Fab Academy
Learning about Interface and Application Programming
To do:
Group assignment: I worked with my colleague Jhasmin Ayala
1. Compare as many tool options as possible.
2. Document your work on the group work page and reflect on your individual page what you learned.
Individual assignment:
1. Write an application for the embedded board that you made. that interfaces a user with an input and/or output device(s)
WHAT I ALREADY KNOW BEFOREHAND?
The interface is the product from the user's perspective. A poor user experience (UX), even with brilliant underlying technology, can doom a product to failure. Adding a software layer and a graphical interface significantly increases the perceived value and utility of a physical device.
Group assignment:
Check this link
Individual assignment:
1. Designing and 3D Printing a Hinge
• Concept: Designing a hinge that cannot be made subtractively is a great choice because hinges often require interconnected parts that are challenging to create through traditional machining methods.
• Tools: I experimented with Fusion 360 and Blender, ultimately choosing Blender, although I had to design using approximations. Blender is excellent for organic and complex shapes, while Fusion 360 is better for parametric and mechanical designs. For a hinge, Fusion 360 might have been more straightforward due to its precision tools.
• Challenges:
o Ensuring the hinge parts fit together properly.
o Designing for 3D printing constraints (e.g., overhangs, tolerances).
Reference video: this link
REFLECTIONS
Closing the loop between a physical device in a corner of the world and a visual interface on a user's screen is what makes technology accessible and useful for people.