Combine the process of computational design and digital fabrication in an effort to produce a functional and/or beautiful artifact (or artifacts) for your home or personal use.
Use the process of fabricating an object as an opportunity to explore (and refine your skills and knowledge) on the aspects of computational fabrication we have addressed in the class thus far.
Your final project should include the following components
A short written proposal (~600 words) that outlines your intended direction for the final. In your proposal you may discuss one idea or several possible directions. Your proposal can include sketches, example photos, and/or links to help illustrate your idea. You should submit your idea as a slide or a link to a google doc on this slide HERE
A completed physical artifact (or set of artifacts).
A digital design, program, or system that was used to produce the artifact.
An instructable (or other web-based document) that provides documentation of your project.
A ~1000 word written reflection on the experience of making the project. Include in your reflection a personal assessment of your work on the final project and your performance in the class. What did you learn? What did you do well? What could you improve going forward?
Written feedback on two other (in-progress) student projects via email. Peer reviewees will be listed on the final presentation schedule
These are possible starting concepts for a project. Feel free to expand them or alter them in any way.
Repair:
Design a 3D printed extension or repairing mechanism for an object in your home. You may interpret the notion of repair broadly, from replacing a portion of an object that was broken, to improving or extending an existing object. Or you may choose to integrate a found physical material with a digitally-fabricated form or material of your own design.
Points of inspiration:
Repaired portable sound system by Thomas Forsyth
Hybrid ReAssemblage by Amit Zoran and Leah Buechley
3D Sewing by Hannah Perner Wilson
Student Work
Mert Toka’s 3D printed Lampshades
Modularity:
Design and fabricate a modular kit of parts that can be fit together in a variety of ways. Your parts may be decorative or fit together to form a functional object.
Points of inspiration:
Free Universal Construction Kit by Golan Levin
Yael Friedman’s 3D printed puzzle rings
Design Libero’s Hybrid Production system
Student Work
Sam Bourgault’s Bioplastic Molds
Design System
Using Grasshopper and/ or the Rhino API, create a design system computational tool for producing physical artifacts. The system must contain the following elements: 1) a user interface that enables the specification of the output (i.e. a set of exposed sliders or parameters), 2) a set of example digital designs created with the tool, and 3) 2 different fabricated outcomes produced with the tool. Note that you can choose to incorporate external data or generative input into your system.
Points of inspiration
Nervous System’s cell cycle app
Amanda Ghassaei’s 3d printed record creator
Student Work
Mengjia Zhu’s self watering parametric planter
Generative / Manual Twins
Create and fabricate a design that incorporates both manual and generative methods. This can include 1) a design that you design manually in a CAD system and then alter using generative methods (topology optimization, generative modeling, random noise), 2) A design you create in response to or based on a generativity produced form, or 3) a set of companion designs- where one is produced manually and one is produced through generative approaches.
Points of inspiration
Collaborative Ideation with a robotic assistant
Student Work
OR
Extend any of the directions from your current class projects
Mert Toka’s interactive 3D printer project
Timeline
May 5th: Introduce Final Project
May 13th: Final Project Proposal Slides Due. Add your slide HERE
MATERIALS LISTED ON SPREADSHEET
Add all materials to the material list spreadsheet. $50 limit per student. Spreadsheet HERE
May 17th: Final project proposal review in class. Come to class prepared to present your idea(s) to the class and receive feedback.
May 22th-27th:
Peer feedback session
Each person will be assigned a peer reviewee- Following the project overview, set up 30 minute over zoom or in person to discuss the project with your peer reviewee
Your conversation should focus on- 1) your reviewee's current progress, 2) any changes or deviations they have made from their original idea, plans for addressing challenges that have come up in the process of prototyping their project.
Deliverable: The peer reviewee must document the feedback session by summarizing the conversation and feedback they received.
Example:
Peer reviewer: Tina / Peer reviewee: Kevin
Tina contacts Kevin to schedule a meeting.
Kevin presents current progress/ idea to Tina in the meeting
Tina asks questions/ provides feedback
Kevin documents the discussion in his final project presentation materials
NOTE THAT YOU WILL HAVE 2 MEETINGS- one where you are the reviewer, and one where you are reviewee.
May 31st, June 2nd: Final Project Reviews.
Format: We will review final projects through presentations in class. Each student will have 10 minutes to present with 5 minutes for questions/ discussion per person.
Each person will have the opportunity to present their final work in a format of their choosing. You may choose to simply present your instructable or create a slide deck. Presentations should cover the project idea, your approach, challenges you encountered along the way, and plans (if any) for a future extension. Any presentation format you select is acceptable as long as you constrain your presentation within the required time and cover these elements.
Guidelines for final project presentations
Final Project Presentation Schedule
June 10th Midnight: Final materials due.
Via web:
Documentation posted on your instructable account or other webpage (personal webpage, google doc).
Via email (jmjacobs@ucsb.edu)
Link to your final web documentation.
Final rhino/fusion 360 project files either linked via instructable or submitted via email. Note- if you created a Fusion 360 project, please add it to your folder in the MAT Fusion 360 Computational Fabrication group 2021 Class Work folder within a sub-folder labeled “final project” and note that you have done so in your email.
PDF or link to written reflection. ( A ~1000 word written reflection on the experience of making the project. Include in your reflection a personal assessment of your work on the final project and your performance in the class. What did you learn? What did you do well? What could you improve going forward?)