Fab Academy – What I've been doing
A short overview of what I've been working on each week.
1 – Project management
To start the course, I built the website where I document everything I make. Setting it up meant figuring out how to publish pages online and updating them whenever I change something.
2 – Computer-aided design
To get comfortable with digital design tools, I recreated a toy glow-stick ring. After measuring the original object, I rebuilt it in several design programs to see how each tool handles shapes and dimensions.
3 – Computer-controlled cutting
Using the laser cutter for the first time meant experimenting with different settings and materials. After a series of test cuts, I designed and produced a small construction kit from cardboard where the pieces snap together.
4 – Embedded programming
This part of the course introduced programming small electronic boards. I wrote programs that display graphics on a tiny screen and experimented with simple retro-style game ideas.
5 – 3D scanning and printing
To understand how 3D printers behave, I designed and printed several test objects. Comparing the results helped reveal what shapes print well and which ones cause problems.
6 – Electronics design
This week I learned how to test circuits and design a circuit board from scratch. I used tools like a multimeter, oscilloscope, and logic analyzer to better understand how electronic signals behave, then designed several versions of my own board based on an idea for tracking when the bus near my house is about to arrive.
7 – Computer-controlled machining
For this assignment, I learned how to use the large CNC machine safely and how to prepare a design for milling. I designed a press-fit table made for the steps outside my house, milled it from plywood, made a few stressful mistakes along the way, and eventually got all the pi eces cut and assembled.
8 – Electronics production
During electronics production week I learned how to use digital fabrication machines for PCB production, specifically focusing on milling circuit boards using the Roland Modela at Waag.
9 – Input devices
This week I worked with a range of input devices and focused on understanding how they function at a basic level, both physically and electronically. I also produced a custom PCB for a motion sensor to be used in my final project.