About Brian Kobiernicki

Brian is a junior studying Information Systems & Information Technology and Business Process Management. On campus, Brian is President of the Association for Information Systems. Last summer, he interned with W.W. Grainger, Inc. as a Business Systems Analyst and will be returning again for Summer 2017.

BCC Creations – Door Sitter: Our Experience in Making

Posted on May 7, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

Our journey of creating the Door Sitter was challenging yet intuitive. Though the three of us in BCC Creations were not engineers, we had used our resources, research and knowledge to create an efficient product.

Prior to choosing to create the Door Sitter we went through a couple of ideas in our brainstorming process. We had first started out with identifying problems that were occurring in our own lives or to those around us. Vishal had stressed on using the Design Thinking Method which was a problem-solving process that allowed us to build up ideas with no limitations. Our first idea was based on our teammate, Carter’s experience with the recreational facilities on the U of I campus. He had noticed how many of the sporting balls were not at the correct PSI and having a decide to test it rather than manually doing it would be efficient. Thus, we decided to create a product to regulate a sporting balls PSI and pumping the ball to the correct amount. However, the more in-depth we got and furthered our research we realized that the product itself would be very complex and the pricing of it may not be suitable for the target consumers. Furthermore, we thought the product would worsen the problem and reduce the efficiency and we wanted to create a product that would be beneficial for more consumers.

Our next idea had helped lead us to our final idea, a Chores Alert System. We thought it would be useful to those in the dorms with roommates, they would be alerted through a text whenever a chore needed to be accomplished. Though we all liked the idea we had continued brainstorming for more possibilities which led us to the Door Sitter. All three of us lived in apartments and had the realization that when we left during school breaks we had no way of checking for breaking and entering which had happened to many of our friends. So we came up with the idea of creating an affordable yet efficient alarm for an apartment that would be able to detect an intruder and sent a text message to the roommates of the apartment.

Making

Once we finished brainstorming and settled on our problem to solve, it was time to determine how we were going to solve that problem, and how we could actually make that solution work. Fortunately for us, we had the MakerLab and Fab Lab at our disposal, not only for the physical components but also their expertise.

We knew that we wanted to 3D Print the housing for the system since we were familiar with the MakerLab, knew we could have multiple iterations, and the general low cost of 3D Printing. Before we could start designing the housing, we had to know what physical components our alarm system would need to function. Only after we settled on the technologies and hardware we were using could we design the housing.

Hardware

Initially, we planned on using an Arduino since we had used one and had experience programming it from our Blinker Boxes during our time at the Fab Lab. We thought we could use an Arduino with a bluetooth module to send notifications, but later decided to use a Raspberry Pi with Kootek Wifi adapter from the Maker Lab. To detect motion, we used an ultrasonic sensor from the Fab Lab. This allowed us to detect motion within a specific range that we were able to physically adjust to about 10 feet at a 120 degree angle. We also picked up male to female jumper wires to connect the Raspberry Pi, sensor, and breadboard together. We powered the device through mini-USB rather than a battery, and ultimately decided against the piezo sound buzzer. To interact with the Raspberry Pi, we used a keyboard, mouse, and monitor from the MakerLab.

Software

Once we acquired all the hardware for the security system, it was time to make the system actually work. We first had to load an operating system (Raspberrian) onto the device so that we could put in the Python code. We were fortunate to have Charlene’s friend lend us his technical skills with the programming. We used Twilio as a service to send the text message notifications to our phones when triggered by the motion sensor. To design the housing, we initially started using Fusion 360 since we had used it for the tutorial homework and our in class workshop with Jeff Smith, but we instead used Tinkercad for its simplicity. Although it is a relatively simple program, Tinkercad provided all the functionalities we needed, with far less complication.

The entire “making” process flowed very well. As the software was being programmed, we were simultaneously physically putting the hardware together. Once we knew how much space the hardware was taking up, we were able to design, print, and refine the housing. The MakerLab provided a great meeting place to work on the project together in addition to supplying the Arduino, wifi adapter, keyboard, monitor, power cord, and mouse. The Fab Lab was also a great outlet to receive advice from and supply us with the sensor, breadboard, and jumper wires.

Feedback & Testing

Given that security product solution is heavily user dependent, receiving feedback and testing the security “door sitter” was vital to allowing us to make adjustments to make the product function properly. The initial tests we ran ourselves focused on getting the device to accurately function as we created it. Functions such as the sensor detecting motion, ensuring the programmed Python sent the text message to a phone, and even connecting to wifi internet connection were processes that were refined by our testing. The range at which our ultra motion sensor detects motion was one capability we spent hours adjusting on our product. The ultra motion sensor has the capability to detect motion for a 120 degree 30 feet radius. We ultimately adjusted the sensor to only detect within 8-10 feet after much consideration about how our product is practically used. Since our the product is meant to run perpendicular with the entryway of a door, we did not want it to trigger a false alarm from movement far away. Taking practical considerations such as false alarms, how the product is used, and what makes most sense for the user were our primary goals when testing the security door sitter.

Furthermore, we tested the door sitter ourselves, collaborating with class members, and finally our team member Brian had his roommates test the door sitter within their daily routine. The feedback we received focused on two aspects of the door sitter. Firstly, where to install the product was something that was not intuitive to users outside of our team. It was not necessarily clear what location to velcro the door sitter box worked best. Another point that was brought up with the door sitter sensor location, was “what if a user has pets such as cats in the apartment? Would that trigger false alarms? “. We resolved this issue by creating an installation instruction manual, that would be given with the product for users who purchase the door sitter. The instructions tell the owner to use the provided velcro to put the door sitter on a wall perpendicular of the entry way that the user wants to be detected. It also has recommendations such as to install it high above if a user has pets.

Secondly, our classmates suggested that a user could easily forget to arm the door sitter before leaving there room / apartment. Our product is currently armed by simply plugging in the power cord. As in once a user wants their residence to be monitored they simply plug in the power, and after a 1 minute delay there motion sensor is monitoring the entry way. Although we could not figure out a low cost way to arm and disarm the door sitter remotely in the event that a user forgot to power it on, we did create a notification system that texts a user to let them know the system is on. This way a user can know based on their message history that the security system is armed, and the text message becomes a part of their daily routine

The feedback we received was generally positive, in that the Door Sitter was helpful in providing peace of mind and information regarding college students area of residence. Most importantly the critical feedback we received was beneficial, because it led to us improving our product by making it seamlessly fit into a user’s life.

Final Product

Our final product The Door Sitter, provides a solution to the need for low cost residential security. The Door Sitter is a personalized sensor set up by door(s) or window(s) to an apartment/house. When the Door Sitter is armed, it functions as an alert security system by immediately notifying resident (s) if and when there is someone that has entered the interior of a home. The Door Sitter notifies resident(s) when motion is detected via SMS text message, so that they are aware of what is happening within their residence and can alert authorities if need be,The customized 3D printing housing unit and instructions makes the Door SItter easy to set up with velcro, and more importantly keeps users mobily connected to the security of their home by knowing if and when someone has entered. Our product effectively monitors and notifies users of activity in a home. The immediate information the Door Sitter provides, gives users peace of mind knowing that they do not have to worry about a break in when they are away from their residence. Furthermore if there is a residential break in, with the alert system residents now have the information to be able to respond. Door Sitter can solve a need in that college students and property owners, have the ability to respond to a residential break with a low cost option for a security system.

Certainly, the BCC team learned quite a bit this semester in terms of the capabilities and process of solving a need through 3D printing, While we are satisfied with the progress we made in creating our own effective product that can help solve an everyday need, we also know that the product is far from perfect in terms of taking it to market. Do to the cost we did not pursue the potential of adding a camera to the Door Sitter. We do think finding a low budget camera to add to the exterior of the housing unit, would be useful in allowing a user to know not just that there is someone in their residence but who. Finally the actual cost of our product is a factor that we need to analyze more if we wanted our product to be on the market. The door Sitter costs roughly $50-$60 per unit with the all of the components. The feedback we received from our presentation suggested that even if we sold the Door Sitter at cost for $50-$60, that price tag still is a bit expensive for our target market of a college student. In our research we found that most in home door monitors are high tech and range from $120-$250. So while the Door Sitter would be a low cost option in comparison to what most security systems entail, we may want to pursue alternative components in collaboration with Jeff Ginger at the Fab Lab to make our product less expensive given our target market.

Overall our team BCC creations, made a product that solves a need with the Door Sitter. We worked over several project ideas, learned new softwares such as Fusion 360, and went through many iterations of the design making process to create a solution. Using 3D printing and the Maker / Fab Lab to create a functioning and tangible final product, was beneficial in providing our team hands on experience of the capabilities of this technology and the maker movement.

Door Sitter Presentation from Brian Kobiernicki

A Semester of Making

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

When I enrolled in the BADM 395 Digital Making class, I was really not sure what to expect. I had learned about the class while enrolled in Professor Vishal’s BADM 350: IT for Networked Organizations class and thought it might be worthwhile to take. Prior to the first day of class, I had never been to the Maker Lab. In fact, other than seeing a quick demonstration several years ago, I had no experience with 3D Printing or really any form of digital making. My main motivations for taking the class were that 1) I wanted to learn more about the Maker Movement which I knew little about, 2) it would introduce me to many of the resources available at the University that few students take advantage of, and 3) I like the emphasis on learning, growth, and sharing rather than cramming and examination. The fact that the class counted towards my IS/IT major was certainly an added bonus.

I was hoping to learn how 3D Printers work, how to design objects for 3D printing, and different types of 3D Printing. However, I learned all of this and much, much more. I learned about the Maker Movement, different types of fabrication, design, product development, and prototyping, just to name a few topics. I have never considered myself a very “creative” person, so this course challenged me to think outside of my comfort zone. Working through the projects helped me develop some creative skills and further refine my problem solving skills. I am now more comfortable working on product development, a skill that is transferrable to many other processes such as project management. In addition to this, I was introduced to and learned about the following topics.

The Maker Movement:

The first few weeks of class served as an introduction to the Maker Movement. We covered topics such as intellectual property concerns and the success of open source software and devices over paid or closed services. It is here where we learned the learning aspect of the Maker Movement and the importance of learning, sharing, modifying, and most importantly: doing.

Design:

One of the most important facets of making is design. Design for America led us through a workshop to demonstrate the importance of meaningful design. Instead of creating a product and finding demand, we should find a problem and design a solution. Through our readings we learned that products must be desirable, viable, and feasible.

Tinkercad and Fusion 360:

Learning Tinkercad was very easy. Vishal demonstrated the open source online software and we designed our team logos. Even though the program is pretty simple, it makes it very easy to design objects quickly. Our first experience with Fusion 360 was through tutorials before class. Following this series of videos by Lars Christensen, we are able to create a box/housing with a lid. It demonstrated how powerful Fusion 360 really is. We were lucky to have Jeff Smith from Autodesk teach us even more the features available. For my group’s final project, we ended up using Tinkercad rather than Fusion 360 because of its simplicity.

Fab Lab:

We spent three consecutive weeks in the Champaign-Urbana Fab Lab. Although I had soldered in the past, it was my first time in several years. It was a great way to practice making circuits and soldering them together. I was also able to code an Arduino for the first time, which sparked my thought process as we brainstormed ideas for our final project. Finally, I also used a laser engraver for the first time. This introduced me to Inkscape, another open source software (have you noticed a theme yet?) that allowed us to take silhouettes and have them etched into the wood and cut through to form edges.

Prototyping:

The remainder of the semester focused on prototyping. Although I have been through mock product development phases, this was the first time I have gone from identifying a problem to presenting a final, physical working product. David Kelley says “Design is an iterative process” and I found that to be very true. Our prototype went through many versions starting with a sketch on paper to the final version. Between adjusting our coding on the Raspberry Pi to changing the design of the 3D printed housing to adding and removing functionalities, we spent a lot of time refining the project to best solve the problem of a lack of security on campus while addressing the needs of users. Somewhere in the middle of things we were able to learn about 3D scanning, something we could turn into a business idea as Arielle Rausin has. I was able to scan my head and 3D print it. By the end of the semester, we had been able to design, test, refine, and produce a final security system alternative.

An added bonus of the class was being able to go up to Chicago for a day. We visited Deloitte for a presentation on Deloitte’s tech trends and a consulting workshop. We also visited the Deloitte Greenhouse, a space where clients can come in and run through workshops to problem solve and create connections across many levels of their own companies. It was a really unique space and I’m glad I was able to see it. After Deloitte, we drove over to mHUB, a collaborative space where member companies can work on developing and manufacturing products. This is the epitome of the future of making. Members can work together, building off of each others skill sets, have access to collaborative and shared workspaces, and take advantage of a significant amount of expensive, advanced equipment. It was really cool to see Making on a commercial scale.

The end of the semester is bittersweet. While I’m excited for the summer and to be interning again, I am going to miss this class. We formed such a great community together and learned a lot from Vishal, all of our guest speakers, and each other. I’m glad I was able to enjoy this class and challenge myself these past few months.

Auditing, Testing, and a Trip to Chicago

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

As we quickly approach the end of the semester, our teams have started to refine our prototypes. This week in class, we split up into our teams and met with other teams for a design audit. Meeting one to one with another team, one team described their product by explaining the problem it was solving, how it worked, and how to use it. Then, the other team would ask questions about why they made certain decisions while designing the product. Based on those responses, the team would then offer suggestions as to how to improve the design for the next phase. Our team audited a hydration sensor FitBit attachment, an aquaponics system, and a doorstop. With each rotation, we were also able to receive feedback on our design.

While there is not too much we can change about our design, we did receive some valuable feedback. One student pointed out that printing the housing in white would make the security system more discrete as it would not stand out as much. Another student mentioned that she thought that students may forget to plug in the device before leaving. Based on that feedback, we will print in white when we finalize our design, and we are looking into incorporating either an on/off switch or activating the alarm remotely.

Going forward, we had to now test the prototype. This Web Designer Depot page, though geared towards digital interfaces, still gives valuable insights into things to consider while testing prototypes. We came up with a list of questions to guide feedback and had a group member and a friend answer the questions after using the prototype in their apartment. We wanted to know how easy it was to use the design, any difficulties they found in their apartments, and any concerns they had about the product. Using this feedback, we hope to have the best product possible that could be brought to market.

On Friday, Brian Xu and I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago with students from the Making Things class. We left campus early in the morning and arrived at Deloitte Chicago for a presentation and workshop. We were treated to lunch while learning about Deloitte’s Tech Trends and had a quick startup workshop on solving problems on our campus with a product that incorporated the tech trends. After running through the workshop, we headed upstairs to the Deloitte Greenhouse for a tour. The Greenhouse was designed for clients to come in and reach “breakthroughs” with problems they are facing in their firms. The Greenhouse incorporates different technologies into the space along with sensory equipment to enhance the experience. It was a really cool space to be in. After the Greenhouse tour we drove over to mHUB for a tour. mHUB is a unique space that allows members and partners to work together on learning, producing, and manufacturing. There was an incredible amount of equipment in the massive space and we were able to see some of the companies working on their products as we walked through. The entire experience was a great way to spend my Friday!

3D Scanning and Progressing on Our Projects

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

This week in the Maker Lab we had our first introduction to 3D scanning. Arielle Rausin, former student of the Digital Making Class and founder of Ingenium Manufacturing gave us an overview of different 3D scanning technologies and applications, as well as some tips to achieve the best scans possible. After the lesson, we were able to try out scanning ourselves, touching up any gaps with the auto fill feature, and then setting our models to print. We found that the scanner has a hard time picking up our hair because it was too dark, but by using the flashlights on our phones, we were able to have enough light reflect back to the scanner. Below is a picture of the STL model and then my final printed bust!

After the 3D scanning workshop, it was time to work on our group projects. Charlene, Carter, and I found various projects online that had components that we could incorporate into our security system. We researched and compared the different tutorials and existing projects to see what was feasible and what hardware requirements we would need to take into account. This was especially helpful because none of us come from a technical background so taking advantage of open source projects to work on the various parts of our project saved us a lot of times and ensured our project could actually work. The PrivateEyePi tutorial gave us a good idea of what we would need to do make our project work. We finalized the list of materials we needed for the electronics. This forum post from Raspberry Pi also was useful for evaluating options for sending text messages. Vishal provided many of the pieces of technology including a monitor, HDMI cord, keyboard, Raspberry Pi, breadboards, and wires. Carter picked up male to female wires and a speaker from the Fab Lab as well. Finally, we sketched out the design for the housing for the security system that will be 3D printed.

Much work still needed to be done outside of class time. On Thursday, I loaded an operating system onto the Raspberry Pi so that we could actually program our security system. On Friday, Charlene, Carter, and I met at the Maker Lab with Charlene’s friend, Alvin. Alvin is an Electrical Engineering student here at the University and offered to help us work through the tutorials we found. We spent several hours in the afternoon working with the Raspberry Pi to function with the motion sensor so that an alarm could be triggered. Because the wiring on the sound buzzer we received from the Fab Lab was not soldered well, it broke off. I went over to the Fab Lab to solder on new, longer wires so that we could better position the speaker and so that the solder would hold. We also set up our Twilio account to work with the alarm system. I would receive a text message every time the motion sensor picked up any movement.

While the system is now functioning, we have some adjustments we would like to make. We are considering adding an on/off switch or an alarm/disarm button so that you do not have to restart the Raspberry Pi each time to reset the alarm or turn it off without triggering it. We are also trying to figure out how to have the program run automatically from startup rather than having to manually run the program. We hope to finalize these parts of the project this week. Carter was also finishing up a design for the housing in Fusion so that we could print it early this week as well. We are making progress quickly and our excited for the final product to be ready!

Ready, Set, Make!

Posted on April 2, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

It’s hard to believe we have been away from the Maker Lab for over a month! Week 9 found us back in the Maker Lab after a week away for Spring Break and the previous 3 weeks away at the Champaign Urbana Community Fab Lab. I think all of us were glad to be back “home.” This week we focused on design and prototyping as we start to bring our project ideas to life.

One of the most important points we learned emphasized that design sketches and prototypes are by no means a final product. They can (and should be) rudimentary, use household items, and use temporary solutions. David Kelley, of IDEO, in this presentation says, “Design is an iterative process.” The quicker you can get feedback from a product, the more successful it will be. Each presentation allows you to get more feedback, and people will always tell you “everything that is wrong with it.” Kelley continues in this video to talk about the design of Apple’s mouse, and how a temporary prototype solution to keep dust off the optics can turn into a permanent part of the design. As you improve, you will quickly have a better prototype on your hands and you can even start using custom parts. Jeremy Losaw in “ProtoTYPING: Tips to Get Started on Your Product Idea” says “3D Printing is a great way to get custom parts quickly.” Luckily for us, we have access to the Maker Lab and Fab Lab to make those custom parts with the very talented staff in both labs.

After going over all these discussion points, it was time for our groups to split up and start designing and prototyping. My team, BCC creations, settled on making a low cost security system to provide college students some peace of mind when they are away from their apartments. We have named our product “Security SMS” and will use motion detection to alert of unauthorized entry. When someone enters the apartment, they will have 10 seconds after the motion detector is tripped to turn off the alarm. Otherwise, an alarm will sound and a text message will be sent to the roommates living in the apartment. We will use a Raspberry Pi with Twilio to send the SMS, Piezo for the alarm, and an ultra sonic sensor for the motion detector. We will 3D Print the housing that will hold the alarm, which can be attached to a wall with Velcro. Originally we considered using a Bluetooth unit for the SMS function, but after I went to the Fab Lab during class, we decided to try Twilio. Aakanksha at the Fab Lab offered to help us, and Charlene and I have friends studying Engineering that have offered their talent to us should we need it when programming. Our next step is to start working on putting together a circuit and programming the Raspberry Pi. When we know how big the circuit will be, then we can start prototyping the housing for 3D printing. Although it may be tricky to design in the software, we presume it will be an easier task that working with the technical specifications of the alarm. Regardless, with the three of us working together, we are all excited to prototype!

Week 7 Summary: Building on Our Skills in the Fab Lab

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

In Week 7 of the Digital Making Course, our community of Makers once again ventured over to the Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab. Similar to week 6, our class broke into our three groups to work on the next rotation in making the Blinker Boxes. However, since we were already familiar with the layout of the building and the resources available to us at the Fab Lab, we were able to hit the ground running. Once again, our three groups were split up to working on Coding with the breadboard and Arduino, soldering the electronics, or designing the press-fit boxes for laser engraving and cutting.

Our time in the CUC Fab Lab serves many purposes. First and foremost, it provides us the opportunity to practice skills that can help us with our own making endeavors. It is especially helpful for our project groups to develop a diversified skill set that we can utilize on our semester projects. The workshops at the Fab Lab also familiarize us with the technologies and physical tools available to us. Learning from the staff also helps us get a feel for the greater Maker Community and hearing about their personal projects helped us understand their skill sets and how each of them may be able to help with our projects. Finally, spending time in our own Maker Lab, the Fab Lab, and with all the staff and volunteers gives us a better idea of the Maker Movement that is revolutionizing businesses across the nation and around the world.

Team Supra’s Concept

As we keep going through the semester, we are rapidly approaching the design and prototyping phases of our semester projects. All of the project teams are refining their “How can we” statements while defining the actual problem they are looking to solve. Our first project idea submission was due on Wednesday of Week 7. To give you an idea on some of the concepts the class is working on, Team IJK is trying to help college students decrease stress by using indoor gardening. Team XNihilo is attempting to have busy professionals or college students drink more water. The MakerLAX is hoping to “help teenagers, young adults, and anyone else who struggles” tie a tie properly. Team Zerott is trying to improve patient satisfaction at hospitals. In Week 8, the project groups will be moving forward based on the feedback they have received. Once again we will be submitting our “How can we” statements, but this time we will include a concept details, key components of the solution, the capabilities of team members, outside resources for skills and fabrication tools, and any information resources identified.

Odelia spent this week in the computer section of the Fab Lab code the Arduino for the Blinker Box. Odelia said, “This was my first time actually seeing a computer board up close and I was definitely quite surprised by how it looked. Personally, I thought that it seemed quite fragile and easily breakable. However, it was quite sturdy and it could hold quite a bit of force. Along with the Arduino board, the following things were included.” After setting up the circuit and trying to adjust the code, she found working with the light sensor was the most difficult part of the lesson. I think many would agree, as the range of values corresponding to which LED flashed depended on the specific sensor and how bright the part of the lab you were sitting in was.

Chase spent the class time in the electronics section of the lab soldering his LED’s together. Reflecting on the class , said “the instructional course ultimately proved to be very time consuming and required incredible delicacy, there is little doubt in my mind that this is a crucial tool in any maker’s arsenal of building tools.” For many in the class, this was their first experience with soldering. However, we all were able to pick up on tips and tricks such as using the “helping hands” or tape to hold wires down while soldering multiple pieces together. By the end of class, Chase and his group mates were able to wire the LED’s and sensor into the Arduino he programmed in Week 6 and the LED’s flashed as planned! Finishing off his post, Chase, like many, said he hopes to “incorporate soldering in some capacity” into the final project.

The final phase of the Blinker Box is the making the press fit box. Kenny wrote about using the free Inkscape software to design his box. By taking images from the Internet and vectoring them using the Trace tool, the images became compatible with the laser. Kenny chose artwork from one of his favorite designers to put onto his box. Once it was finished, he said, “It was very rewarding to be able to see something you design on a computer come to life in a matter of minutes. There was something satisfying from watching it go back and for until your vision comes true.”

All of our blinker boxes are coming together as we build on our skills at the Fab Lab. Week 8 will be the last class session in the Fab Lab but many of us will be back to work on our projects. Happy Making!

Final Week in the Fab Lab: Coding with Arduinos

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

This week we faced the cold and snow as we headed to the Fab Lab for our final session of our 3-week long workshop at the Fab Lab. After working in the electronics area to solder, the laser area to make the press-fit box housing, it was time to work in the coding area at the front of the Fab Lab.

Assisting our group with the Arduino portion were Fab Lab staff members Andrea Vozar and Alexis Papak. After an introduction to the interface we would be using to practice our coding, we started taking out all the components in our kits. To familiarize ourselves with the basics, we set up a simple circuit and opened up some example code that would cause an LED to flash on and off. We were than challenged to change the code so that it signaled the SOS message Morse code. After adding a few lines and changing some values then uploading the new code to the Arduino, I was able to successfully make the LED signal SOS. Then we were challenged to add a second LED and code it so that the lights alternated flashing. After changing the existing code and adding more lines to accommodate two separate LED’s, the lights alternated flashing.

Once we were comfortable with our introduction to coding, it was time to start working on the Blinker Box. We followed a schematic to assemble our soldered LEDs into the right pins, ground, and power source. Then well pulled up the coding for the light box and uploaded it to the Arduino. Now we had to test the photo resister to determine the range of light intensity that was being sensed. After a few attempts of trial and error, I was able to identify an appropriate range for the LED’s to light up at and eventually cycle through flashing. Finally it was time to assemble the box. Using the press-fit cutouts from last week, I put the LED’s and photo resister through their respective holes, and then assembled the box around the Arduino. After 3 weeks of hard work, the project was completed!

Over the past three weeks, working at the Fab Lab provided a solid foundation of 3 different areas of making. Not only do we have a tangible object to show off our learning, we are also comfortable working in the fab lab and can now use what we learned on our group projects and hopefully our own personal projects. To help with personal or the group project, I found Hackster.io, an online community geared towards helping people learn about hardware. You can search difference projects by proficiency level, application type, hardware unit, or many other options. it reminds me of Thingiverse in that you can search and use product categories as well as the community platform it provides. For the group that is considering Hydroponics product, I found this project using Arduino and Raspberry Pi, which may be helpful. The Arduino website also has a great collection of resources for learning the various Arduino products, programming, and offers several tutorials to work through. Happy Making!

Burning It Together: Using the Laser Engraver

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

As we are continuing on through the semester, we trekked over to the South Quad for another class day spent at the Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab. Last week, I was able to practice soldering in the electronics section working to piece together the wiring and LED’s for the light sensitive blink box. This week, I was able to try out laser engraving in the back of the Fab Lab.

The objective of this week was to make the wood box that would house our blinker box. Helping our group along the way were Alexis Papak and Clinton Gandy. Alexis and Clinton gave us a great tutorial of Inkscape, the software that we used to design our boxes. Inkscape is a free, open source program that is very easy to use. We downloaded a template from the Internet for the press-fit box, but we had to make some changes to ensure the laser could cut the wood properly. For the laser to cut through the wood, we had to format the lines to be red and .001mm thickness. Then we learned how to format images correctly. We were able to take silhouettes from Google Image and use Inkscape to trace their paths to ensure only the actual design was engraved. We were allowed to decorate the boxes however we wanted, but I kept mine relatively simple. However, it did spark my interest in little projects I could make myself. Once I finished my design, Alexis double-checked that all the lines and images were within specification and I saved it to take to the laser. Clinton helped load the file onto the computer where we made some final adjustments to the settings and sent it away. The Fab Lab has two lasers, and I used the Universal Laser Systems X-600, which reads PDF files to make the cuts. After resetting the origin and turning on the ventilation to prevent fires, I started the laser and away it went. The laser first etched all the images from the designs, going back and forth like a 3D or traditional Inkjet printer, then made the actual cuts very quickly. Once it was finished I was able to pick it up right away and take my pieces back to my desk.

This week, I found another Instructables article with tips and tricks of designing for laser engraving. The post offers some “inside tips” on how to achieve the best outcomes. Like 3D printing, you have to pay attention to some pretty small details to make sure your design turns out as planned. I also found this collection of open designs. While we don’t need any more designs for the blinker boxes, they may be useful for our group projects or even personal uses.

Because we used a template, the box wasn’t tight enough to press together and hold so I will need to use glue when assembling the box. However, I could still assemble it to see how it will stand together with the LED’s and Arduino inside. For our semester project, my group can make a housing with a press-fit box and engrave designs onto it, or make a storage box to keep it in. I am excited to see how my team would be able to use the laser for our project. Next week we will move onto the coding section and I am exited to get that experience in our final week at the Fab Lab.

Something in the Making: An Intro to the Fab Lab

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

This week we made the trek all the way past the South Quad to the Champaign Urbana Community Fab Lab. The Fab Lab, despite being home to lots of top of the line making equipment is housed in Art Annex 2, the second oldest building on campus. However, this is seen as a bonus in our eyes as it allows creativity to flow nicely in the highly customized space.

After a quick tour of the space including laser engravers, 3d Printers, electronic cutters, milling machines, textile and fabric machines and so much more, it was time to split the class into groups to begin our rotations. I was put in the electronics group this week, and Duncan and Andrea helped us through our project. We spent the day soldering together LED’s to an Arduino as part of the “blinky boxes” project. Soldering is an important skills in making if you are going to incorporate electronics, so it was good to get practice with it. The “blinky boxes” have a light sensor on them that responds to light intensity. The darker it gets, the faster the LED’s will flash. With the help of Duncan and Andrea as well as a schematic, we were able to finish the electronics phase. We did not program the Arduino ourselves, but it is a skill we will be learning later. Now that I am familiar with how we can incorporate electronics into our project, it has given me a better prospective as to how we can come up with a product design. I know that I want to practice soldering to get better at it and start learning how to set up the board by myself.

This Instructables article is a beginners guide to soldering. I think it is a really good resource to start familiarizing yourself with the equipment you will be using, as well as proper techniques to hopefully make the process a little easier for yourself. This Makeuseof article gives an introduction to Arduino’s. The article gives some background, describes capabilities, details the many parts found on or that can be used with Arduino’s, and stimulates creativity by showing what is possible with this small piece of technology. It also offers a tutorial on programming an Arduino, so after class I started going through this article in hopes of boosting my creativity for my project brainstorming.

Above all else, walking around the Fab Lab was an excellent way to stimulate our creative processes. The Maker Community is more than willing to help us with our projects and they are all very passionate with what they are working on for their personal projects. As you walk around the many rooms, you will find projects of all different types covering the tables, walls, and shelves. Certainly you can figure out a way to combine several different components of making into a unique project for yourself. Happy Making!

Brainstorming for the Problem Before the Solution

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Brian Kobiernicki

This week we were back in the Maker Lab after two weeks away. At the beginning of class we broke off into our groups and were able to start discussing our projects. As we learned from our session with Design for America, the best designs do not start immediately from a solution. Instead, we took an approach that had us start from a broad problem before narrowing it down to a single specific problem that a unique solution could be developed to solve that problem.’

The Interaction Design Foundation says, “the first step of product thinking is to determine the problem that your users are looking to solve.” If a problem exists, consumers will have a reason to purchase a solution. Therefore, successful designs should begin with the problem and affected users. We also considered the “10 ways to evaluate a new business idea” article when generating ideas to work with. Our group thought about problems we encountered in our lives and identified these three problems: overcharging laptops and cell phones, reliability of self-storage options in public spaces, and keeping athletic equipment up to specifications over time. While these were good to use for this exercise, Charlene, Carter, and I agreed that for the purpose and scale of the semester project, these problems are not realistic to find a solution for.

A valuable part of our class session was peer review. One member of each group rotated to another group in order to offer constructive feedback on the problems each group identified as they worked towards a solution. Going forward, we now know how valuable it can be to receive an outside opinion on a project or idea. An outsider can find flaws or even alternatives that were previously overlooked. UK based Corintech defines design peer review as “a process whereby a design project (or aspect of) is reviewed and evaluated by a person, or team, not directly involved with the project, but appropriately qualified to provide input that will either reinforce a design solution, or provide a route to an improved alternative.” It continues on to say that utilizing the experience and expertise other people will add valuable insight. As we develop our project, we will be sure to reach out to classmates or others who are familiar with the topics we are working with for their feedback.

In the second half of class, Mike Bohlmann, Assistant Dean of Technology in the College of Media and self-proclaimed Maker came to discuss many of the projects he has worked on. It is important to note that all of the examples he showed us started from a problem that he then worked to solve by making something. He did not begin his process by making a product and finding a problem to associate it with. From digitalizing a Star Wars game to making a holder for his airplane radio, he identified problems in his life then developed a solution. Another takeaway from the presentation was that Making can be a fun, affordable hobby that can be pursued at anytime. On top of professional and family obligations, Mike still has time to make prototypes, often supporting his other hobbies and passions. Even after this class ends and I am working full-time, I hope that Making can be an outlet for learning and having fun.

Digital Making at the Makerlab- Spring2017

Learn. Make. Share.

Author Archives: Brian Kobiernicki