Wearable Senses Cami l a Mosso B. S114682 C oa c h : E rik va n d e r S p e k C o m pa n y C oa c h : Ma a rt e n V e rs t e e g
Int ernship Report January 2014
Introduction In order to have a fast overview I’ll explain the parts of the report:
One was to help students at the space of wearable senses, teaching them how to use the machines and helping whenever they needed something.
I’ll start introducing the internship and the main tasks I had given, then, the main goals will be described. Second, was to improve the project memento, for this part I managed to evolve in a shape proposal using Grasshopper. The first quartile will be described in detail, explaining the activities I had to accomplish during those two months. Third, I had to start working in a personal project which was going to be developed further during the second part of the internship In order to give an impression on the research done and process, part of the working paper will be exposed. 2nd part: Material retrieved from the experiences doing the ethnographic re- My personal project was focused in learning about master apprentice research will be presented. lationship in craftsmanship, and how this relationship can be seen in new platforms for sharing knowledge such as FabLabs. For this, was apprenReflexions on the process, strengths and flaws will be analyzed tice of a weaver and work in a FabLab in Chile for 2 months. After these two months I had to analyze all the information and write a paper and make a small documentary in order to explain the relations found in both communities.
Goals
My internship at WS was divided in two parts. During the first two months I had three goals.
Main Tasks **
* Help s tudents wi th the machi nes and other ques ti ons
Prepare WS for new students: -Cleaning the space -Prepare intro to machines
Internship Interview. Personal Project proposal
Self Directed Research: Documentary making readings
10th: Intro to the pedal Loom at WS First Memento meeting
Contact the weaver
related to the space Work i n the grasshopper versi on of memento Start buildi ng a base for the experi ence i n Chil e
Cutting and assembling new light loom
Try different patterns for weaving with light Memento user test
Contact Chilean FabLab
4th: First Visit to the FabLab: Intro and research proposal
Information Gathering in field
Visits:
Thursday, Friday Fablab Tuesday, Wednesday Weaver
Laser Cutter breaks, continue with other activities at the Fablab
Writing
Renegotiate Memento deliverable as SDL activity next semester
6th: First Visit to the weaver: Agreement on visit days
Constant Reading and Research - References are saved in Evernote for future use
Anal ysis & Synthesis of information
16th: Paper & Documentary Deadline
Memento Improvements “Think of any memory that you remember warmly. Can you still remember what the moment sounded like? People, places, events… they all have their unique sonic signatures that will bring you right back into that special moment. Memento is a medallion that gives you the possibility to store those precious sounds. By opening it up for the world, it will capture those audio fragments that are of meaning to you. The medallion automatically ranks the sounds that are most precious to you, and makes sure you will hear your favorite sounds more often. But those almost forgotten memories will also stay available for re-discovering to transport you right back into the moment.” Karin Niemantsverdriet’s Memento description
Memento is a project developed by Karin Niemantsverdriet for Beyond Accessories in the Wearable Senses Theme. As part of the internship I would have to work on the improvement of the case for the Memento medallion. The procedure consisted in get an overview of the product by reading the product’s report and having several meetings with Karin to get a better understanding of her intentions with the product and discussing the possibilities of change for Memento. This helped me to keep a relation between my proposals and the original designer’s goals for the product. The main flaws of the medallion were the aesthetics: the fact that it was black and the materials used would make the user relate it with a morning related product; and the usability: the user was not sure which side was used for recording and listening.
Memento with its case
Hearing side
Microphone side
Memento Improvements Elements
to consider
• The medallion had to keep a secretive and even anonymous feeling, therefore the shape and colors for the outer case had to be quite neutral. • The uses had to be clarified; the sides for listening and recording had to show a clear difference in appearance. • The inside of the medallion had to have a contrast with the case. This would give a more personal feeling since this side would be seen only by the user
Aesthetics
The proposal for aesthetics was intended to make each product a unique piece, this, considering the fact that the medallion was intended to be a personal object. That’s why I proposed to develop a 3D model in Grasshopper (generative design software) to allow the designer vary certain parameters to get different patterns and keep the structural characteristics of the product, I would also give the possibility of varying the inner technology size, since it is projected to be shrink in the future. The medallion would look like a prism sanded by the sea, with sharp edges smoothed by sanding, and the colour would be gray to keep a neutral apearence
Developing a triangle pattern from a surface
Shape style proposal 3D model was used to develop a paper model.
Defining electronics sizes
Memento Improvements Usability
User Tests
For this topic I proposed two changes based in two different researches. The second research was made with users; the idea was to test how users understood the inner part of the medallion, and which shape would On one side I analyzed the shape and how the way it contacts the body give a better understanding of each side’s function. could be used for guiding the user in position the product on his/her body. In other words, how shape could condition the use of the product. The first user test consisted in model several examples of Memento with different inner shapes. The users had to select on each model, the sides In order to achieve this, it was decided to give a sharp and pointy shape corresponding to hearing and recording. on the side that is intended to not touch the body (recording side) and give the medallion a smoother shape and finish on the side that is intended to have contact with the body, in this way Memento would balance or feel unstable when using it in the “wrong� way.
Memento model options and user test Stability examples left and top: the medallion is unstable right and bottom: the medallion is stable due to the flat surface.
The problem with this user test was that it conditioned the user to consider shape designs as pairs instead of individual possibilities for each side. That is why I decided to design a new user test in which different options would be represented individually.
Memento Improvements For the second user test I modeled several shape examples of only the inner shape with FIMO and presented them numbered. The idea was that the user would give me the best combinations for hearing and recording sides. As a result I got many not representative parts, this is to say, there were so many different combinations that none of them was clearly the best option.
Further Development
An observation is that during that user test, that was held during the midterm exhibition I could get direct feedback on the test and the possibilities represented. One important observation from one of the user was that I only considered shape as an element that could communicate the functions of each side, but didn’t consider color which could be more evident for example for representing the recording side by painting it red.
One with the outer shape of the medallion, testing if the user indeed would use it in the way is intended to be used.
The development of Memento had to be stopped when leaving to Chile with the agreement of continuing with it as an SDL activity for next semester. For further development, two new user tests are proposed:
The second one, testing color and shape to get to know which combination of these elements communicates better the function of each side. The evaluation will be for testing the sides individually as explained in the last user test conclusion.
One of the subjects tested interpreted my instructions wrong and eval- The depth achieved in the grasshopper file was a program able to vary uated each piece individually instead of proposing pairs, this mistake the size of the electronics; the development of the outer case around gave better guidelines for selecting the final shapes than my method, in the electronics still needs work. which people had to select pairs of shape proposals. These results were better in a sense that the elements were evaluated completely individually, and in the medallion, the shapes would also be evaluated individually since they are located in opposite sides of the medallion.
modelling the inside of Memento
Own Loom Explorations
Pedal loom explorations
I wanted to explore the loom available at wearable senses before leaving to Chile. I contacted a student who used to work with it and from that experience, I made some samples. The color contrast between the warp and the weft made me wonder how would this look like if I replaced the wite thread by “threads of light�. Inspired by a previous project from wearable senses (squeeze light), I started exploring how could I use these patterns to play with light. For this I developed a small loom which was able to show a rough preview of how light would be seen when installing the definitive LEDs to the system while weaving. Plus, I designed extra handles to raise the threads when/where needed, allowing me to explore more complex patterns than the ones form regular toy looms. The result material consisted in two pieces of fabric woven following different patterns. The light explorations could be used as reference for a future project.
Explorations with a toy loom, replacing the warp by TPU (stretchable thread that happens to shine when putting an LED on one of its ends) Threads were attached to the warp in order to use them as replacement for the pedals and being able to create patterns
Own Loom Explorations
From left to right: 3D model of the loom, laser cutter files, assembled loom with handles to raise the warp and leds on each end.
using the handles
weaved section
Loom with light
one of the pieces with auxiliar light.
Experience in Chile: Fablab, Weavers and Paper Research on craftsmanship was something I was planning to do as an SDL activity in Chile. When having the first interview at wearable senses I had the opportunity of proposing a personal project. I took the opportunity and proposed to go and do a comparative research between two communities I found alike. On one hand, I would learn how to weave with the chamanteras, weavers from Chile with a long tradition in craftsmanship, and start a project at the Fablab Chile, a representative of the Maker Movement.
For the midterm exhibition I could already have a first overview of both communities in terms of knowledge sharing and organization1. These analyses were broaden by later experiences an readings, having as a result a comparative diagram showing main characteristics seen in both communities2. Through this analysis I could get an impression of the direction of the paper, and start doing a deeper research on topics such as learning processes and their relation with the community they are executed.
During the whole process I had to contact experts (craftsmen, Fablab’s responsibles, and documentary experts) plan, arrange and make inter- The paper will be continued after the publication of this report, but since is the best explanation of my experience and conclusions so far I will atviews, keep contact with my company coach abroad. tach what is already written. Apart from that, I had to start writing a paper, to do this, I had to review bibliography and analyze mine and other people’s experiences.
Community organization Fablab-Chile Learning and working are very close to each other. At the Fablab everybody is a master and an apprentice. University Forum: At this forum, the Fablab community studying at the University of Chile can communicate questions, answers, tips, etc.
Physical Fablab People are free to move around and ask questions. Some students come to work on their projects with the machines or simply to study.
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International Fablab Community The international community is also part of every fablab community, although the contact is mostly made by the organizers of the fablab, the knowledge they get during fairs and seminars is shared with the micro community as well.
1: Fablab community and Learning
C o m m u n i tin y Chile: E xperience organization Fablab, Weavers and Chamanteras Chamanto weaving is usually a very lonely work. However, there is a community and even though they don't usually share their designs with others, through delegation this knowledge can be transmitted
Relatively New: One person gives the space to others to work. The work made at the workshop belongs to the owner of the space.
Most Common: the weaver works at home on its own work. In most of the cases, when they work for others, they keep producing their own pieces apart from the orders from other weavers.
Paper
One person makes orders to other weavers, the pieces are sold with the orderer's name.
1: Chamanteras community organizations and Learning
Learning Instances Chamanteras The technique for weaving chamantos is quite well stablished, for this reason, once you learn it, you don't modify the thechnique. Further learning is more about figuring out how to make new drawings on the chamantos.
Learn from a master who's not living with you. The master will provide material and loom or will prepare the threads for the student, and this one will take them home to continue weaving. When learning in this way, the master can ask for an amount of money to cover expenses of the lessons. In other cases the master doesn't charge the student, this happens usually when there's some level of friendship between the master-apprentice
Learning at home from your childhood is one of the oldest instances for learning. The child gets exposed to the loom since he/she's little, this makes easier for he/she to learn a good technique faster than someone who tries to learn from scratch. Most of the people have the idea that "they didn't learnt" but they always knew how to weave
Further Learning: Other way of getting knowledge is going to rodeos and fairs. During these events, chamanteras have the oportunity to meet other chamanteras and see what is in the market at a certain period of time. Is also good for giving feedback to each other about their work.
1: Chamanteras learning instances
2: Chamanteras V/S Fablab comparison analysis
2: Chamanteras Learning Community analysis
and
2: Fablab Learning analysis
and
Community
Paper
so far
Abstract
Maker movement and craftsmanship are two movements that seem to have similar core ideas, both share making motivations such as making for the sake of it and learning, and this learning being executed through hands on experience. The aim of this paper is to put these two communities to analysis and comparison to get a better understanding of the characteristics that shape each of these communities. In order to achieve this, a simple analysis will be held to point out similarities and differences. And later on ethnographic research showing a learning experience from inside of each of the communities will be exposed. This experience will suggest the importance of the different learning methods, and more specifically the impact of the presence or not of a master (as a person) in the freedom people have when acquiring knowledge. For this reason, each experience will be analyzed using learning theories such as situated cognition and sociocultural theory as reference. Tacit knowledge transmission will be also considered in this stage since both craftsmanship and fablab communities share this element as common, both have structures of learning in which knowledge is transmitted by means of showing or modelling before doing. The main value of the paper will be then; to have an overview of how the master might impact in the way the knowledge is acquired.
1. Who
are makers?
According to the Makerspace playbook, part of the characteristics of a Maker, defines them as a creator/productor, curious people seeking for opportunities to learn how to do new things. It could be implied then, than makers are the ones interested in learning and making, just for the sake of achieving personal goals. They “comprise a community of creative and technical people that help one another do better” 1. It is also based on experimental play, Makers are willing to break down in a new technology and explore it to its extreme. It is by means of this hand on process that they learn and generate new ideas. Maker community can be found online and locally in makerspaces. A makerspace is understood as an open space that enables making 2 and in which tools serve for this purpose. The absence of a master in maker communities Maker communities are not only defined by the people that participate in the community, but also by the way knowledge is transmitted. “(...)learning can occur through the gradual introduction of a learner into a community of peers. Learning is initially achieved through watching and undertaking simple tasks (‘legitimate peripheral participation’), progressing to more complicated challenges, supported through informal mentoring by more expert members.”3 Knowledge is mostly transmitted among peers, making this community horizontal. Learning at a maker community implies that the learner selects the information that wants to learn, looks for information related 2 Makerspace Playbook 2013, p1 3 Sharples, M., McAndrew, P., Weller, M., Ferguson, R., FitzGerald, E., Hirst, T., & Gaved, M. (2013). Innovating Pedagogy: Exploring new forms of teaching, learning and assessment, to guide educators and policy makers (2). Retrieved from Open University website: http://www.open.ac.uk/personalpages/mike.sharples/Reports/Innovating_Pedagogy_report_2013.pdf 4 Suárez Guerrero, C. “Cooperación como condición social de aprendizaje.” UOC-Barcelona, Barcelona–España (2010).
1 Makerspace Playbook 2013, p2
Paper
so far W
on his/her own, and is supported by the community during the process hy can you find part of the maker of learning or accomplishing the goals that were proposed by the learner. This process is supported by the fact that technology is facilitating the community in a ablab interaction between peers that are not necessarily sharing the same physical space or working at the same time4 . The freedom that makers have when deciding what to learn gives the opportunity to get a broad According to what the Fab Foundation declares, a Fablab set of skills, experts born when a maker increases his/her depth in a “is a technical prototyping platform for innovation and invention, providing stimulus certain topic or skill and is then when s/he can start teaching others. for local entrepreneurship. A Fab Lab is also a platform for learning and innovation: a This situations, causes the role of a maker move continuously between place to play, to create, to learn, to mentor, to invent. To be a Fab Lab means connecting master and apprentice.
F
?
to a global community of learners, educators, technologists, researchers, makers and innovators- -a knowledge sharing network (...) a distributed laboratory for research and invention” 6
Motivation then, becomes an important element when learning as a maker, information and resources are not a problem anymore. Information can be found and shared in the different platforms makers have for From this description is quite easy to identify elements in common with knowledge exchange, and resources are not anymore as expensive as the makerspaces. Fablabs also have to cover a certain amount of rules related with the machinery available and certification. However, its core they used to be5 . shares the same principles as makerspaces. These principles being the In summary, a maker participates as a master/apprentice in a cooperative focus in learning, create, and share knowledge. Therefore a maker could community (digital and/or physical) in which the main motivation be found in this environment, and more important, any person who paris to explore and learn by making. The physical space in which these ticipates in a Makerspace or Fablab with the aim of learning and explore communities are placed doesn’t need to follow exact rules, but to be new technologies, would then be a Maker. open to the community and focus in facilitate the act of making. 5 Makerspace Playbook 2013, p1
6 “Fab Foundation – What qualifies as a Fab Lab?.” 2013. 12 Jan. 2014 <http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/fab-labcriteria/>
Paper 2. Who
so far: Intro
are craftsmen
Doñihue
“1 : a worker who practices a trade or handicraft Doñihue is a small commune located near the city of Rancagua in Chile. It holds a long tradition of weavers which are known for their technique 2 : one who creates or performs with skill or dexterity especially in the that cannot be found in other parts of the country. manual arts” 7 They weave chamantos and mantas, a kind of poncho used by “huasos”, The craftsman can be defined by its motivations, doing a good job for the Chilean countryman, usually during rodeo competitions. Mantas its own sake is one of the main reasons for the craftsman to work8 . The have a plain color pattern, while chamantos have a variety of drawings activities they perform can go from programming to working in a labo- designed by each weaver. ratory, and even though many craftsmen are dedicated to activities that require handwork skill it does not necessarily relate to this sort of ability The technique differs from the regular weave in the visibility of threads. (Sennet, 2008). However, we will consider craftsmen as the traditional In a plain weave, both, warp and weft are visible. Chamanto weaving algroup of hand workers who share the motivation of a good work. lows only the warp to be seen, making the fabric a really tight and firm piece. Among craftsmen, knowledge is mostly transmitted by a vertical master-apprentice relation9 in which the master is the main reference for the student when learning. While learning, the apprentice will try to imitate the master and then explore on his/her own. In this master-apprentice relation, a certain sense of family is created, the master has the responsibility of transmit knowledge to the student, and it is by these means that the master earns his/her authority. For this reason, the way the apprentice acquires and develops the knowledge given by the master is related with the amount of freedom this one gives at the moment of exploring the technique to be learnt. 7 craftsman. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved January 14, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ craftsman 8 Sennett, R. (2008). The craftsman. New Haven: Yale University Press. 9 Gamble, J. (2001). Modelling The Invisible: The Pedagogy Of Craft Apprenticeship. Studies in Continuing Education, 23(2), 198.
A manta from Doñihue
A chamanto from Doñihue
Paper
so far:
Experience
Weavers
with the weavers
When entering to Mrs. Olivia’s house for the first time you could feel welcome, she is a woman that is clearly open to share what she does with you and somehow I could feel the weight of her knowledge in her workshop. That was the first time I saw a chamanto loom in person, and when she showed me how the technique worked I was completely confused, more reasons to think she was a woman to show some respect to. She would be my guide in this phase of learning and I had no other reference to look into. Mrs. Olivia was going to be my master and I had to be open to receive the knowledge she was willing to share with me.
“...my loom would be the one that could be seen behind Mrs. Olivia’s loom.”
The workshop is placed in a long room, where three looms are organized in line, one behind each other; my loom would be the one that could be seen behind Mrs. Olivia’s loom. During the first meeting I had to observe, she showed me how she woved for a couple of minutes; I couldn’t understand how she managed to make such drawings in what is called the “Labores”. I asked, she explained but was difficult to understand that phase of weaving when I didn’t have any knowledge about that weaving technique. We started with the basics; a belt with simplified version of the technique she was using that had no drawings, the color texture would be given by the thread combination. I helped her with the urdimbre1 and she arranged the big tonón2, not having clear what exactly we were doing, and why she was counting the threads in pairs. I had very little participation when preparing the loom, my role there was the one of an observer.
Arranging the threads (urdiendo)
Counting threads
arranging the big tonón
Mrs. Olivia showing me the first steps
After that she showed me how the basic technique worked, she wove a couple of lines and then allowed me to continue. When I started, the weave was messy and had no straight lines on its edges. This loom behaved completely different than the loom I tried before, a regular pedal loom in which you had to avoid the threads from getting too tight and 1 2
Act of arranging the thread in the loom and also the result of this action Threads used to move part of the urdimbre back and forward when weaving a manta or chamanto
Paper
so far:
Weavers
therefore giving the fabric a “waist” effect. After analyzing the thread behavior, I could get to the conclusion that due to the structure of the weave, threads had to be tightened in order to avoid the opposite of a “waist”. During all this process of discovering the right tension, Mrs. Olivia was there to check how I was doing and clarifying that “I was just starting” and there was “nothing wrong with making mistakes” but making really clear that those were indeed mistakes that couldn’t happen if I wanted to weave a full piece. The organization of the workshop facilitated this constant checking, although sometimes each of us was lost in our own work. After a couple of centimeters I could see an evolution in my work, edges became straighter and I could see how my work was getting a shape. Little by little Mrs. Olivia stopped coming over to check my work. I finished that piece in four days.
A comparison between an early (loose edges) and more advanced (tighter edges) stage of the weave.
Later, we started a second piece, another belt but this time with drawings. The complexity of the technique and learning process increased considerably. We added “tonones chicos”3 that allowed the weave to have six layers of thread instead of only two. In this phase, I was completely lost in terms of understanding what the threads were doing. I just repeated what Mrs. Olivia indicated and from that point I could understand the way the technique worked. A critical point was when I started drawing while weaving, I really wanted to have a nice pyramid, and took me about five hours to get only the half of it. At this moment, the role of the master was crucial, Mrs Olivia noticed I was taking too long in finishing that drawing, she approached me and told me to go back to the basic, and not to try to make a complicated shape, only flat lines. I followed her advice and started drawing simpler figures. By going back to the basics I could retrain my hand to get used to the basic movement, allowing me to integrate that knowledge as tacit, instead of having to think about it each time I performed that movement. Next four hours were four times faster than the previous ones. 3
Small version of the big tonón, it pulls another combination of threads when weaving a chamanto
Mrs. Olivia showing me the new technique
me using the “tonón chico“
Five centimeters in five hours.
designs after the “five cm in five hours“ issue.
Paper Further
so far:
Weavers
development
At the fablab I’ve been thinking about a way of making a small version of this loom. In order to approach this I decided to start with a small frame and start weaving on my own. It was quite frustrating in the beginning to realize that I never learnt to arrange the loom, but checking back videos I made of us performing these arrangements I could imitate what I saw back in the workshop. Observations: Is good to mention that my experience learning is only useful as an example of one of the learning processes observed in the community. But the experience of many people who grew in this environment shows a more natural understanding of the technique. The knowledge seems to move by osmosis towards the new generations who observe what the elders do. Is the case of Paula (9 years old) who already knows the basics about weaving, and helps the elders to warp. “She weaves for fun” says Mrs. Olivia and adds, “she used to prepare the balls of thread but she doesn’t do it anymore, kids do it for a season only, then they get bored, they are used to things going faster”. The same happens with Isidora, according to Mrs. Olivia, her granddaughter knows how to weave with the simple technique, but “she does it for a while and then she leaves”. Mrs. Olivia declares that she doesn’t want them to learn, and she had the same feeling with her daughters, who ended up learning even though she never taught them. One of them, Lily did not start weaving until she was in a hurry “I needed money and went to look for a job in Camarico” (a sector of Doñihue) “then a woman gave me a manta to weave, I never weaved until that moment, but the manta came out well and from that moment I weave to sustain myself”. She tells that when she was little, she used to help her grandma to arrange the loom, and then by pure observation she learnt how to use the loom. A different story is for Rosa Ana, she weaves since about thirteen years,
and her mother had to stop weaving because she did not have time for taking care of four children. “She wanted me to learn because she liked to weave, I wasn’t convinced in the beginning but we got to the agreement that if I liked it I would continue, but if not, I would stop” says Rosa. Her mother asked a neighbour to teach her and she did not charge for the lessons. “My relation with her is really good, she even gave me material and a loom so I started working at home and every time a thread broke I would run to her house (...) then she would come and explain what I had to do”. Rosa explains that the first times she made mistakes she had to call her every time, and little by little she could start remembering what she had to do. “I will thank her forever because thanks to her I’m what I’m now”. Further development among chamanteros is about finding new labores, the technique becomes a canvas in which they are free to explore new drawings respecting the structure and the theme of the icons reflected in the chamanto. According to Felipe, the only male chamantero from the commune and the one in charge of the only communal workshop where he has several other weavers working for him, in Doñihue “some people tried to innovate changing the essence to the weave, the Labor is the reflection of the huaso’s environment, and people tried to change it for another kind of design, that impacts but doesn’t sell”. The evolution of these pieces is then conditioned to the market or community in which is placed, the chamantero weaves for the huaso which asks for specific and traditional elements in a chamanto.
Paper
so far:
FabLab
Fablab Chile
might be related with the context the students come from. Education in Chile follows traditional pedagogic systems in which the teacher is the only one in the room with the knowledge (or power) to teach others. And it does not get better when students start with their studies at the University. When the students are given the freedom to work in a project they choose, they do not understand the situation or how are they going to be evaluated.
The Digital Fabrication Laboratory at University of Chileâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Engineering School (FCFM) provides modern tools for invention. We aim at producing a new type of working atmosphere were research, creativity, art and innovation meet together to produce new concepts, products and real engineering designs. Although we have a focus on solving local industry and community projects we also aim at participating on global projects My own experience started with a small light loom I designed previously such as those proposed by the Fab Lab community1 . to be cut in a laser cutter. Sadly, the laser cutter they had available broke down and I decided to continue my research by being present at the Fablab as one more of the users. First, by introducing some people to y xperience the use of Arduino, and second by working on my theoretical research I already knew what to expect from the Fablab when I first visited it, a set in the space as many other students there did. Whatever I wanted to do, of machines ready to be used and explored. What I did not expect was I was free to use the machines and ask for orientation to anybody at the to find a Fablab that was just starting its community and organization. Lab. Talking with Fernando (person in charge of resources and communica- During that period I could observe some people coming over constantly, tion at the Fablab) he tells me that until the beginning of 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Fablab and helping each other with projects and some others coming directly to was a machine cemeteryâ&#x20AC;? and it was not until he contacted the CAS (Sci- 3D print something and leave. Fernando mentioned people at the Fablab ence Applied to Society)[1] student group that the Fablab started being were really focused in the 3D printers, and that they wanted the other used for working, playing with the machines, studying, etc. machines to be used as well. It was then when I remembered a previThe Fablab is mostly used by students which are part of elective or man- ous experience I had at the fablab Amsterdam (Waag Society) I had the datory courses within the career of Engineering. It is also used by people who belong to some student association or research departments (such as the Lithium Innovation Center) which are usually located around the Fablab.
M E
According to Juan Cristobal Zagal (Alternate Director of the Fablab), the people who are more enthusiastic are the one that starts working at the Fablab because of the elective courses, the motivation and the quality of the deliverables is significantly higher from the one that people from mandatory courses show towards the Fablab methods. He also comments that the lack of continuity of projects executed at the Fablab 1 Fab Lab University of Chile. (n.d.). Fab Lab University of Chile. Retrieved January 2, 2014, from http://fablab. uchile.cl/en/
Teaching Arduino
Students at the Fablab
Paper
so far:
FabLab
idea of doing some explorations with the cutting plotter and try to mark grooves in paper to facilitate folding. I explained Fernando that I wanted to use the same method I used to do this by hand, I usually use the point of a ballpoint pen to mark the grooves and fold afterwards, so I wanted to try to replace the knife from the cutting plotter by a ball pen point. He looked very enthusiastic and we started looking for pens. We found one, removed the point and replaced the knife for it. Later I installed all the drivers and found the information on how to use the cutting plotter online and started testing on card stock. the folds were indeed easier to manage. Later on I tried with parchment paper, the result was not as easy to fold as card stock, but the guidelines were visible without the need of printing them.
cutting plotter using a ball pen point to â&#x20AC;&#x153;drawâ&#x20AC;&#x153;
results on parchment paper
Folding on card stock
Folded parchment paper
Folded parchment paper
3D printed pieces
After this experimentation, I decided to continue with the loom explorations by 3D printing a small loom that would allow me to make small explorations of what I learnt with the weavers, the learning process in this case was related to understand the tolerances of the machine. I wanted a small nut to fit into the model, and for that I had to be sort of precise. The printers failed four times when I was trying to print my pieces, and one of the tries failed because the nut would not fit in the space for it. Finally, the last attempt was successful and I could obtain my pieces for mounting the new prototype of the loom. All these explorations were almost not guided, the learning process was facilitated by having people around me to ask about the basic use of the machines. But apart from that, it was mostly a self-guided experimentation. While doing the explorations I had many people interested in seeing what I was doing and asking how I managed to obtain such results, I answered gladly to their questions since the same happened when I asked them what they were doing. Is in these situations when you see the knowledge exchange in field.
Reflections Unexpected happen
things
can
happen,
and
formation you are looking for. For me, it was an experience in which I
will had to be totally immersed in order of being able of getting some interesting relations.
I didn’t expect to lose so much time in traveling, I didn’t expect to take Things can get messy. At some point, the amount of information I had so much time in doing theoretical research and I also didn’t expect the was so big, that I felt overwhelmed by it. It was in that moment when laser cutter to break. I started using skills I developed in the past. Diagramming and finding Many things from this period I didn’t expect and yet I learnt from them. I relations by analyzing situations and looking for similarities and differattribute these situations to the amount of things I was doing for the first ences were the main tools for selecting what was really important for time. Research in field and moreover, in a field I was not familiar with. the research. Even though Chile is my country of origin, I didn’t know all the people Even though most of the task goals I proposed at the beginning of the and environments I got to know during the research. It was also my first semester were not achieved, the learning experience was really rich and time doing interviews and try to get good footage for a documentary helped me to look better at my flaws. Proposing a project gave me conand even making a documentary or a video exposing such amount of fidence in my own knowledge and ideas. And going abroad gave me information was something I never did in the past, the freedom to test my abilities in field. Having such amount of freeResearch in field takes a lot of time: you lost time in travelling, network- dom (even more than the one I usually get at university) allowed me to ing and finding the information or even the place where to find the in- see my skills from a different perspective, and apply them in a context I would like to work in the future.
Main * Tasks ** Prepare WS for new students: -Cleaning the space -Prepare intro to machines
Internship Interview. Personal Project proposal
Self Directed Research: Documentary making readings
10th: Intro to the pedal Loom at WS First Memento meeting
Contact the weaver
He l p s t ude nt s with the mac hine s and other que s t ions re l ate d to the space Wor k in the grasshopper ver sion of me mento Star t buil ding a base for the exper ie nce in Chil e
Cutting and assembling new light loom
Try different patterns for weaving with light Memento user test
Contact Chilean FabLab
4th: First Visit to the FabLab: Intro and research proposal
Information Gathering in field
Visits:
Thursday, Friday Fablab Tuesday, Wednesday Weaver
Laser Cutter breaks, continue with other activities at the Fablab
Writing
Renegotiate Memento deliverable as SDL activity next semester
6th: First Visit to the weaver: Agreement on visit days
Constant Reading and Research - References are saved in Evernote for future use
Anal ysis & Synthesis of information
16th: Paper & Documentary Deadline Abstract and ethnographic research results delivered.
Reflections Delegate
tasks:
ning was not good, I did not consider many variables due to the lack of experience, but I learnt to expect the unexpected and next time I know At the moment I could actually start making the documentary the time I have this experience to get better. was very little, it was then when I decided to ask for help. I was lucky and a friend of mine agreed in helping me. Natalia Muñoz, is a graphic designer and one of my ex fellow student from the University of Chile. Narrativity in video is not my strongest point and while she was helping me, I could understand partially the way a video narrative works when organizing such amount of information. I also got some feedback on my footage and way of interviewing. Even though my function was almost only to give feedback about the contents, the experience gave me more insights than if I would do it alone. If I relate this experience with what my research about learning processes I would say I needed this experience of observing before doing. My tacit knowledge related to movie making was really poor, and there are certain things I feel as really hard to interiorize without an example, or someone giving direct feedback. Delegating tasks, as long as you are present during the process, can be a way of learning through other people’s experiences as well.
Knowing
my limits:
Not being able of completing my delivery goals was not because I just “could not make it” it was a conscious decision to negotiate the best moment for a delivery to be finished. When starting with the field research I noticed I would not be able to deliver a good result, I decided to negotiate it for a moment in which I could give time to the project. Same with the paper, when the deadline was approaching, I had to options: Deliver a half way paper or negotiate and deliver a better result. I learnt that it takes a long time for me to get to the point, but once I’m there I can generate a big amount of information by focusing on that detail The reason I decided to complete these goals is because I’m interested in the knowledge acquired if I work consciously on each project, and not only because I have to deliver it at a certain date. The timing and plan-