A Los Angeles Hackerspace
Tonight: Handmade Music LA
Posted on June 25th, 2010 by soundcyst • Filed under Uncategorized • 1 Comment
There’s a little bit of cross-posting going on around this little event we’re having here, but we want to make sure that you (yes, YOU! No, not the person behind you, YOU) come out and see what we’ve got going on.
There will be hacked acoustic instruments.
There will be blinking lights.
There will be repurposed MakerBots.
There will be noise.
There will be melody.
There will be fun!
More info is at http://handmademusic.noisepages.com, but all you really need to know is, be at CRASH Space tonight at 8.
In the meantime, here’s a little preview of the Guitamaton, one of the instruments that will be on display tonight.
Come by and say hello!
L.A. MakerBot Meeting Recap June 20
Posted on June 21st, 2010 by theron • Filed under Events • 2 Comments
CRASH Space hosted the monthly L.A. MakerBot meeting on Sunday and had a great turnout, including three new visitors.
Brandon brought his Batch XIII bot which included some interesting modifications, including a Lenovo mini computer which he had mounted on the side to control the bot. He is also developing a modular tray to fit in the power supply area of the MakerBot which includes a smaller power supply, all the electronics, and a LCD status display.
Brandon recommended putting ReplicatorG 0017 on the CRASH Bot, and boy was he right – it’s a great update and greatly simplifies the build process.
A first-timer named John was curious about printing RepRap (Darwin) parts, so I downloaded the set off Thingiverse and printed one as a demo of what was involved. It was bigger than previous parts that have been printed, so it was a good test for the MakerBot as well. It took a couple hours to work out the quirks of the new RepG, but the resulting print was pretty awesome:
The sides are very straight, and the top and bottom are nicely filled.
I’m going to try one of the bigger cube-like pieces next, but I think the bot is working pretty well now. I still need to put together an operation checklist on the wiki because there are still a few quirks to deal with (mostly with the software). And Chris and I are going to try and swap out the control computer because the crashes are getting more frequent. (Though strapping a computer to the side now seems like a really good idea.)
We will be having a class on basic MakerBot operation in the near future, as well as classes in 3D modeling for MakerBot printing.
Electronic Textiles and Soft Sensors Workshop!
Posted on June 17th, 2010 by todbot • Filed under Events • 1 Comment
We have an awesome afternoon workshop coming up taught by one of the preeminent members in the field. If you’ve ever wanted to learn about soft circuits or adding circuitry to your clothing, this is your chance.
When: Sunday, 27 June 2010, 12p-3p
Where: At Crash Space
Register now!: on Eventbrite
Workshop Description:
This course will introduce makers to an exciting new palate of conductive threads and fabrics. Unique properties and qualities of each material will be discussed.
You will learn how to construct your own textile sensors (switches, potentiometers, pressure, tilt and flex sensors, etc) as novel controls for electronics.
Potential applications include: wearable technology, textile-based gaming interfaces, novel interfaces and controls for electronic music, 3D architectural and product interfaces, and much more.
Basic sewing skills (hand and machine sewing) would be nice but not required. If you don’t have any sewing experience, please review this video.
About the Instructor:
Syuzi Pakhchyan is an experience designer whose work investigates the intersection between code, cloth and culture. Her design and research interests include wearable technologies, physical and soft computing, and interactive textile design.
Her book “Fashioning Technology: A DIY Intro to Smart Crafting” explores the emerging creative practice of soft circuits and soft technologies.
For more info on Syuzi, see her bio page.
How CrashSpace got started.
Posted on June 17th, 2010 by tshen • Filed under News & Updates • No Comments
Hi, in this video, Sean and club member talk about why and how CrashSpace was started. *A music clip from http://blog.bangsplatpresents.com was used for titles.
The Joy Of Wire: June 3
Posted on May 31st, 2010 by theron • Filed under Uncategorized • 1 Comment
This Thursday, June 3, Steve Lampen will be giving his Joy Of Wire presentation at Crash Space.
Steve has given this talk dozens of times as a special presentation for his employer, Belden, the leading manufacturer of cable for the broadcast and entertainment industries. Now he gives it to a larger audience. This thought-provoking presentation covers the march of technology, focusing on those with lack of vision that stood in the way of progress, and on the technologies that has been lost and rediscovered. He covers subjects as varied as Aztec basketball and the Big Bang, and challenges his audience about their own lack of vision and where we are going. Are you ready for tomorrow? There are ethical and moral questions rapidly coming which many do not see or understand. And, believe it or not, he brings the journey back to the subject of wire and cable.
Steve Lampen has worked for Belden for nineteen years and is currently Multimedia Technology Manager and also Product Line Manager for Entertainment Products. Prior to Belden, Steve had an extensive career in radio broadcast engineering and installation, film production, and electronic distribution. Steve holds an FCC Lifetime General License (formerly a First Class FCC License) and is an SBE Certified Radio Broadcast Engineer. On the data side he is a BICSI Registered Communication Distribution Designer. His latest book, “The Audio-Video Cable Installer’s Pocket Guide” is published by McGraw-Hill. His column “Wired for Sound” appears in Radio World Magazine.
Talk starts at 8pm, open to the public. Free for members $10 suggested donations for non-members.
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