Week 2: Digital Bodies

This week I was three times at the FabLab, so I decided to make daily documentations.

Today we did something like a workshop day, to talk about all the different stuff and programs we will need during the Fabricademy. We talked about 3D scans, lasercutting and using the different programs. Then we did the first 3D scans in groups to see how this whole thing works. After that we used these examples to work with them in the different programs. Then we had time to do our own 3D scans.

At 15 o’clock the global review began and we sat down at the tables. In today’s review everybody from this year’s fabricademy introduced themselves shortly. After the global review, we had a short break, before the global lecture began. Today the topic was „Digital Bodies“.

After the lecture I thought about specific hand positions, which those people I try to help could have to deal with. After I chose one position I tried to scan it, which was not succesfull.

Because of that I decided to continue my process with a scan of Pias arm.

Because of technical issues belonging to my computer I was not able to use my time at all. After the installation of many different programs my computer had lost it completely. Later I found out that it was just too old and that the CPU and RAM were not able to work programs with such system requirements. I think it would be really nice to give the participating students some information on things like system requirements before the project begins, to make sure that every students has the opportunity to use his time the most efficient way, and not only at the university.

Therefore I will use my 3D scan already for my final project. In case of those issues i decided to learn something about the further processes fro my colleques.

Right after that we finished the workshop day at 7pm.

On Thursday we met at 16 o’clock at the FabLab. Jonathan explained to us how to create and design joints for ortheses and protheses. He showed us the different steps in „Fusion“.

Then we had time to work on our weekly assignment. Therefore, I scanned my hand again because as already mentioned, I was not satisfied with the result of Tuesday. For scanning my hand I had some help of my colleagues. We used the iSense scanner, which was attached to an iPad. The application we used is called “Scanner”. Important while scanning is, that the part, you want to scan, is and stays in a little box. You also need enough space for movement to have a satisfying scan.

After I got a nice scan of my hand, I started to work on it with „Meshmixer“. Here I smoothed irregularities in the scan and fill it out, so there is no big hole in my arm. For the MeshMixer is necessary to know the four basic commands “plane cut”, “remove”, “fill” and “make smooth”. After using these commands, my scan was ready for the “Slicer for Fusion360”.

The next step was to slice my scan with the „Slicer for Fusion 360“, so that I could work with the Lasercutter.

But because the whole team was here, it was already too late, so I had to postpone my lasercutter-session to Saturday.

Around 21 o’clock I left the FabLab.

Today I was from 13 o’clock from 19 o’clock at the FabLab. First of all, Pia and me checked our settings for our scans. Therefore we used the Program „Slicer“.

Subsequently we put our data on the PC, which is connected to the lasercutter. Herefore we used „Illustrator“ to prepare the object for the next step. After preparing the object, we had to set up the lasercutter. By setting up the lasercutter is meant to set up the zeropoint and the focus of the laser. For this, you use the jog (zeropoint) and the focus to approve the right distance of the laser.

The preparing includes the following steps:

1) Import your PDF-file into Illustrator

2) The sheet has to be vertical, so maybe you have to turn your sheet around.

3) The material size has to be 1000 mm x 690 mm

4) Then you have to group your object

5) then you click on print, and there are different settings you have to make

a) Setup → Color Mapping → for the red color = speed(100), power(25), frequency(50), deactivate the raster option and click on the double arrow; for the blue color = speed(70), power(70), frequency(50) and again click on the double arrow

6) to save the settings, click on print, then click again on setup and then on preferences and on general view → set up sizes for horizontal(690) and vertical(1016) and again on print

7) - when you have all the right settings, you can print

After 40 minutes, Pia’s object was ready and I could started to cut my scan. Therefore we checked all settings again to avoid mistakes or even a machine-breakup. It took 35 minutes to complete my lasercut and then I had to glue all pieces together to get my first 3D-model.

To simplify this process, I sorted the numbered pieces into group, so I didn’t had to search everytime for the right piece. Another simplification was to use needles to stabilize the model on one hand and to ease the process of glueing on the other hand.

Around 19 o’clock I finished my model.

Here are some impressions of my week :