1/25 Design and Fab.

This week we started to make our design. We got the hat, the sunglasses and the lights. We're going to use 3 lights because we would need more battery power if we were to use more lights. So far we've only started to sew on the first light. It took some time to get going with it but it should be complete by the end of the week. Hopefully.

Week 3 Prompts Due 2/1

Week 3 Blog Prompts Please note the suggested photos to include in the blog post, plus prompts to answer - in some detail!

Design & Fabrication 2, 4, 6 Photos: Screenshot of your altered Flora LED Blink code (not 1000 ea). Photos (2+) of your eTextile project in progress, including ways you specifically contributed to the project.
Prompts: 

• What was the biggest challenge this week for your eTextile project? Explain how you overcame that challenge, or what you plan to do to overcome it next class. 
• Working in a team can be a challenge, including how each team member contributes. What have you contributed to your team this week - please be specific? How can you contribute in the next two classes you have to finish the project? 
• Sometimes the difficulty in a team situation is that you find it easier to just do it all yourself than to work to get your teammates to contribute in some way. What can you do next class to find ways for your teammates to contribute to the project in different ways? Remember, we want everyone to try sewing, learn about the code and loading it onto the boards, and contribute ideas about the circuit / prototype concepts as things get put together. 

 
Please have your blog post done by Monday 2/1 at 8:00am (all classes), although earlier is always welcome.  Email me if you have any questions or issues.
Ms. Sutter

1-29-16 friday metals 4

All of the groups are working on their e-textile project. Most groups are sewing/assembling.

Friday, Jan 29th DF2

Today we resumed our work on the eTextile project. Many people started to sew their lights to their knits and everyone was working very hard! One group was making a light up frisbee! How interesting! Hope everyones project will work at the very end.

Wednesday Class post DF2

Today we started working on our team project. 

We picked up our Gemma /Flora boards and our supplies to make the project. Many of us figured out the layout of the circuit and started putting them together.

1/27/16 Tues Class Post

  Today we further explored the Application Arduino and started sewing the boards onto our projects. Our project involves a motion Sensor so we further explored the coding needed to use a light sensor.

The Board that we are using in the Flora board and our group is still trying to understand how it works.

1/25 Design and Fab

Today we learned how to compile the Arduino code, and transfer it into the FLORA board. We had to discuss about our interviews and what we thought of our initial  customers. We decided what materials we will use for our eTextile project and what board we would use, very important things to know how to do in the future for our project

The FLORA board after programing it.

The GEMA board which is the one will use for our project.

Working in Arduino code for project. 

1/25 Monday DF2

Today we set up the Flora boards in Arduino by copying a 'third party board' link into Arduino->Preferences->Additional Boards Manager URL. 

Third Party Link

Preferences

Then we opened up Boards Manager (Tools-> Board-> Board's Manager) and installed the Adafruit AVR Boards, which gave us the flora board.

Then we tested out the flora board by programing a flora etextile to blink repeatedly at 2 second time intervals.  This is the same process that we are going to use for our etextile project, except for the coding being more complicated.



We then got into our etextile teams and discussed what we found through the interviews with some potential customers.

3D Design

Last week we were put into teams to brainstormed ideas for creating an accessory using a Gema or Flora circuit board. We decided to make a hat with clip on sunglasses that had LED lights on the brim of the hat. Then put together a list of stuff we will need to make it. I think that we will start to make the hat this week. Cam't wait to see how it turns out.

Week 2 Blog Prompts Due 1/24

Week 2 Blog Prompts Please note the suggested photos to include in the blog post, plus prompts to answer - in some detail!

Design & Fabrication 2, 4, 6 Photos: Photos of your paper circuit project (the new and improved version) Make sure you show at least one of the circuit, one of the "on" front, and if you have a fun on/off switch perhaps post a 5-10 second video. ALSO - a photo of the sketch of the basic circuit of your group eTextile project.
Prompts: 

• What was the biggest challenge in making your paper circuit project?
• Explain the eTextile project you are planning with your team. 
• Who are the potential users for your project? What was the biggest challenge in doing the interviews with at least 3 of these users?

MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR INTERVIEW RESULTS to class on Monday!
 
Please have your blog post done by Monday 1/24 at 8:00am (all classes), although earlier is always welcome.  Email me if you have any questions or issues.
Ms. Sutter

1/21 Thursday DF2

Today in class we continued to work on our e textile project with our group. We watched some videos that taught us the difference between flora and gemma  e textile boards. We then planned how we planned to make our project and listed what materials we wanted to use etc. We also decided who we would interview over the weekend to get more information for out project. Ms Sutter also explained more to us about the different boards and what we could do with them.

Amelie learning about circuits

Ms Sutter explaining Gemma Boards

Planning e textiles

Thursday 1/21 class post

Brainstorming paper

Today in class we watched a youtube video about flora boards and how they worked. Then in the groups that we had a few classes ago, we started picking projects and figuring out how to make it. On a worksheet, we figured out who we were going to interview and what materials we would need to create this product.

How Flora Boards work

January 19th DF8

today in class we continued to work on our paper circuits. Everyone made their own and most people were able to finish.

The homework for next class is to finish your circuit and write your blog post if you haven't already.

January 19th DF4

At the beginning of class, Ms. Sutter made sure that we had downloaded all the necessary applications on Friday last week. Some people had not, so if you are one of those people make sure to go to the library and get some tech help before next class!

We spent the majority of class making our paper circuits. The connections were extremely iffy and a lot of us had to press down on several places to make sure that all of our lights would light up. The LED lights easily broke so we had to be careful not to break the tips of them. Many people had creative ideas on what to light up. Hanna made an illuminati sign, Matteo made Iron Man, and Yufa made a christmas tree.

Working on paper circuits

Confused on how to make the copper tape turn

Frustrated because only one LED light would turn on

Week 1 Blog Entry KB

Kai Brown

• What surprised you about the opportunities with e-textiles and basic electronics? 

I was surprised how easy it was to make and how you could easily do this at home without having to spend a lot of money on supplies.

• What is the idea your group is most excited about doing for the project? 

Are group wanted to do something that involved shooting ball of paper into a garbage can. When the ball of paper goes in, using motion sensors and lights it will flash.

• What is one thing you are concerned about with the project? 

Can we program the motion sensors to act like a switch when the paper goes in

Will the motion sensors be able to detect the paper ball

• I was wondering . . .  How do motion sensors, and blinking lights work?
  

Week 1 blog entry

Prompts: 

• What surprised you about the opportunities with e-textiles and basic electronics? 

How easy it was. The easy part was that we weren't using overly complicated parts every thing seemed pretty straight forward.

• What is the idea your group is most excited about doing for the project? 

Opening a back pack and a light coming on. Almost like a car boot or door when it is opened a light goes on and when closed it turns off.

• What is one thing you are concerned about with the project?

 How we are going to activate and de-activate our light.

• I was wondering . . . .

If I uploaded this in the right place.

1/19 Tuesday DF6

This class was our third class of the semester. We spent the class time trying to complete our projects using copper circuits. We had to make something creative using parallel circuits. There had to be at least one battery and two LED lights that were in the project. On a coloured piece of paper, we would draw a design to match the LED lights that we connected. 

1/13 Wednesday DF4

Today was our first day of class. We learned about a rapidly spreading project called FabLabs. FabLabs are open to the public, completely free, encouraging people to create what they might've previously not had the resources to do.
We also learned about E-Textiles, creative commons and all their licensing, briefly looked at the design cycle, we set up our blog, and we outlined what we'd be doing this semester in Design and Fabrication.

1/15 Friday DF4

In class we installed programs such as Adobe CC's photoshop, Cube Pro, Fusion360, and Silhouette studio. This took up most of the class, and was very time consuming as we had to create accounts for some of the softwares as well. At the end, for the brief time we had left, we messed around with the copper tape and LED's.

Week 1 Blog posts Due Monday 1/18

Week 1 Blog Prompts
Please note that each class has suggested photos to include in the blog posts, plus prompts to answer - in some detail! - for that week's post. 

Design & Fabrication 2, 4, 6
Photos: Add in at least one additional photo of an eTextile project that might be close to what you and your team might be considering for your project. 

Prompts: 

• What surprised you about the opportunities with e-textiles and basic electronics? 
• What is the idea your group is most excited about doing for the project? 
• What is one thing you are concerned about with the project? 
• I was wondering . . . .

 
Please have your blog post done by Monday 1/18 at 8:00am (all classes), although earlier is always welcome.  Email me if you have any questions or issues.
Ms. Sutter

1/15 Friday DF2

place holder for late post . . . . .

1/15 Friday DF4

Place holder for late pots . . . .

1/13 Wednesday DF4

place holder for late post . . . .

1/15 Friday DF6

This was our third Design and Fabrication Class. The first thing in class we did was to download and install all the 3D design apps and software onto our computers. We then we set up our accounts, required. 

Apps: Silhouette Studio, Arduino, CubePro, 123D Make, 123D Design and Autodesk Fusion 360.

Supplies

Circus

Following on from our previous class, we started working on our own light circuits. We individually looked through the supplies, choosing our coloured LED's and required materials. We then constructed our circuit layouts, on coloured card. Then basically laying out the copper tape onto the card, then testing the circuit before fixing the LED's to it. Afterwards we build in a switch to control the flow of power, completing our design.

1/13 Wednesday DF2

Today was our second day of Design and Fabrication. We started off the class with learning about the basic components in a circuit. We watched a quick video on how to use copper tape, LED lights, and a battery to make a quick circuit. After this, we looked at some examples from the previous semester and tried to get them to work using batteries.


The video on the special bike helmet

After this, we started going into more depth with illuminations. We watched a video of a lady demonstrating a bike helmet that has special colourful lights and has the ability to help with navigation. Next, we were split into groups based on our skills (crafting, digital art, sewing, and computer programming) and discussed ideas on how we can use illuminations in real life.

We then shared our ideas with the class and noticed that some groups had similar thoughts. An example that came up in our class was a special LED light that you could put on the back of a truck. When you are in traffic and cannot see the traffic lights since they are being blocked by a big truck, you could look at the LED light's projection of the lights instead on the back of the truck.

Idea sheets from our class

Homework: None

1/13 Wednesday DF6

A circuit drawing showing a battery powering electricity through resistors...

This is our second day of the designs and fabrication lab class. First we started off the day by getting a handout on electric circuits that showcased the basic such as batteries, resistors, and series and parallel circuits.



After that we watched a 4 minute video on batteries and how they work. This video goes into the basics of the invention of the battery, how different types of batteries work, and how revolutionary they are too the modern world.

The class grouped into teams discusses ideas...

We then we were grouped into teams of three and four, with each member having a different skill such as sowing, programming, or digital art.
Within are teams we tried to come up with ideas for technology that utilizes illumination to help life in some way. Some ideas included putting light-up signs on shirts to show your dating status, as well as ways LED lights can be used for medical or sport reasons to visualize your pulse.

1/11 Monday DF2, 4, and 6

Today we set up individual blogs and made our "first day" post with a photo of an e-textile project that looked interesting. We then discussed the class blog and what the expectations are for that (see the Semester 2 Post below for more details). 

Then we discussed the idea behind Creative Commons, Open Source, and a sharing ethic behind the Fab Lab and Maker movements, how that ties in to documentation and sharing how to make / do things with the global community.  

We also went over the Design Thinking / Design Cycle, and a rough overview of how we will apply it in part or whole in the class this semester.   

Homework: 
Rename your Google Drive folder for this class with DF# (ie DF2, DF4, DF6) and your name, last and then first
so . . .DF2 Sutter Sarah  for example

Welcome to Second Semester!

Hooray! If you are reading this class blog, you are in Design & Fabrication with Ms. Sutter (me!) this semester. Here are a few things to remember about the class blog, and making your assigned class blog posts (which is different / separate from your weekly individual blog posts). 

1. Everyone in the class has been invited to be a contributor to the class blog. MAKE SURE YOU ACCEPT THE INVITATION ASAP. Your posts will have your blogger ID on the post, so we can tell who posts what. Please remember, this is a public, school related blog, so posts must be according to expectations and always school appropriate. Thanks for remembering that and adhering to guidelines! :)

2. You will be assigned 3 or so DAILY CLASS BLOG POSTS over the course of the semester. THESE POSTS GO IN THIS CLASS BLOG, not your individual blog. The post should be published at the END of the period or at the latest by the end of the day.  The post needs to include: 

• The title should be:1/13 Wednesday DF2, DF4 or DF6 (you get the idea)
• A review of what we did in class that day. 
• At least 2 photos that represent that work (not just generic photos of the whole class, please)
• A photo of any notes or tasks on the board for the day
• Any homework expected for the next class. 
• LABEL THE POST with the class:  DF2, DF4 or DF6 (please be consistent so the labels all match!!!)

3. Prompts for your weekly individual blog posts will be posted here every Friday afternoon. Respond to the prompts, be sure to have the appropriate photos of your work for the week, and the weekly blog posts are due by 8am Monday morning (so Sunday is blog post day EVERY WEEK, even if class isn't until Tuesday).   

Remember, you can always email me if you have any questions. I'd love to have you share the class blog and your individual blog urls with your parents and friends - it's fun to share what we do in the Design & Fabrication classes! 
 -- Ms. Sutter