On your web site, make sure that the following are visible:
an image, video or other deliverable of your final product
documentation of your design process
a 3-5 minute video (or slide deck with embedded audio) of your design analysis
You'll be building on Case Study 5 or 6 (Where is the algorithm?) and Lab 6: 3D Printed Nets or Lab 7: Embroidery and p5.js to fabricate an artifact that embodies an algorithm with thread.
Here are two suggested options, though you can also pose your own!
Option 1: Threaded Net Container
Apply the algorithm from Case study 5: Threaded Nets to compute the holes for threading the polyhedron you selected in Waypoint 4: polyhedral nets.
Use your experience from Lab 6: 3D Printed Nets to obtain an OpenSCAD file for the net with holes.
With this as input, design an object with some purpose that is built off your threaded polyhedron. It could be:
a gift box (maybe made out of cardstock?)
a laser cut clutch (perhaps this will spark your design)
a phone/tablet stand...
Option 2: Threaded Computation
Choose an elementary cellular automaton as your starting point. Decide how you might incorporate colors or shapes to display the rule's application.
Use your experience from Lab 7: Embroidery and p5.js to create a p5js sketch that produces an SVG that embodies generations of the rule.
With this as input, design an object with some purpose that exhibits the computation. It could be:
a wearable, such as a scarf, shirt or skirt embroidered with the design
a tote bag embroidered with the design
a laser cut box with the design...
Want to push yourself further?
Extra design challenge: Make it interactive by incorporating your Circuit Playground microcontroller along with lights, sounds, etc.!
We estimate that this project should take you ~10 hours, including time for support during the lab session. You will submit everything through your portfolio web site, including:
documentation of your process (50%)
articulate your goal(s)
record your iterative approach (plan, do, evaluate)
lots of notes/photos/videos, especially when things don't go as planned!
include your code (or a link to your code) for the final OpenSCAD or p5js sketch that you produced
your final product (photos and video of the artifact) (10%)
a 3-5 minute analysis of your design process (40%)
This may take the form of a video (please be sure permissions are set appropriately) or a slide deck with embedded audio. You may find the following prompts helpful in organizing your analysis. Be as specific as possible, while also recognizing the limitations of the time constraint. You will not be able to walk through everything you did, but will need to nominate takeaways and important points. You will be evaluated on the clarity of your communication and the depth of your analysis.
How did you go about this project?
What parts did you find straightforward?
What was challenging?
What supported your understanding?
Were there embodied elements that helped you? Could you think of others?
What part of the process is a black box to you?
For example: You may have found code online that implements a cellular automaton and you used that to generate your creation. You may have altered the starting generation and associated drawing code. Perhaps how the automaton produces the next generation is a "black box" -- you know what to give it and what it outputs, but you do not know how the algorithm works. Or you may have an intuitive idea of how it works, but wouldn't be ready to implement it from scratch.
Complete your design phase, documenting on your web site. This should include:
Articulated goals -- what is the expected output of your process? This should include:
Description of your artifact's purpose
Sketches of your proposed artifact
Your "algorithm" for achieving these goals: a step-by-step process that you plan to follow that produces the expected output.
Would someone else be able to follow your process?
What assumptions are you making about that person and the resources available?
For this homework, you may use any resources you'd like. You must cite them appropriately (e.g., I talked with a peer about my diagram or I adapted this GitHub repo or I gave Gemini this set of prompts).
To be clear, this includes usage of AI tools, as long as you are:
appropriately documentating and citing your interaction, which should include the platform, prompt and screenshots/links of sample parts of the interaction
analyzing how the usage of the tool(s) helped or hindered your design process
NOTE: MHC's access to Google Gemini provides certain protections of your data.
Some anticipated questions:
Yes, you must either have an OpenSCAD file or p5js sketch that captures the specification of your design.
Post more questions on Ed please!