Jeff Linnell, CEO/founder of https://formant.io/ visited the Device Invention class to discuss his ecosystem for internet-controlled robots, cameras, and more. Students were able to drive the Boston Dynamics robot "Spot" around his studio remotely. Jeff's work ties together design, engineering, and business, with creativity and experimentation. There's so much vision, even on projects that don't have an obvious pathway. It was honestly a little overwhelming to think about the diversity of ambitious projects in which Jeff has participated. Nevertheless, this was a genuine end-of-semester treat! Now, back to controlling our relatively simple Raspberry Pi IoT projects. Gotta start somewhere.
New Piece: Double Up
Double Up is a desktop light sculpture with capacitive touch sense interactivity. The two 3D-printed conduits illuminate with differing coordinated LED strips that can transition or be turned off by touching a CNC-milled aluminum base plate.
The wood base is milled with the Bantam Tools desktop mill, the aluminum with a Tormach, and the controller is an Adafruit QT-Py programmed with CircuitPython.
The light operates via 5v USB-C and saves the chosen color scheme indefinitely, on or off, while plugged in.
Dimensions: 5.25”w x 6.25”h x 3”d
New Piece: Vac Track
Can we get to herd immunity? Which states are making it happen, and who's hesitant? Vac track follows it all with real-time graphs of first and complete vaccinations distributed in all US states, DC, and Puerto Rico.
At the end of the state rundown (state abbreviation followed by graph), a calculated "winner" and "loser" for first and complete vaccinations is displayed. I started this as a short weekend project (it took longer). Let's hope this device becomes obsolete quickly. The insides are a Raspberry Pi Zero, a Pimoroni "Unicorn Hat Mini," and the Covid Act Now API–sitting in a 3D printed stand.
Read a short interview article from Bantam Tools!
New Piece! Hot Coil
Hot Coil, a palm-size light-emitting sculpture, is rechargeable and portable. Every 15 to 20 minutes a circuitPython controller randomly fades RGB LEDs through a range of warm colors.
The piece can operate plugged to a USB outlet or untethered for about three hours per 15 min recharge.
Materials: CNC-cut & hand finished walnut and acrylic, microcontroller, addressable LEDs, rechargeable battery
Dimensions: 4”w x 4”h x 4”d
Test projects for fall classes
Test amplifier and wearable electronic badge.
Window Installation and Exhibit with Mel Prest @ The Great Highway Gallery in SF
From July 16th - August 16th stop by the Outer Sunset’s gem of a space, the Great Highway Gallery, to see an installation by Mel Prest and I. We’ve been married artists for years, and somehow this our first collaboration! The title: Restructuring in Progress. We also both have several works for sale through the gallery. 25% of all sales during this period will be donated to the Bay Area chapter of Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ).
Upcoming in July: Great Highway Gallery window installation with Mel Prest!
The amazing painter Mel Prest and I are working on a collaborative window installation for the Great Highway Gallery. It will be up in early or mid-July! Here are some teaser process shots:
Tinytown
Tinytown, a palm-size light-emitting sculpture, is rechargeable and portable. A circuitPython controller randomly and continually fades individual RGB LEDs through a range of warm colors.
The piece can operate plugged to a USB outlet or untethered for more than 5 hours per recharge.
Dimensions: 2.5”w x 2.5”h x 2.5”d
See more: http://www.extrasleepy.com/#/tinytown/
3D sketch: Urchin
3D printed plastic and wood toothpicks
Sharing Work on the Bantam Tools Livestream
https://www.bantamtools.com/engineering-from-home/digital-fabrication-virtual-meetup
NEW PIECE: Chonky!
CNC-cut cherry and walnut, 3D-printed lens, Acrylic, Microcontroller, Addressable LEDs, Rechargeable battery
Chonky, a light-emitting sculpture, is symmetrically lumpy, rechargeable, and portable. A translucent 3D-printed lens press sits on atop a gradient of hand-finished wood and orange acrylic. A circuitPython controller changes the RGB LEDs about every 20 minutes.
The piece can operate plugged to a USB outlet or untethered for 4 hours per recharge.
Dimensions: 4.5”w x 4.25”h x 4.5”d
Mohit Bhoite visits Device Invention!
@MohitBhoite, creative and @particle engineer, presents his beautiful sculptures to the Device Invention class. I owe @bantamtools for connecting us through an episode of their podcast, which I love. From podcast to IRL! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-edge/id1448649714?mt=2
Participating in the School For Poetic Computation 7 year show.
This exhibition will celebrate and highlight the work of the School for Poetic Computation (SFPC) from the past seven years. Located in the Westbeth Artists Housing, SFPC is an artist run school, residency and research community exploring the intersection of code, design, hardware and theory — focusing especially on artistic intervention. Our mission is to support and nurture a diverse community of artists and critical thinkers to shape more creative, humane and poetic forms of computation. In the past few years, the school prioritizes inclusion of women, QTPOC, and disability community, offering a range of free public programs. With classes and events focusing on environmental justice, disability and accessibility, intersectionalities and racial bias in algorithms, the teachers have expanded the conventional understanding of computation. To further reach the communities that have been traditionally marginalized from art and technology, the school is planning an exhibition titled Poetic Computation. This exhibition will showcase a group of artworks from our teachers and alumni, a group that now numbers more than 300. The exhibition will also present material from the school’s archives for the first time with displays about our pedagogy and philosophy towards teaching art and computation. The exhibit will specifically focus on computation as an artistic medium spanning visual art, systems art and poetry, as well as critical perspectives on how computation impacts different communities in dramatically, uneven ways. The exhibition is initiated by SFPC Steering Committee member Tega Brain in collaboration with SFPC community. Special thanks to Westbeth Artists Housing, Westbeth Gallery and Pioneer Works.
Public events
Sunday, Jan 12, 2 – 5pm Critical Theory Retrospective — RSVP
Thursday, Jan 16, 6 – 10pm Opening Reception — RSVP
Saturday, Jan 18, 6 – 10pm Performance Night — RSVP
Sleepyboard Mini
Over the summer I designed a custom printed circuit board for a class I co-teach, in which students design and build a programmable lamp. I just got around to documenting the board. In the scope of PCBs, this is not a complex one but it's always nerve-racking to design and mass-produce a circuit board that many projects will depend on. One incorrect connection can void everything. So far the project has been a success! I call it "Sleepyboard Mini." http://www.extrasleepy.com/#/sleepyboardmini/
Sleepyboard mini is a custom PCB designed specifically to fit an Arduino pro mini, Adafruit USB micro-B breakout, an on/off switch and a few capacitors. There’s a small perforated breakaway prototyping area at the bottom of the board and a location for a single pushbutton at the top. All holes are connected horizontally in sets of 4 or 5, similar to a breadboard.
NEW PIECE: Engineered Sandwich
CNC-cut cherry, 3D-printed lens, Acrylic, Microcontroller, Addressable LEDs, Rechargeable battery
Engineered Sandwich is a small rechargeable freestanding light-emitting sculpture. A translucent 3D-printed lens press fits between two hand-finished wood buns. A circuit python controller randomly changes RGB LEDs, continuously projecting a cool gradient on all sides of the lens and through a series of slots at the top of the piece. The shape and title are inspired by the ongoing advances in plant-based meat products.
The lamp can operate plugged to a USB outlet or untethered for 3 hours per recharge.
Dimensions: 4.25”w x 4.75”h x 4.25”d
find some extrasleepy sculptures at the Open-Editions shop in Houston this week
October 10th-13th 2019 https://txcontemporary.com/ https://open-editions.com/
extrasleepy pieces at Expo Chicago, with Open-Editions!
Come pick up some extrasleepy sculptures from Navy Pier in Chicago the week of September 19th-22nd.
photo by Braden Weeks Earp
Extrasleepy pieces at the Seattle Art Fair, with Open-Editions!
New Piece: CONSUMERS SHOULD IMMEDIATELY...
2019
Internet connected display, lithium battery and charger, 3D-printed brackets, recalled children’s unicorn boot.
Consumers Should Immediately... uses a live data feed from The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) to randomly display thousands of products recalled for reasons such as fire, electrocution, entrapment, choking and a variety of other unintended dangers. Every two minutes the embedded screen lists the name of the product, the identified danger, the product manufacturer, and the original recall date. The electronics are enclosed in an actual recalled children’s unicorn boot, along with an embedded rechargeable battery, allowing for an uninterrupted stream of recalled products in any location.
This piece uses Adafruit’s Pyportal and CircuitPython
