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I'm on The Edge ❤️

April 30, 2019

When I attended the School for Poetic Computation a few years back, I met this really interesting artist, engineer, and musician Zach Dunham. After some time at Kickstarter, these days he’s working at a CNC machine manufacturer Bantam Tools at which one of his projects is producing my recent podcast obsession: “The Edge”. If you’re interested in make-y machine-y design-y engineer-y stuff, this podcast is the best. When I found it I binged the entire first season in just a few hours.

Then, a few weeks ago, Zach contacts me and asks if I want to be part of an episode with Mohit Bohite–whose work I absolutely love. It’s pretty amazing to find something you love and then a few months later get asked to participate in it. So, the episode is out today!!!

https://www.bantamtools.com/blogs/theedge/season-2-episode-5-mohit-bhoite-giving-life-to-electronics

If you find this episode exciting, don’t stop there! There are so many good episodes.

New Piece: Square Loop

April 20, 2019

2019

CNC-cut Cherry, 3D printed lens, HDPE, Microcontroller, Addressable LEDs, Rechargeable battery

Square Loop is a small rechargeable freestanding light source. A small microcontroller, running circuit python, controls addresses randomly changing RGB LEDs which transition, in 15-minute intervals, through an array of warm and cool tones. The lamp can operate plugged to a wall or untethered for 4 hours per recharge.

Dimensions: 7”w x 9”h x 2.25”d

See more: http://www.extrasleepy.com/#/squareloop/

Some of the student made amplifiers from the Fall 2018 Analog and Digital class

January 28, 2019

These are of few of the portable bluetooth amplifiers from a class I teach at Lick-Wilmerding High School. Students spend a semester learning about the circuit parts as well as how the enclosure will affect the sound. Then, using skills from electronics to digital fabrication to metal and wood shop, they craft the circuit and enclosure from scratch.

New Piece: Magic Stone

December 6, 2018

This lamp is available in limited edition and can be purchased.

2018

CNC-cut Walnut, 3D printed lens, HDPE, Arduino, Addressable LEDs, Rechargeable battery

Magic Stone is a small rechargeable freestanding light source. Visually suggestive of an energy field emanating from CNC-cut walnut, a translucent 3D-printed lens press fits into the hand-finished wood base. An Arduino addresses randomly changing RGB LEDs which transition, in 15-minute intervals, through an array of warm and cool tones. The lamp can operate plugged to a wall or untethered for 4 hours per recharge.

Dimensions: 8”w x 8”h x 4”d

See more: http://www.extrasleepy.com/#/magic-stone/

NEW PIECE: Honey

October 21, 2018

Honey is a small rechargeable freestanding LED lamp. A CNC-cut, translucent, 3D-printed lens press fits into a wood ring which is held up by an array of small legs. As the name suggests, the shape is reminiscent of a cartoon representation of a honey bee hive. An Arduino controls the randomly changing RGB LEDs which transition, in 15-minute intervals, through an array of warm and cool tones.

CNC-cut beechwood, 3D printed lens, Acrylic, Arduino, Addressable LEDs, Rechargeable battery

Dimensions: 6”w x 6”h x 6”d

NEW PIECE: Bright Donut

August 23, 2018

Bright Donut is a small LED-lit surface-ready lamp. Its CNC-cut wood body and translucent 3D-printed lens come together for a shape inspired by boutique Japanese donuts. The LED colors, which are always a gradient, are randomized and change every 15 minutes.

CNC-cut beechwood, 3D printed lens, Arduino, addressable LEDs, power supply

Dimensions: 8.5”w x 8.5”h x 3”d

Experimenting with Ml5.js

June 23, 2018

Ever since I completed the Machine Learning Literacy workshop back in February (at the School for Poetic Computation), I've been wanting to put together a project using Machine Learning. I finally finished something I call Land of Lumps. Land of Lumps is an experimental comic strip that utilizes the word vector abilities of the machine learning library ml5.js (along with p5.js) to generate dialog for a second character based on the user’s input for the first. The output is pretty wacky...which I love.

If you're like me and had never heard of word vectors before, here's a short explanation.

Land of Lumps is live!!! You should try it: http://extrasleepy.github.io/lumps/
A couple tips:
- Short phrases work better
- Avoid contractions

If you make anything you want to share, send it to me! Here are a few examples:

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Going to Eyeo!

March 13, 2018

After years of dreaming about it: I'm finally going to my first @eyeofestival ...on an artist fellowship ticket! Yes! Thank you @eyeofestival ! I hope to bring back loads of inspiration to my studio and students! http://eyeofestival.com/

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The Machine Learning Literacy Workshop was awesome. SFPC is awesome.

March 13, 2018

http://sfpc.io/machineLearningLiteracy/

Half Dozen

January 16, 2018

AMPLIFIER DESIGNS FROM FALL 2017 LWHS ANALOG AND DIGITAL CLASS

December 19, 2017

Here's a small selection of the 32 amplifier projects built by the Fall '17 Lick-Wilmerding Analog and Digital circuits classes. I've been facilitating this project each fall for a few years now and students continue to amaze me with innovative applications of design, material use, and tool application. All of the amplifiers have a class-D amplifier IC circuit at the heart, to which many students added extra features like analog potentiometers, bluetooth connectivity, and audio responsive lights.

Amity's log amplifier with audio responsive fire lights.

Rafa's bluetooth African continent wall-hanging amplifier

Lucy's phonograph-inspired amplifier with built-in drum machine.

Nevin's koi amplifier with bluetooth and audio-responsive led rings.

Patrick's compact bluetooth-ready amplifier

Samuel's reproduction-radio-turned amplifier with bluetooth and music visualizer.

Brittney and Oscar's solid wood amplifiers.

Ben G's custom-circuit amplifier in the style of a space capsule.

Jasmine's owl amplifier with bluetooth, beak as volume controller and audio-responsive eyes.

Trickle Down

December 3, 2017

New Piece: Prickly

October 12, 2017

Prickly is an internet-connected decorative planter that uses the ProPublica Congress API to cycle through a live list of the latest 10 bills passed by the United States Senate (on one LCD screen) and latest 10 bills passed by The House of Representatives (on the other). Find out what your elected officials are finagling through congress every time your water a parched cactus.

A variety of interests came together in the creation of this project. Like many people, I'm following politics pretty closely right now but I realized that there are many decisions happening behind the scenes or at least out of the regular news cycle. Maybe these proposed laws aren't dramatic enough or are just too technical to make the news, but some will certainly have a significant impact on the future of the United States. With this use of the ProPublica Congress API I began considering ways to integrate that information into my daily home experience.

Initially unrelated, I had been looking for an application of ceramic or porcelain 3D printing. I kept coming back to cups, flatware or planters. Then the idea struck: An Internet of Things planter! What better partner to accompany the current state of congressional politics than a cactus?

The exterior porcelain enclosure and the interior PLA structure are both modeled using Rhino. I test printed the exterior enclosure on a Makerbot before using Shapeways for the final print. The interior structure, which holds the small monitors and the IOT Photon controllers in place, is a basic PLA print created on a Makerbot. The cactus is from one of my favorite plant shops in San Francisco: Flora Grubb.

Materials: 3D Printed Porcelain and PLA, Photon IOT controllers, LCDs, Cactus
Dimensions: 4.5"w x 4.5"h x 4.5"d (not including plant)

http://www.extrasleepy.com/#/prickly/

New Piece: Filament

July 12, 2017

This lamp's form is loosely based on the glowing filament inside an incandescent bulb. The cherry base is designed in Rhino and cut on a CNC router. The 1mm-thick shade was printed through Shapeways. An Arduino Mini controls the randomly changing RGB leds which alternate, in 10-minute intervals, through an array of warm and cool tones. Dimensions: 7"h x 4.5"w x 9"d

We hear U

March 16, 2017

Fake News

February 16, 2017

Alternative Facts

February 11, 2017

Amplifier Designs from Fall 2016 LWHS Analog and Digital Class

December 24, 2016

Here are a just few of the 30+ amplifier projects built by the Fall '16 Lick-Wilmerding Analog and Digital circuits class. Students mixed all kinds of materials and tools from the CNC cutting to 3D printing to found objects. All of the amplifiers use a class-D amplifier IC circuit at the heart, to which many students added extra features like tweeters, analog potentiometers, bluetooth connectivity, and audio responsive lights.

Bay Area Data Fabrics for Sale

October 26, 2016

My friend Sarah Fateen reminded me that I should put the Bay Area data fabrics I made last year up for sale. So here they are by the yard - on Spoonflower: http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/extrasleepy