TechShop and the Maker Movement

TechShop and the Maker Movement is a course at Stone Ridge that challenges students with thinking of a problem or issue in the world and building a solution for it. Each day, we travelled to TechShop DC-Arlington, where we had access to industrial equipment. We took hour long classes to gain the ability to use the machines. In addition, the staff and other members showed us equipment that we did not take classes for and machines we about which we were curious.

The six of us split into two teams and spent several weeks brainstorming, designing, and modeling our creations. We decided to build a left-handed desk attachment, since we noticed that many school desks are designed for right-handed people. The desk attachment would be stable enough for a left-handed person to write on and would be able to fit different types of desks. It would also be able to fold up for easy transportation. We also built a tricycle/stepper cross. Exercise equipment is always in high demand and often focuses on an elliptical motion. We wanted to create a machine that could be used outside and was powered by the up and down stepping motion of the user.

To make our devices, we used welders, solderers, laser cutters, and different types of saws. We made our left-handed desk attachment out of sheets of acrylic. To make the tricycle/stepper cross, we bought metal poles and disassembled bikes and scooters for parts.