Revision as of 18:20, 3 March 2010

Active Projects

• Arrrbor Day
• DIY Green Building Retrofit For ML256 Shop being built with the Green Makers.
  • To Dos
    • Plant a garden with Alii and Gregabyte.
    • Light power consumption test
      • Compare - M-bal, F40T12 vs E-bal, F40T8
      • Compare - M-bal, F96T12 vs E-bal F96T12 vs E-bal F96T8
• HHO Rocket from Make Magazine being built with Richard from Madison, Alabama Space Expansion Forum.
  • To Dos
    • Hardwire and test fire control electronics
    • Finish and test HHO Gas Generator
    • Fill and static test a single stage
    • Integrate and test flight
• HSIS Project
• LED Mood Lights - A string of Tri-Color LEDs that shine in various colors. Controlled by an Arduino taking commands from IRC. Could be programmed to shine in one color, flash, fade in and out or cycle between colors.
  • brimstone said that if I can provide the LEDs and arduino, he can do the software.
  • Resources for LED calculations: LED Circuitry Tutorial & Current Limiting Resistor Calculator
  • To Dos
    • Need to figure out how to do PWM MOSFET control to lights <- Will need arduino and computer with arduino connection and programming
    • Need to look into switching power regulators and examine long wire impact on voltage drops for low voltages.
    • Need to find out LED power consumption and size proper power source. Play with a independently-variable I and V power source.
• Backlit Print - A print of MrWorld's artwork on a piece of translucent plastic that has all the white areas backlit by single or tricolor LEDs either directly or by fiber optics. With tricolor LEDs and a microcontroller, the colors could be cycled for a dynamic effect. Future plans for this method would be to do pointillism with LEDs or fiber optics as a dynamic art form using color cycling. MrWorld has also expressed interest in having lights integrated into the planned Wall Art.
  • Notes
    • Have found items on EBay under 'Fiber Optic Filament'.
    • The Fiber Optic Store
    • Monofilament plastic fishing line is a cheap alternative, but does not conduct light as well. Keep the lines short to make it viable.
    • Two kinds of fibers; end glow and side glow. The end glow only light at the end and the side glow light over the full length. The side glows need a strong source of illumination.
      • For pointillism and the backlighting, larger gauge optical fibers are better since they will be easier to work with and cover more area.
      • For outlining, side glow filaments will be perfect.
  • To Dos
    • Need to figure out how to print on transparent material - MrWorld's is teaching me how to do linoleum prints onto transparent material like acrylic.
    • Play with fiber optic filaments to get to know them.
      • MrWorld recommends that I test out how well fiber optics/backlighting works before I try it big on the Art Curtain.
• Facilities Committee
  • Equipment & Materials Request Page
  • Inventory - Use the Kiosk as an inventory system.
    • To Dos
      • See e-mail and wikipage
      • Look at setting up public shop computer and arboretum in library.

Projects Warming Up

• 4x4x4 LED Cube - Like this or that of individually addressable LEDs. Follow-on to the LED Mood Light Project to use the left over LEDs.
• Dynamic Lighting - Similar to Vanessa Harden's Dynamic Street Lamp Design, it would be an array of high-powered white LEDs that would turn on and off in response to peoples' proximity. Would use infra-red sensors. The more hot spots sensed, the brighter the light will be.
• LED Display
• LED Stagelights - Collaboration with Simon Hart to develop wirelessly controlled LED stagelights.
  • To Dos
    • How to turn LED mood lights to individually-addressable wireless-control stagelights?
• HAL5 - HALO Project Avionics
  • Launch Pad Instrumentation - Sensors and data acquisition that will measure and record how fast a rocket leaves the launch pad.
  • Rocket Telemetry - On-board system for tracking the flight path of a rocket and recording data on performance.

Project Ideas

• ASL Translator - Webcam app that observes what is signed in ASL and is turned into text. Can be spoken using a text-to-speech app.
• Backpack Glider & Scope - A lightweight telescope and an RC glider that can fit into a backpack-sized case.
• Bicycle-Powered Computer - Like this, for those of us who need exercise. Or maybe even akin to these projects;
  • Pedal-Powered Generator
  • Pedal-Power Laptops in Afghanistan
  • Pedal-Powered Internet Access in Laos
• Computer VoIP videophone - As discussed with Brimstone, a dedicated computer in the shop could run a VoIP to function as a videophone.
  • Can be integrated into the Kiosk using Skype/VoIP Webphone software and a webcam.
• Cluster Computer built from old computers around the shop. Could also be set to light up as they compute/wake-on-lan. On an even deeper level, individual parts of the computer could be rigged to light up as they function. Would make a great wall display. (See Single-System Image, Beowulf Cluster, ClusterKnoppix and DragonFly BSD.
• ML256 Shop Webcam Face ID & Display - Have a simple face ID app that can identify and project a person's name over their head on the shop webcam display. That way, we can tell who we are looking at in the shop.
• ML256 Telephone & Video Conference Table - Set up a table with full VoIP and Video over IP capability. Develop a lightweight web-based applet that can let someone outside join the conference online (minimum dialup).
• ML256 Tour Bus - Buy an old bus and modify it into a shop on wheels with a places to eat, cook, sleep, bathe and live. We can take it to conventions and use it as a project display piece and a place to stay.
  • During a brainstorming session, we concluded it may be cheaper to have a non-motorized camping trailer. That way, insurance would be cheap, it would be easy to maintain and keep from being stolen and a member with a truck can pull it around. Also, it may be better to have it be a rolling make shop rather than a place to live. Depends on how much space we have.
• Radioactive Barrel Podium - Have a full multimedia presentation system in a steel drum on wheels. The system would include a computer with peripherals, speakers, a microphone, a paper stand and a projector. The barrel can be painted to look like a radioactive barrel. Akin to JimShoe's Radiation Computer.
• Real Instrument Guitar Hero - Have a Guitar Hero-like program that instead of taking inputs from a controller, takes the direct sound input of a musical instrument (either by direct plugin or microphone) and determines a musician's performance against a score or soundtrack of music. Think like the vocals for Rock Band. Can start with Frets on Fire.
• Remote-Controlled Robot Arm Over IP - A tabletop robot arm that can be controlled to manipulate objects over an IP connection.
• RF Popcorn Popper - Pop popcorn using the power of RF!
• Wearable Shop Camera & Phone - A way for video and audio communication in the shop between a person working on the floor and another person at a computer. Mount a minicam and an earbud headphone & microphone on a set of safety glasses or headphones. Feed the data to a belt or pocket-mounted wireless transmitter that will relay video and audio data to the shop server. The server then transmits the video and audio over the internet using VoIP and Video over IP to the other person at a computer. This way, someone at the shop can show another over the net what they are working on and they can discuss it in real time. Could also serve as a feed for the ML256 Video Blog project.
• Wifi Flying Drone - Have a solar-powered UAV with a WiFi hub and GPS programmed to hover at or orbit a specific point. A quick way to have internet access anywhere you want it.

Project Ideas To Pass On

• IRC-Based Shop U-Stream Control - strages and CrashCart have a U-Stream that runs in the shop. Why not have a control on the IRC channel so that with a command, one can start the U-Steam broadcasting/recording when they see something interesting happening in the shop. Could be feed for the ML256 Video Blog project. Pass it on since the idea is more of a programmer's project.
• Kiosk Project Photo and Video Album Screensaver - Setting up and putting together a screensaver on the Kiosk that displays an album of our project photos and videos. Pass it on to the guys who run the Makers Local 256 Ustream and YouTube since I am not very savvy with a camera nor knowledgeable on who has photos & videos and how to manage them.

Shop Ideas

• Regular Company/Tech Presentations - Once a month, have someone from a local company come and talk about their company and present something techy. This would be a great opportunity for people to learn about local job/networking opportunities and see what technology is being worked on in Huntsville.

Community Outreach Ideas

Volunteer our resources towards projects in:

• Architechture for Humanity - A non-profit organization for providing design solutions where they are most critically needed.
• Habitat For Humanity - Madison County - Perhaps we can volunteer to help build their electronic/computer systems, etc.
• Engineers Without Borders - Madison - Can volunteer our skills to help them out on a project.
• Youth Summer Camps - An idea that has been thrown around for some time; invite students/youths to tag along in the shop for a week to help out or teach classes to them.
• Computer Rebuilding - Take old scrap and salvage machines, refurb them with old hardware and open-source OSes and donate them to local organizations.

Interests

• Aerospace
  • Rocketry - High-Powered
  • Aviation - General & RC-Scale
  • Aircraft Design, Construction & Flight
• Computers & Electronics
• Mechanical
  • DIY
  • Microfactory
  • CNC Machinery
  • Carpentry
  • Metalworking
• Green
  • Alternative Energy
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Micro & Permaculture
  • Bioremediation
  • Community Salvage & Recycling
• General
  • Creative Commons
  • Open-Source Software

Interested in Learning About

• Computer & Microcontroller Programming
• Linux-Windows Crossover Machines
• Electronics Design & Manufacture
• CNC Machinery & Operation
• Welding

Knowledge/Skills

• RC Aircraft Design, Construction & Flight - 5 years.
• RC Piloting - 5 years.
• Composite Manufacturing - CFRP, GFRP and Aramid composites manufactured with foamcore and hollow-molded methods, 5 years.
• Rocket Motor Manufacturing & Testing - 1 year.
• Project Administration - 3 years.
• Cooking - For some time now with the basics.

Lessons Learned

• General
  • You are never as smart as you think you are. There will always be something around the corner that will show you otherwise. You will always be constantly learning. Be ready for it!
  • Help the project along by having ready designs and plans, but be flexible and open enough for new ideas and unexpected occurrences.
  • Having a successful project takes teamwork and dedication as much as skill and resources.
  • Emergence can be a very powerful force in getting things done. Set the example and others will start to key in.
  • Delegate tasks when there is a group, it can help makes things easier and quicker.
  • Learn to listen to your people and they will listen to you.
• Facilities Committee
  • To run a club, there needs to be a degree of dedication towards the place; e.g. manage the maintenance and buildup of your place carefully.
• DIY Power System
  • Efficiency and knowing your consumption is the first priority to knowing how to build an alternative power system.
  • Solar cells are really fragile.
  • Soldering well takes practice and experience.

Links & Stuff

• Microfactory MOW Process
• FLOSS Weekly
• 50 Dangerous Things
• Instructables

--Spacefelix 15:56, 1 March 2010 (CST)