TOPIC: Embodied Fabrication  (or Data Driven Ortheses)  

The course proposes an examination and speculation of technologies as they related to Embodied Interaction : mobile computing, wearable interfaces, location-based interactions and digital fabrication...
This examination covers societal, ethical and social influences.

This year, the course puts an emphasis on 'Embodied Fabrication', where digital fabrication is approached from the perspective of embodiment.
With more flexible and more accessible modes of fabrication, and with social aspects of fabrication emerging in recent years, we have the opportunity to investigate ways that we can transform our physical selves and environments.

During this module, we'll uncover some of these possibilities by designing and informing body orthotics with personal data.

Topics may include:

• material intimacy

• processes of fabrication / physical interactions that impact digital fabrication

• wearability

• performative aspects

Research questions:

What does interaction Design bring to the topic of Digital Fabrication? 

How can the theory of embodied interaction influence digital fabrication processes? 

Can the outcome of the fabrication reflect the theory of embodiment? 

What tools/technology can be used to facilitate this process? 

How can data be visualised in physical form? Can the data be understood, or is it a purely aesthetic output?

Deliverables 

• Kickoff Project 
• Final Project and Presentation
• Documentation 
• Attendance during lessons  

Contents 

• Timetable
• Mini Project brief 
• Main Project brief 
• Lectures
  

Tools and Software

• Rhino Trial (90 Day test license) 
• Rhino WIP (includes Grasshopper and requires Rhino Trial to be installed first)
• https://shiftr.io/
• Arduino wireless sensor kits 

Readings

Embodied Interaction: Exploring the Foundations of a New Approach to HCI

http://acadia.org/papers

Creating physical visualizations with makervis

Supporting the design and fabrication of physical visualizations

Tutorials

Rhino

• Basic
• Intermediate
• Advanced

Grashopper

• Basic
• Intermediate
• Advanced

Arduino wireless sensor kit

• Kit and Instructions

Kick off Exercise Brief: Analogue Data Collection 

Look for sources of body data from the realworld. What traces do we leave behind that give us indications about our movements, vital signs or emotions? 

Record videos or take photos to indicate and attemp to extract the data. 

Pressentation: max 5 minutes 

Group or individual work

Main Project Brief: Data Driven Orthesis

Use Data-Colection, Generative Design Methods and Digital Fabrication to create a Data Driven Orthesis. 

• What drives the design? (example: is it function, speculation or critique)
• Where could the data come from? (example: wearable sensors)
• What metaphor could you use?
• What inspires the form making process (example: fungus, cell division, mathematical geometry,…)

Pressenataion Format: Exihibition of Experiments and Final Protypes together with a verbal pressenation.

Presentation on: 14.12.2017

Documenation Format: PDF

Groups of three Students