Fluxxlab

PPP v3 Development 08.06.10 - 08.25.10

Jennifer — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:50:04 +0000

We will be giving two workshops during the 2010 01SJ Biennal in San Jose, California with the Eyebeam Roadshow in September. Check our news section to sign up!

We are working on v3.0 of the personal powerPlant - this time we will be able to charge any USB device! It will also work with rechargeable AA NiMH batteries, which are easy to find. Below are some photos of the process: trying to get the circuit to work properly using new batteries, testing out different motors to get one that can output enough power…

Testing different motors...

Trying to test a "full wave" layout for the diodes

Up close with 6 wire motor and full wave configuration

Getting the batteries to charge an iTouch using a voltage regulator and resistors

5 Borough Admistration Building Field Trip 10.17.09

Jennifer — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:29:48 +0000

This weekend we went to go see the 5 Borough Administration Building on Randall’s Island, which is a really spectacular place to learn about green roofs. They have over 17,000 SF of different green roof systems that they are experimenting with - they are also great because they post much of their experimentation and learning for public use. Below are some images from our field trip with a group of students we are working with for the Emerging Scholars program in the Architectural Technology department at New York City College of Technology.

Garden of seedums in tin planters, soil at differing depths.

Lightweight Gaia Soil

Mineral soil

Zero Floor planting system for seedums - thin, preseeded "blanket" that can be immediately installed

Green wall planter system

Planter system up close

Large composter

Cistern connected to harness rainwater for use toward watering plants

Many cisterns tied together to provide water for the large spread of green roofs

Goodmeet @ SALT Art Space 09.22.09

Jennifer — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:01:03 +0000

We recently presented a research talk dealing with a new subject of interest to us: urban agriculture. We prepared a 6 minute pecha kucha style talk that showed inspiration towards developing a new project we are working on. Below is the filming of the talk.

Goodmeet @ SALT: Fluxxlab (Jennifer Broutin & Carmen Trudell) from Erik Fabian on Vimeo.

Eyebeam Benefit Fabrication 06.10.09 - 06.15.09

Jennifer — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:20:31 +0000

Below are some images of our preparation for the 2009 Eyebeam Benefit and Mixer Version 3.0. We created a series of lanterns made from latex, steel unistrut, and cnc-milled mdf support among other items. RGB LED lighting fixtures provided a colorful display for the evenings activities (and people were asked to participate in changing the colors) and linear fluorescent downlights were used for general illumination.

Cutting the steel unistrut for the bottom portion of the lantern. We almost lit the building on fire!

Mock up of lantern

Cutting the latex sheet from the roll.

Folding and taping the edges of the latex for assembly.

Attaching latex to cnc-milled mdf support.

After attaching RGB LED light fixtures to the mdf support, we hung the first two long lanterns in place.

Hanging more of the lanterns and inserting the unistrut with linear fluorescent fixtures.

Inserting fluorescent fixtures.

The lanterns lit up with the RGB LED's!

Eyebeam Benefit Prototyping 05.26.09-05.29.08

Jennifer — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:25:20 +0000

We are currently working on a design with Brian Osborn for Eyebeam’s annual Benefit and MIXER Version 3.0 to take place on June 16th and the 20th. We are working on a design that incorporates a series of multifunctional “lanterns” that help to illuminate and navigate the space. Below are some images of our prototypes for the lantern design as we work through the process.

MAD Prototype for Proposal 04.03.09

Jennifer — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:08:13 +0000

Fluxxlab is working with artist Beatrice Coron and fabricator Philip Anzalone of Columbia Universitiy GSAPP Digital Fabrication Lab for a proposal to install a temporary version of the Revolution Door on the revolving door at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC for the show Slash: Paper Under the Knife in Fall of 2009. Below are some images of the prototype that we created to present to the museum which uses the harnessed energy from the door to illuminate a papercutting by the artist for the entry.

Wiring the papercuttings with LED's to illuminate from the energy harnessed from the door

Using a hand-crank flashlight to illuminate the LED's in our prototype.

Exhibition Prototype 03.27.09 - 03.31.08

Jennifer — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:56:12 +0000

We are currently working on some prototypes for an exhibition/benefit event. The duration of the installation is for one week, so we were asked to create an experience in which to frame the artists work that is sustainable and easily installed and taken down with little expense. In the following images, we are working through a prototype that uses balloons as the primary material which are biodegradable, and deflate making the take down simplistic. This is one of a few options that we are proposing in collaboration with Brian Osborn.

Balloon test - how long will balloons stay inflated with different closures

Bending conduit to form rigid bottom of structure

Placing pvc fittings to attach pvc tubing to rigid bottom structure

Bending bottom form into shape

Inserting pvc tubes to create parabolic frame

All of the tubes inserted

Attaching the net to the structure

Attaching balloons to net

Balloons!

University of the Arts, Philly 10.07.08

Jennifer — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:19:25 +0000

Fluxxlab was invited to give a talk at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia to help encourage students during an intensive 3-4 day charrette titled “Apocolypse Now”, which looked at how to aptly respond to such a crisis before, during and after. Here are some images from the talk.

Panel of presenters: Mark Yim, U Penn Robotics; Harris Romanoff, Make:Philly and Neat Receipts; Red Cross

Guestroom 2010 Installation 06.16.08

Jennifer — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:39:14 +0000

Here are some photos of the Powerslide installation at Guestroom 2010, part of the HITECH convention in Austin, TX from 06.17.08-06.19.08. Our prototype is mounted to a closet sliding door within the “Guestroom” - a temporary hotel room designed to display future products for the hospitality industry. It turned out pretty well and we are satisfied with the results, minus a few minor hiccups - but hey, it is a prototype!

The glass sliding door installed in the Guestroom. On the floor is our Powerslide mechanism as we prepare to mount it to the door.

Mounting the magnet panel to the sliding door.

Wiring the lights inside of the closet with the Powerslide mechanism attached to the door and wall. The coil panels with aluminum valance is a stationary component mounted to the wall.

LED lights used to light up the contents within the Guestroom closet.

Wiring the lights and mounting to the inside of the closet.

The Powerslide mechanism with installation complete.

Sliding the glass door powers the LED lights inside of the closet.

See how bright! And they stay illuminated for 20 - 30 seconds.

See the Powerslide in motion!
Guestroom 2010 in motion

Powerslide Prototyping 06.11.08 - 06.15.08

Jennifer — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:13:34 +0000

Here are more images for the Powerslide prototype that we are exhibiting at Guestroom 2010 at the HITEC exhibition in Austin, TX.

Coils wired up and placed next to eachother in the casting armature.

Getting ready to to a test resin cast with woven fiberglass.

Preparing a mock sliding door to test the prototype on.

Magnet panel attached to a mock door for testing.

Coils in place on the armature with woven fiberglass. We covered the mold in plastic so that we could pop out the resin easily - though I would not recommend this in the future - as we discovered it left a wrinkly texture on the resin.

One of the resin coil panels ready to be added onto the aluminum door valance.

Attaching the resin coil panels to the valance.

All installed.

Resin coil panel and magnet panel. Ready to make some power!

Wiring the LED lights that display the harnessed power.