STEAM '14

[cbairey]

Final Reflections

Final Reflections! This course had a very intriguing concept and I am very glad I decided to participate! From exploring the huge range of possibilities with paperclips to the creation of medical or dreaming technology the course has pushed us to learn and investigate subjects many of us never thought about exploring prior to STEAMStudio. STEAMStudio also pushed its students to explore other concepts such as 3D modeling.

Students were pushed to iterate and produce material on their own without being supervised too closely. Not only did this push us to be more independent, but it also put the ball in our court and let us decide exactly how much time we wanted to spend on each project. That really helped tie in the "pre-college" part of the course as it helped prepare us for the freedom you are allowed in the college environment.

Each project designed for STEAMStudio was unique but also tied together with some similarities. The paperclip project helped spark ideas for later and larger projects for some students! In my own experience Thinn's pain tracking device tied together perfectly with my idea for a bracelet that would help monitor and counteract pain!

Working together with other students was another major aspect of the course. The communication over Facebook and the feedback exchanged between students undeniably helped elevate and expand the thinking of every student, and no one was bitter or mean to one another. I heard nothing but CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

I wish that everyone who participated in this course continues to follow this path (or not if you decided it wasn't for you) and I truly hope to see some of these designs refine and release for use in the public. If we all could make these ideas into realities we could make the world a much more advanced/healthy/empathetic/dreamy world! I wish you all luck in your future endeavors!

[cbairey]

Our group's ad for The Empathy Band! I tried for a simple design that still relayed the point!

[cbairey]

Light as a material: initial designs.

[cbairey]

Our groups empathy project! Well done guys! :D

[cbairey]

Device for Empathy: Medical Empathy!

The pen design with the arm is my design for an idea that Thinn Thiri and I have been thinking about! Mine connects wirelessly to Thinn's earlier device.

The design created in pencil is Thinn's!

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thank you guys.

[cbairey]

To elaborate on my earlier idea! A ring of waterproof (replaceable) LED's that ring the inside on the cap of the bottle!

[cbairey]

[cbairey]

Nalgene lanterns!!!

The different color bottles produce different amount and colors of light!  This particular iteration is made using paper, but in reality I would hope to make this design out of mostly transparent and waterproof plastic! This way more light escapes and makes a better lantern. In addition if created using waterproof plastic one would not have to empty valuable water to use the bottle as a camping lantern (as seen in the last photo)! The first photo was created using a small candlelike light while the second was created using a much stronger light! Also, I would chose to make the light in a sphere shape so it will fit in the bottle with more ease. 

[cbairey]

Ideas

1. A small spherical light bulb that can be put into empty Nalgenes to make backpacking "lanterns" 2. "Wand" with handle that can be placed in water: emits UV and other wavelengths of light to kill bacteria and other contaminants 3. Light let out from a handhold device that disrupts hair growth: hair doesn't grow back for up to a month 4. Hand held machine that uses light to painlessly "bleach" the skin creating beautiful light tattoos 5. A box where you type on the measurement you want and it provides that much light: like a ruler but created with a light beam so you can always see the paper (also works in reverse as a tape measure) 6. A safer mammogram that employs light to local tumors: light rebounds if an object with the same characteristics as a tumor is found 7. Heat wand that uses a heated light bulb to burn off dead tissue like blisters 8. Speaker that produces light show based on the bass and sound waves of the song 9. "Stun gun" that flashes a bright light in the eyes of an assailant: temporary and mostly harmless blindness that can be used by riot police in place of tear gas 10. Alarm clock that wakes you up by slowly shining light through a sleep eye mask: never gets bright enough to hurt or cause damage to your eyes

[cbairey]

Light

Light and fire are fascinating because they are both the foundations of our societies and very unsteady and fickle sources. Light can be blown out and lost within seconds but can also supply the building blocks for a whole city or nation.

Light spreads like no other and a tiny tea light can fill almost a whole room.  Light is surprisingly easy to direct light. Light creates heat. Light spreads in a spherical area.  Candles produce smoke trails while light bulbs don't.  Candles can get blown out very easily. Light bulbs are much more reliable.

[cbairey]

Thinking

To me the major differences between divergent and convergent thinking is the risk and creativity behind divergent thinking. Daring to be different and threaten to take the less direct and obvious path is divergent. Everyone knows that paper clips can hold together a stack of paper and be used in obvious and straight forward ways but using them in ways they were not made to be used is divergent. Paper clips are only a small scale demonstration of divergent thinking and were the perfect starting place for developing unique and round about ideas that can apply to ever increasing in size ideas and concepts!

[cbairey]

Paper clips!

Hey! Here are my 15 ideas for paper clips! 1. Paper clips are great to clean small pieces of dirt and junk from your keyboard or a piano/electric keyboard (as long as you’re careful not to press too hard and damage the keys) 2. Paper clips can be bent into various shapes and are “grown up” and longer lasting versions of the felt pipe cleaners that they let you play with in elementary school 3. Paper clips make beautiful designs if put on photo paper and exposed in a light room 4. Paper clips can be welded and woven together to make a bendable yet quite strong rope that could be used in various projects 5. Use a paper clip chain to “drip filter” water (this will remove particulates since only the water will be able to run down the chain but won’t make contaminated water safe to drink) 6. Paper clips much like hair pins can be used as lock picks 7. If you are not close to real medical supplies paper clips and some cello tape can make a temporarily splint for fingers or toes 8. A chain of paper clips with the bottom one shaped like a hook can be used to remove jewelry or other small items from grates and shower drains 9. After being disinfected by running the end through a flame paper clips can be used as a makeshift medical tool to remove large splinters or deal with major blisters (make sure it is sterile and cool before touching the clip) 10. Paper clips can be used as the rebar and metal skeleton of sorts in small sculptures 11. Paper clips can be used as a material for small scale models of suspension bridges or metal skyscrapers 12. Paper clips can be used as makeshift guitar picks 13. Since paper clips are conductive they can be used in a range of electrical uses 14. Different colored paper clips can be linked together in various fashions to represent different chemicals and chemical formulas (each color would represent a different element) 15. Paper clips placed on top of water can be used to demonstrate the property of surface tension

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys :)