Computational Design Lab

Recent Projects

Sketch It, Make It Sketch It, Make It Sketch It, Make It Sketch It, Make It (SIMI) is a modeling tool for designing items to laser cut. Unlike traditional interfaces that rely on modes and discrete keyboard and mouse input, SIMI recognizes rough, hand-drawn input. It interprets this as linework (e.g. lines, arcs), editing commands (e.g. erasing) or geometric constraints (e.g. right [...]
Social Industrial Robotics Social Industrial Robotics Social Industrial Robotics   ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ :::: PROCESS ::::         ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ References: Hyung-Kew Lee; Sun-Il Chang; Euisik Yoon (2009). Dual-Mode Capacitive Proximity Sensor for Robot Application: Implementation of Tactile and Proximity Sensing Capability on a Single Polymer Platform Using Shared Electrodes. Sensors Journal, IEEE, volume [...]
Algo.Rhythm: programmable drum robots kits Algo.Rhythm: programmable drum robots kits Algo.Rhythm: programmable drum robots kits   Algo.Rhythm is a set of drum robots with programmable behavior. Each drum robot records pattern of beats when knocked on, and replays the rhythm by hitting its neighbor robot with a pre-programmed twist. Arrange the kit to compose algorithm based drumming performance, and learn computational concepts like sequential execution, [...]
The Posture Suspenders The Posture Suspenders The Posture Suspenders Introduction: The Posture Suspenders senses posture in real-time and via vibration alerts the user to bad posture. Thereby the user develops muscle memory for correct posture. Slouching: Slouching not only makes you look bad it also causes long-term damage to your health. A bad posture can result in back pains, [...]
D.I.Y Pneumatic Linear Actuators D.I.Y Pneumatic Linear Actuators D.I.Y Pneumatic Linear Actuators The D.I.Y. movement has many implications for the future of creativity and commerce. The impact of inventing what one needs rather than purchasing it promises to be empowering, fun, and inspirational. In a long term effort to develop dynamic computer controlled surfaces, I began exploring fluid control (in this case, [...]
choreoBots choreoBots choreoBots choreoBots: a tangible music visualization platform from Charles Doomany on Vimeo. ChoreoBots consist of a set of internally illuminated modular forms that physically deform in response to changes in ambient sound. To visually delineate different components of music, three different module sizes were developed, each with there own respective input [...]

Recent Work In Progress

Invent-abling in the works Invent-abling in the works Invent-abling in the works Deren’s project Invent-abling, a materials construction kit, is in development. She will be piloting the first version of her kit with a group of girls in January and February. Check out updates at invent-abling.com
Tracelet Tracelet Tracelet Tracelet is a bracelet that helps you track where you leave things throughout the day. An accelerometer detects the motion of putting something down and triggers a JPEG camera to take a picture and store in on a microSD card. You can then look at these pictures via a USB [...]
Cut back Cut back Cut back This interactive cutting board responds to the force of you cutting on it. There are force sensors embedded within the cutting board that trigger different sounds depending on where and how you cut across the surface. The sounds: The cutting board was programmed to make a few different noises. Originally [...]
Draw-o-lin: A Music Visualizer for Violin Draw-o-lin: A Music Visualizer for Violin Draw-o-lin: A Music Visualizer for Violin What does music look like? Let Draw-o-lin show you a new way to visualize the music. You can play violin this way. Higher Pitches -> Draw Lines When performer plays a higher pitch compared to the previous one, Draw-o-lin goes forward and backward to draw lines. Lower Pitches -> Draw [...]
4Data 4Data 4Data One of the big attractions to MTID was the space it would afford me to continue exploring the potential of 4D objects as data visualizers.  While work has been done on various forms of shape-changing surfaces that update corresponding to data, a tool has yet to be made that is [...]
Dishes are done, dude. Dishes are done, dude. Dishes are done, dude. As part of an awesome group including an undergrad, two grads, and a PhD candidate I took my first foray into proper HCI with Eric Paulos.  We were to do a light ethnographic study of our own kitchens to identify an opportunity for embedded computation to augment our experience.  We [...]

Recent News

CodeLab hosts Little Printer Hackday 13 April 2013 CodeLab hosts Little Printer Hackday 13 April 2013 CodeLab hosts Little Printer Hackday 13 April 2013
Magnetic Appcessories (ACM TEI 2013) Magnetic Appcessories (ACM TEI 2013) Magnetic Appcessories (ACM TEI 2013) Tangible interface designer and inventor Andrea Bianchi, along with his colleague, Ian Oakley (University of Madeira / Carnegie Mellon Europe), have come with a novel approach to interacting with a mobile device. Using the magnetometer built into most modern smartphones, Bianchi and Oakley have created a series of tangible user [...]
CoDe Lab projects at 2012 Maker Carnival Beijing CoDe Lab projects at 2012 Maker Carnival Beijing CoDe Lab projects at 2012 Maker Carnival Beijing Posey, Sketchchair, Piccolo, Speakerwire and Algo.Rhythm, five projects designed and developed by CoDe Lab alumnus and current student Michael Philetus Weller, Greg Saul, Tiago Rorke, Cheng Xu and Huaishu Peng, demonstrated at the very first Maker event in Beijing, the 2012 Beijing Maker Carnival. Algo.Rhythm got reported by a local newspaper.
Piccolo at E.G 6 Conference Piccolo at E.G 6 Conference Piccolo at E.G 6 Conference Recognized for it’s unique design and great potential, Piccolo, the tiny CNC robot (invented by CoDeLab alumni and current student), got invited for a demonstration at the E.G. Conference, an interdisciplinary conference gathering innovators in media, technology, entertainment and education.
Help vote for CoDe labber Deren Guler’s project Inventabling! Help vote for CoDe labber Deren Guler’s project Inventabling! Help vote for CoDe labber Deren Guler’s project Inventabling! Deren and her friend Anya are finalists for the Children’s Museum Makeshop wearables grants! That means we need YOUR vote!! There’s only one week to vote – it will only take 2 seconds of your time. Click this link: http://makeshop.pghvoicesofyouth.org/vote-2000 and vote for INVENT-A-BLING! If we win, we get 2,000$ to design [...]
CoDe lab student at the Children’s Museum Makeshop CoDe lab student at the Children’s Museum Makeshop CoDe lab student at the Children’s Museum Makeshop Deren Guler an mTID student at the CoDe lab recently completed a 3 week FINE Art Residency at the Children’s Museum in Pittsburgh on the subject of activating origami. She worked with kids and adults of all ages to create interactive and robotic paper sculptures. IMG_0210IMG_0232