Project TekTiles at the Brooklyn Fashion Design Accelerator
Experimenting with knit structures and conductive yarns with a particular focus towards tech sensors and actuators that could be knit straight off the machine.
Shape memory alloys (SMAs) come in a variety of forms. Two of those are nitinol and Flexinol. Nitinol remembers a "set" form, and seeks to return to that position when heated. Flexinol (from Dynalloy) is a muscle wire. When it is heated, it shortens in length by 3-5%. Here's a few experiments with these two wires and some tests for possible haptic actuation applications.
3D scanning, 3D printing, CNC milling, and mold making for digital lifecasting and impression. 2017.
Microfluidics are often (and increasingly) being used in various scientific fields. These experiments look at how these techniques might be used for the creation of speculative future designed objects and/or art. In these sketches, I used a 3D Doodler ABS 3D printing pen to create the pathways which were removed in an acetone bath. Silicone, water, and sometimes circuitry.
Some of this research led to micro-pumping solutions (not pictured) included in the Dynalloy Newsletter for its use of their SMA material called Flexinol.
A voltage regulator is a useful tool for building mechatronics. A soft and bouncy voltage regulator is a fun and self-reflexive tool for building mechatronics.
I created a challenge coin for my friend-crew intended to signify membership and to be used for drinking games. A first foray into small-scale bronze investment casting.
A nice way to relax - make some pinterest-ey blown glass planters.
Material Experimentation
Brooklyn, NY, 2014
Horseflies are the fastest self-powered animals on the planet and are capable of flying at 90mph. It has also been shown that beings like these, of faster metabolism, also experience time more slowly. Indeed, peak athletes have been shown to experience time slower than the average human, but with animals of extreme speed, the difference is even greater. It has been shown that the horsefly experiences time at one-tenth the speed of the average human, making their relatively short 30 to 60 day life-span at least a little longer equivalently. Reaction time is also greatly increased and is the reason that it is so difficult to swat a fly.
This time relativity inspired an exploration into possible manipulations of time that could be visible and interactive. I began looking into sound primarily because it seemed the most likely sense to be possible to manipulate. Sound travels at different speeds through different materials depending on a factors of density and elasticity.
After hearing beautiful recordings from frozen lakes such as these and these and watching a youtube video that coincidentally gained viral popularity around the same time, I began research into ice and water and found that as soon as water freezes, the speed of sound moving through it increases roughly three-fold.
Water @ 32degrees – 4,603 feet per second.
vs.
Ice – 4,000 meters per second.
In this experiment, I sought to detect and create effects with this change of speed and through this, make commentary on the relativity of time.
I learned about the difficulties of picking up sound with a frozen microphone, made some weird sounds and a big mess.
Creating verdigris “paintings” with salty water, copper, and some electricity.
Sketches on light that reacts to the environment. Latex covered news-print paper wrapped around a light bulb that expands with the heat from the bulb. A digital version is able to bring the temperature from outside inside. When installed in an air-conditioned house, the light might provide an extrasensory experience more in tune with the outside environment.
For a while I've wanted to create a long-term installation utilizing fresnel lenses to burn a picture of the sun over a long period of time. Something like a pyrotechnic camera obscura.
A test for a set of two balloons that were to inflate, in real-time, along with popular vote data scraped from the Politico website. The hardware failed along with the electoral system.
During a workshop in basic CRISPR technologies which led up to the "Archival Organ" project, we learned to isolate DNA, make bacteria glow with a protein from jellyfish, and tested my granola for genetically modified organisms (none found). This workshop led to The Archival Organ project.
Slip-cast porcelain eggs cast so thin that an RGB LED may shine through. The color of the light shifts along with the users heart-rate. The slower the bluer, the higher the redder. A meditative experience. The positive was lathed and burned for texture.
HydroSpan is a unique material made by Industrial Polymers Corporation. It expands 60% with water and is normally used to expand molds. Here, I was testing it as a Unimorph per MIT Media Lab, Tangible Media research.
An exploration in lightweight mesh models and stress testing using nTopology. Handle development for xSPANd stretcher project.
.22 rounds and shells were shot, collected, and used for the creation of jewelry.