• Projects
  • News
  • Blog
  • Press
  • Team
  • Contact
Menu

Future Cities Lab

2325 Third Street, Suite #229
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 255-4879
Experimental art and design studio operating globally out of San Francisco, California.

San Francisco, CA                                                                                              info@future-cities-lab.net

Future Cities Lab

  • Projects
  • News
  • Blog
  • Press
  • Team
    • NATALY GATTEGNO
    • JASON KELLY JOHNSON
    • About Us
    • CRISTINA BEJARANO COBO
    • NATALIE ABBOTT
    • JOEL FRANK
    • BRIAN MCKINNEY
    • CARLOS SABOGAL
    • EMILY SAUNDERS
    • This Could Be You...
  • Contact

Robotic Prototypes Workshop @ OSU

February 8, 2013 Camille Lo
cropped-possiblemediumsbanner1.jpg

POSSIBLE MEDIUMS CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP (2/7/13 - 2/10/13)
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY - KNOWLTON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

ACTIVE MODELS CLUSTER
Active Models connects a group of designers that employ interactive technologies to link digital and physical environments. Their work utilizes embedded computation, continuous measurement, and kinetics to propose new modes of visual, spatial, and formal engagement. (Organized by Kyle Miller)

The Robotic Prototypes workshop taught by Jason Kelly Johnson from Future Cities Lab will explore the use of Grasshopper, Firefly and Arduino as creative and technical tools in the design, simulation and fabrication of robotic architectural prototypes, responsive building systems and intelligent mechanisms. Firefly is a new set of comprehensive software tools dedicated to bridging the gap between Grasshopper, the Arduino micro-controller, the internet and beyond. It allows near real-time data flow between the 3D digital and physical worlds, and will read/write data to/from internet feeds, remote sensors, connect with machine vision protocols, and more. Grasshopper, a free plug-in for McNeel’s Rhino modeler, allows designers to create adjustable parametric forms through graphic icons rather than programming.

Software: Rhino, Grasshopper, Firefly, Arduino (all free)
Equipment: Arduino Starter Kit and two regular servo motors

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

THE METABOT ZOO WILL BE A RADICAL MENAGERIE OF SMALL BREATHING, PULSATING AND TWITCHING ROBOTIC DRAWING MACHINES. DURING THE WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS WILL GENERATE A NEW SPECIES OF METABOTIC CREATURES THAT WILL EXIST SIMULTANEOUSLY IN PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL WORLDS. EACH CREATURE WILL BE CAPABLE OF TRANSLATING AND AMPLIFYING SMALL, SUBTLE OR INVISIBLE INPUTS INTO MUTANT FORMS OF GENERATIVE DRAWINGS, NOTATIONAL SYSTEMS OR NOVEL GRAFFITI ARTS.

RELEVANT LINKS (updated during the workshop)

Firefly Resources, Links and Tools http://fireflyexperiments.com/resources/
Firefly User's Manual http://fireflyexperiments.com/s/Firefly_Users_Guide.pdf
Mechanisms, Linkages and more http://www.robives.com/mechs
Good All-Purpose Arduino UNO Pictures and Diagram
Arduino Pinout Diagram http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,146315.0.html
Build a circuit diagram with Fritzing http://fritzing.org/building-circuit/
Check out Desmond Paul Henry's work http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Paul_Henry 
Metamatic Drawings by Jean Tinguely (bio) (Mechanics of Expression) 

SCHEDULE


THURSDAY  
SESSION 00: INTRO & PROTOTYPING EXERCISE A


FRIDAY   
SESSION 01: ARDUINO BASICS (Blink, Fade and more)
SESSION 02: FIREFLY BASICS (Firefly User's Manual)
SESSION 03: PROTOTYPING EXCERCISE B


SATURDAY   
SESSION 
04: FIREFLY INTERMEDIATE
SESSION 05: PROTOTYPING EXERCISE C
SESSION 06: PINUP AND EVENING CHARRETTE

SUNDAY     
SESSION 07: MORNING WORK & FINAL DISCUSSION 



****** SENT BY E-MAIL on 2/5/13 ******

1. SOFTWARE: Please confirm successful installation of Grasshopper, Firefly and Arduino software. Check this link for details: http://fireflyexperiments.com/resources/.

2. PROTOTYPING MATERIALS: While we will have limited materials on hand - please also consider bringing the following with you to the workshop:

- any prototyping or model making tools you can feasibly (and legally!) bring
- tape, glue, hot glue gun, solder irons, stapler, clips, string, elastic bands ... 
- tools for cutting, scoring, drilling, drawing, painting, etc.

- any random electronic bits n' piece that you might have sitting around ... 

- any flat stock material that might be cut manually or on the laser cutter

- wood dowels, basswood, or other material for creating small frames  

- cameras for creation of digital images and videos
- chocolate, coffee, sugary candy, or anything else to keep you awake and working ... !

3. PRE-WORKSHOP HOMEWORK: watch the three TED videos linked below and review the concisely written "Arduino in a Nutshell" PDF linked here.

- http://www.ted.com/talks/rodney_brooks_on_robots.html
- http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_full_on_engineering_and_evolution.html
- http://www.ted.com/talks/dennis_hong_my_seven_species_of_robot.html

 

← FORGING FABRICATIONS @ Princeton University 2/15/2013X-Bee with Firefly / Grasshopper →
Recent Blog Posts
Studio Manager Position Opening
Studio Manager Position Opening
Lightweave exhibition Venice Biennale 2018
Lightweave exhibition Venice Biennale 2018
Murmur Wall travels to Salone del Mobile Milano 2018
Murmur Wall travels to Salone del Mobile Milano 2018

Hornbostel Pendant Lights at Oakland City Hall
Lightweave Mid-November Update
Lightweave Mid-November Update
JASON'S PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD TO THE ACADIA 2017 CONFERENCE
SIDEWALK PROTOTYPE at the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism
SIDEWALK PROTOTYPE at the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism
jason's President’s Foreword to the ACADIA 2016 Conference
jason's President’s Foreword to the ACADIA 2016 Conference
Public Art Reveal's a City's Hidden Desires
Public Art Reveal's a City's Hidden Desires
PROTOTYPING INTERFACES FOR LIGHTWEAVE
PROTOTYPING INTERFACES FOR LIGHTWEAVE
Recent News
OAKLAND UNDERPASS PUBLIC MEETING
OAKLAND UNDERPASS PUBLIC MEETING
Active Public Space Exhibition + Symposium + Publication
Interview with Joel Frank - FCL's new Prototyping and Fabrications Manager
Interview with Joel Frank - FCL's new Prototyping and Fabrications Manager
UPDATED: Murmur Wall IN Palo Alto
UPDATED: Murmur Wall IN Palo Alto
Ambiguous Territory Exhibition
Nataly Speaking at IAAC Barcelona
We're Hiring!
We're Hiring!
Nataly Lecturing at the University of Houston
Nataly Lecturing at the University of Houston
Nataly Speaking at NXT City Symposium in Toronto
Nataly Speaking at NXT City Symposium in Toronto
Nataly's Podcast for Forbes and Dell: Can You Design A City To Feel?
Nataly's Podcast for Forbes and Dell: Can You Design A City To Feel?
Recent Press
Nataly and Jason interviewed for the World Economic Forum website
Nataly and Jason interviewed for the World Economic Forum website
Nataly Interviewed for Forbes Podcast
Nataly Interviewed for Forbes Podcast
Datagrove Featured in The Atlantic's CityLab
Datagrove Featured in The Atlantic's CityLab
Murmur Wall and Lightswarm Featured In Engadget
Murmur Wall and Lightswarm Featured In Engadget
Future of Sports Stadium on Front Page of USA Today Sports
Future of Sports Stadium on Front Page of USA Today Sports
Murmur Wall Featured in San Francisco Travel's Illuminate SF Festival of Light
Murmur Wall Featured in San Francisco Travel's Illuminate SF Festival of Light
FCL Featured in The Architect's Newspaper
FCL Featured in The Architect's Newspaper
Jason Interviewed for GreenBiz, "Street Art, Robots, and the quest to Humanize Smart Cities"
Jason Interviewed for GreenBiz, "Street Art, Robots, and the quest to Humanize Smart Cities"
Nataly quoted on CNN about CITE, "the $1 billion city nobody calls home".
Nataly quoted on CNN about CITE, "the $1 billion city nobody calls home".
Murmur Wall Featured in SF Weekly
Murmur Wall Featured in SF Weekly

Future Cities Lab // 415 255 4879 // info@future-cities-lab.net