Vanessa was working with TAT to develop their demo process: namely, how they interact with customers and develop concepts based on often vague customer requests. A series of workshops was held in which we explored how the customer request and ideas could be better defined. We used Low-Fi prototyping, using everyday objects to express meaning, desire, intention and encourage collaborative brainstorming between the customer and TAT. The report is online: From Desire to Concept: A collaborative participatory design process exploring a mobile development company's design process, focusing on low-fi prototyping.
GeekPhysical was brought in to research and create the movement of the frames, using an integrated DMX controller to take care of the sound, lights and motors all in one shot. GeekPhysical has helped with this installation at UTurn Copenhagen, Denmark, MUSAC in Leon, Spain, and most recently, at Bonniers Art Hall in Stockholm. See more of Kirstine's works here
Eggbot is a CNC plotter for Easter Eggs on a small scale, built to fit your average egg and accommodate for the curvature of the egg's surface. We explored different concepts in plotting, CNC controls, servo controls and mapping curved surfaces in this project and it led directly to our work on the Giant Printer. Amusingly, we were not the only ones to create an "Eggbot", read about our Easter egg adventures with eggbot here (technical) and here (introducing other eggbots).
GPS Hide & Go Seek was created to explore the properties of a broadcast GPS signal over VHF. Much of this research was then used for a slightly more concrete project - launching a rocket suborbital with Copenhagen Suborbitals. Check out Copenhagen Suborbitals and our partner in crime, Thomas Scherrer.
It is built on a framework consisting of a Kinect Sensor and 6 projectors creating a circular space where any information can be displayed in a continuous view. The content presents itself to the participant, reacting instantly to change in position. Audio, video and photographs are localized to the person in the space. Technology developed by Nikolaj "Dzl" Møbius of GeekPhysical and by Nicolas Padfield of illutron. In this project, extensive research was done into displaying and mapping visuals and information in an intuitive way. The Kinect Sensor came in at the 11th hour after much work was done to prepare to use infra-red lights and cameras, and luckily, just before the debut, the Kinect Sensor was released, and the technology used to replace the complicated infra-red system of the past to precisely detect movement in a space.
The design of the Gear Belt took some time, studying different gear types and creating drawings in Corel Draw so the CNC machine could understand the output. The final product was a combination of invention, engineering, design and pure steampunk enthusiasm.
The interface was designed to give the user a fluid experience when setting time, alarm, and snooze features. The circuit boards used were custom designed and manufactured using a rapid prototyping process (CNC Machining). To read about all the wondrous geeking that went into the electronics and programming of this clock, read this blog post.
Surface mount LEDs resting delicately on copper wires twined together to create beautiful shimmering LED trees. Hackaday liked our tree, check out their coverage of it here.
The Cakes N Cookies Froster (CNC) is an extension to an existing CNC machine. The 'froster' is made from a decorating bottle for cake frosting, this is inside of a salad dressing shaker, which encases a stepper motor. The stepper motor drives a push plate to force out frosting. This was an exploration into adapting the CNC machine using whatever is available (read: rapid prototyping through everyday objects) and helped provide us with insight into the possibilities, limitations, and tools that we can explore with the CNC machine.
Our passion lies in inventing, researching via doing, using rapid prototyping to move concepts forward and utilizing a lifetime of experience in electronics and engineering to provide the necessary expertise to use the best tool for each job.
We can help you invent, engineer, and research your project. Contact Vanessa via mail.