Craft Computers Hands
& Robots

3D-Printing Ceramic and Textile Artifacts

3D printing involves digitally controlling a robot’s movement to deposit material layer-by-layer until we end up with the desired shape. When people talk about 3D printing, we usually think of thin filaments of plastic stacked on top of each other – but can we use other materials with this method? The answer is yes! This course will cover the intersection of digital fabrication and two traditional craft practices, i.e., ceramics and punch needle embroidery. At the end of the course, everyone will have made one rigid ceramic and one fluffy textile object using a combination of digital and manual craft techniques. We will learn about writing code that controls the machine’s movements, working with our hands to process clay, digitally designing 2D and 3D shapes for 3D printed fabric and pottery, and embroidering 3D printed fabric with yarn and punch needles.

Supported by NSF Division of Information and Intelligent Systems #2026286

Student Works:

Welcome to the Expressive Computation Lab!

ECL at UCSB aims to foster the development of expressive computational tools and techniques for art, design, and engineering. We envision a future for computational production where software and hardware tools are truly shaped by the people who use them.

Lab Location

The Expressive Computation Lab (ECL) is housed in the California Nano-Systems Institute (Elings Hall, Room 2024 — 2nd floor and left from the elevator)

Department

ECL is part of the Media Arts & Technology (MAT) program. MAT's research interests include trans-architectures and worldmaking, virtual and mixed realities, visualization, intelligent space and interactive installations, electronic and generative music synthesis, multi-channel spatialized sound, human-computer interaction, motion-capture and distributed sensing, digital signal processing, wireless broadband, algorithmic morphogenesis, digital sculpture and robotics, and much more.

Workshop Leaders

Ashley Del Valle

B.S. Electrical engineering, Puerto Rico

I consider myself to be a crafter of creative tools and expiriences. I enjoy learning and practicing new skills that enable me to express myself. My favorite hobby is finding new hobbies.

adelvalle@ucsb.edu

Mert Toka

B.S. Computer Science and Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey

I consider myself to be a maker of computational worlds. I like working with both digital and material, and writing computer code to build forms for each medium.

merttoka@ucsb.edu

Workshop Overview

This class is designed as a part of the School of Scientific Thought at UCSB. We aim to create a creative, collaborative, and rich learning environment where we can teach digital fabrication and computational crafts through interactive activities, lectures, and discussions.

We aim to discuss:

(1) how do additive digital fabrication machines work, and what can we create through them?

(2) How can digital fabrication machines expand the creative opportunities of traditional craft practices?

(3) How can programming design and create unique physical artifacts?

(4) how can we benefit from a more profound understanding of more control and autonomous design approaches to control digital fabrication machines?