Applications and Implications
Assignment
This week's assignment was to propose a final project that integrates the range of units covered, answering questions like "what will it do?", "what materials and components will be required?", "what processes will be used?", and so on.
What will it do?
As a final project, I am developing an interactive lamp, where more lamps will light up when it is touched. This project is an IoT-project where other Labs are doing lamps as well from a kit I will make. So there is going to be a lamp in Finland and one in Denmark made by public school kids in different designs but from the kit I will provide them with. When the students touch the lamp in their lab it will light up in the other lab. I am hoping that in time more schools will build the lamp so that we can connect all the lamps in the public school comunity.
Who has done what beforehand?
Through my research I found two projects that have similar features. There is a Instructables site about "How to build a friendship lamp" and how to provide a kit. Friendshiplamp I learned about the other one in week 10 when our Fab Academy instructor Lorenzo showed me how a former student -Wim Lanz- made this levitation cloud lamp where the 3D-printed cloud actually looks quite a bit like my cloud CloudIO
What will you design?
I have to design several different objects. A cloud that serves as a lampshade and gives the lamp its character. I also have to design a solid base for the lamp. The base should preferably be relatively heavy to give the lamp a good foundation. At the same time, the base must contain all the electronics, so there must also be a cavity that is big enough for everything to be in there.
In addition I will design my own microcontroller board that will function as the heart and brain of the lamp and control the button, LED's and network connection for the lamps to interact.
What materials and components will be used & estimated price
My thoughts about my Final Product are that it should be made in many different designs by students around the many School Maker Spaces. Due to the different designs, the price of the fabrication will therefore also fluctuate. I have made a BOM (Bill of Material) compared to the simple design of the lamp.
BOM (Bill of material)
Files
What parts and systems will be made?
I will design and make a PCB connected with an esp12e Wifi module a button and a PCB-module with 4 white adressable WS2812B LED's. Everything will be combined over a small WiFi-serverspace. I will furthermore make the design of the cloud and 3D print it in tranparent filament. I will cast the base in concrete to give a more rough design.
What processes will be used?
Molding and casting for the concrete base, 3D printing for the cloud lampshade and electronic designing my PCB's. Also includes setting up the serverspace and making it function.
How will it be evaluated?
Together with school kids of the age of 11-12 from a public school in Denmark and one in Finland. Both schools work with the Fablab's thinking/values or educational direction and have quite big Maker Spaces. My thoughts are that after Fab Academy I will make the lamp as a project with the students and their teachers acros the borders. The students will also be working in small groups cross-border and making their own designs of lamps interacting with each other. After this course with the students, I would really like to evaluate with some selected students from both Denmark and Finland and via conversation/interview let them evaluate on the project.
Main learnings from this week.
I thought I had my project quite defined, but answering these questions made me think more clearly and be more aware of future challenges and more realistic regarding time needed/time available.