Micro challenge 1

(15/02 - 18/02)

markdown syntax guide https://www.markdownguide.org/basic-syntax/#images-1

Links to personal posts

• Andrea Arranz
• Aparna Pallod
• Paula del Río

What you will find in this repo

1. Documentation for micro challenge 01
2. Images of the process
3. Laser cut files

Project description

To create an artefact that allows gathering and plotting of data in unconventional way(s). To play with the concept of "aliveness" in wearables or domestic objects.

Brainstorming

Edu created a miro board with venn diagrams, where we could write down our personal areas of interest and also see the intersections happening within the members of the group.

Below listed are topics we are interested in. The ones in italics are common interests found within the group:

1. Andrea: wear data, data economy, hack IoT, gen-info-meme, unconventional interfaces, narrative creative, relationship with data-object-subject, analogue visualization of data
2. Aparna: Bio hack micro organisms, spiritual poetic tech, alive wearables, grow your own data
3. Paula: Maths in Nature, generative design/art, art as a provocative tool to understand connection, interspecies collaboration, symbiosis between nature and human, co-living, bioremidiation, energy,aesthetics to create narratives

Introduction

Traditionally we used to think in future times. Calendars, schedules, and notebooks allow us to plan seconds, hours, and days. The act to turn pages giveS us a feeling of release, things are done, but data remains. We hide the past days as they are worth nothing but the reality is that remembering our days gives as a context a base to build above and a source of reflection. This device allows us to see our data, translate it into an image, and to better understand the flows of our behaviour. We turned upside down the traditional way of visualizing our time to bring the opportunity to be in the context.

References

• Audrey Desjardins
• Data Visualization Textile
• Pattern Generation on surfaces
• pH modifiers for natural dyes
• What Pulse to measure our keyboard and clicks activity

Concept Development

• It was super interesting to see how our interests were overlapping and completing each other. Very early on we realised, all of us collectively wanted to take an unconventional approach for the challenge - provotyping.

• We were fascinated by different ways we could "track" data with the changes in our surrounding- as a droplet, as change in ambient light.

• When thinking of ways to make a material "alive", we thought of simple to complex ways of making it. From- using biomaterial and the changes in the material in itself to show passage of time, the ripples created on water surfaces, using chromatic paint to make it "responsive", generative patterns, adding elements day by day to make the piece dynamic/evolving, the patterns created by water based on height and quantity.

• After collectively deciding on what kind of approach we want to take, we were thinking of various data information we were interested in gathering.

• While discussing ideas, we also kept in mind if we are able integrate our previous weekly challenges learning into practice. (parametric modelling, laser cut, vinyl cutting)

• The kind of data we can gather with What Pulse about our keyboard. We played with the idea of "how much did I rethink in the digital world?" and tied it up with the number of times the delete button was pressed

Sketches

Materials needed

• Cardboard (4.0 mm) 1000x60cm
• Acrylic Sheet (3.0 mm) 60x30cm
• Canvas fabric (0.5 mm)100x60cm
• Pigments natural dyes
• Dropper bottle
• Water
• Screws to fix

Prototyping

• While discussing the idea, we were not sure if the tension between the cylinders would be sufficient enough to move but also keep the canvas in hold. To get an understanding of the mechanism, we slit the cardboard into 4 pieces (front, back, side A, side B) with holes on the side to insert the cylinders.

1. For prototyping the outer box with cardboard :

• Power: 40

• Speed: 1

• Frequency: 1000 hz

• After loading the canvas on the wooden cylinders, we wanted to see how the natural dye (turmeric+water) would emerge and leave residues on the canvas.

Results:

• The pulling mechanism worked fine.
• The teeth on the outside of the box did a good job to hold the fabric in place.
• The fabric did not soak much of the dye; maybe because the canvas was coated with a wax kind of layer.
• The main challenge and failures we had was while testing the mechanism to lock the Side A and Side B into the acrylic base sheet. As the material is brittle, we had to laser cut different dimensions of height and width to get the flexibility but not break apart.

Results

• Initially joints were too thin (measurements:)
• Or joints were too short
• Then joints were okay but not fully sure secure to trust
• Afterwards, we reduced the width of the centre part of the joint which gave it more security.

Fabrication process

We used laser cutter and cross cut wood cutting machine for the fabrication process.

1. The Trotec Speedy for cutting the 3.0 mm acrylic. With the parameters:

• Power : 60
• Speed : 0.5
• Hz : 20000

2. The Trotec Speedy for engraving the 3.0 mm acrylic. With the parameters:

• Power : 70
• Speed : 100
• Hz : 20000

3. The Trotec Speedy for cutting the 0.5 mm canvas cloth. With the parameters:

• Power : 20
• Speed : 1.00
• Hz : 1000 hz

4. The Trotec Speedy for engraving on the 0.5 mm canvas cloth. With the parameters:

• Power : 70
• Speed : 80
• Hz : 1000 ppi

5. Cross cut wood cutting machine for cutting the wooden cylinders. With the parameters:

• 1st cylinder - diameter: 25 mm, length: 180 mm
• 2nd cylinder - diameter: 15 mm, length: 180 mm
• 3rd cylinder - diameter: 15 mm, length: 180 mm

Setting Up

In Action

Further Ideas

• Next, we want to measure other parameters like at what time I took my contraceptive pill, how many times did I consume coffee, how much/less homesick did I feel. More intimate habits.
• As we were running out of time, we didn't have time to wash the fabric and engrave on it. As we speculate the dyes would be more absorbed into the fabric.
• We are interested in the new rituals of everyday life that would emerge.
• We are curious to what limits can we measure on the slots and try different parameters.
• Try out different materials for the rolling.

Links to files

• Laser cut acryclic
• Laser cut Fabric