.com/profile/01921379876514181760noreply@blogger.com0