Tag: electronics

  • Tommy Waters

    Tommy Waters

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    MEMBER SPOTLIGHT – TOMMY WATERS

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    A self-described chronic dabbler, Tommy Waters does it all. Tommy is Generator’s Electronics Lab Lead, a software and electronic engineer, avid woodworker and creative learner.

    Inspired by his brother’s mechanical engineering pursuits and an enthusiastic digital electronics professor, Tommy found electrical engineering. Throughout his high school days in Saratoga Springs and college years at Clarkson University, Tommy honed his craft, and joined GlobalFoundries upon graduation in 2017. As a test engineer, Tommy tested wafers and modules in semiconductors (the circuitry developed on the silicon of semiconductors). Although his work was fulfilling, the monotony of his job and the lack of access to a creative community led Tommy to explore Burlington’s creative landscape. “I was really looking at ways of pushing my personal projects to another level.” After taking some time off from GlobalFoundries, and with life on hold during the pandemic, Tommy joined Generator. His technical skills and creative itch found their home, and his journey towards expert dabbler had begun. [/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][image_with_animation image_url=”12709″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text]Tommy’s introduction to Generator was in large part due to Ezra Ranz-Schleifer, an artist and creator whose mechanical engineering background complemented Tommy’s software and electrical engineering expertise. Their collaboration has led to the creation of “BLOOM” kinesthetic flower sculptures that were designed by Ezra and brought to life by Tommy. Currently, Tommy is designing the circuits and programming the stepper motors which move the flowers’ petals. As Tommy describes it, this project is: “focused on the interaction of people and flowers coming together… The stepper motors are controlling the actuation of flowers to show life and dynamic movement that one can see with blooming, ebbing and flowing of flowers across seasons.” The pair hope to complete the project by February of 2023 in advance of displaying at Burlington City Arts.

    Tommy’s curiosity and desire to grow his skill sets have propelled him to pursue projects across Generator’s shops. He enjoys hopping between hobbies, recently picking up the fiber arts (sewing, crocheting and macrame) to complement his woodworking passion. His studio space is proof of this exploration. “I wanted to bring that to my space here in Generator and create a place where I enjoy working in.” Macrame plant hangers, a floating wooden shelf and a carved monitor stand de-clutter his space and curate a creative yet clean studio. His personal projects are a meditative way to ease his mind while constantly learning: “I’ve been trying to push myself to try to find new ways to learn and make mistakes and bring new perspective to new projects.”[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][image_with_animation image_url=”12707″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text]Beyond just dabbling, Tommy’s time at Generator has been all about curating spaces that enable safe, fun and productive creation for himself and for other members. As the Electronics Shop Lead, Tommy is responsible for the maintenance of the space and the collection and distribution of materials. With donated electronic hardware of all qualities and ages, this is no small task. Tommy’s principle objective is creating an intuitive space where safe, dedicated stations allow for ergonomic and creative workflows to flourish. As Tommy sees it, simple organization will help “spread the creativity.”

    As for what lies ahead, Generator’s upcoming renovations open up the possibility to design a more advanced electronics curriculum. “At the moment we have a base level curriculum intended to get people into the space to use it safely and correctly.” Looking forward, Tommy has plans to design a more project-focused curriculum, where members can be invested in the breadth of learning with real application opportunities[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • VT Makers: Kristian Brevik’s Illuminated Whale Sculptures

    VT Makers: Kristian Brevik’s Illuminated Whale Sculptures

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1611956873199{padding-bottom: 40px !important;}”]Kristian Brevik is an artist on a mission: to bring whimsy and levity to considering our serious impact on fellow species and the environment.

    In this VT Makers video, Kristian talks about his process, his inspiration, and how Generator helped his business gain efficiency and grow.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]The VT Makers campaign is made possible with support from Northfield Savings Bank.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Lights, lights, lights: The Illumination Collective

    Lights, lights, lights: The Illumination Collective

    The Illumination Collective is comprised of community artists with a shared playful curiosity for light and shadow —  many of whom happen to be Generator members.

    Through creative tinkering, the Illumination Collective crafted a magical Illuminated Forest at the Champlain Mini Maker Faire this past autumn. Here’s member Kristian Brevik’s installation at the event:

     

    Following the success of that one-night-only installation, the team gathered again to bring new glowing surprises to Echo Aquarium with the Illuminated Waterfront as part of the inaugural night of Highlight, Burlington’s New Year’s Eve celebration.

    Some of the Generator members displaying work included:

     

    Jody Brown

    Jody Brown is primarily interested in environmental design and sculpture. She makes small-scale steel sculpture and works on ideas for larger scale work in a variety of materials. As part of the Illuminated Collective team, she’s using reflective materials combined with dynamic lighting to create sculptural installations. She co-owned and operated The Drawing Board in Montpelier, VT, for thirty-five years. She is accomplished in business management, picture framing design and production, art preservation and art materials services. Currently, she serves on the board of Studio Place Arts in Barre and is affiliated with Generator in Burlington.

     

    Ken Howell + Terrence Sehr

    Ken Howell is an artist and professor of media arts at Champlain College where he also serves as a faculty advisor with the Emergent Media Center, and leads the EMC Sandbox Team exploring new and novel human-computer interaction models .  He holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, and a BFA from the Maryland Institute, College of Art. He is a founding board member of Generator, a Burlington makerspace and a founder and organizer of the Champlain Maker Faire. When Ken is not describing himself in the third person, he is an I that enjoys a creative life of making, tinkering, drawing, painting, and practicing bonsai. His work, even the bonsai stuff, deals with dichotomy, emergent properties, the quieting of the monkey mind, and dislocations in time and space,  symptomatic of digitality.

    Terrence Sehr is a digital artist interested in political and social media-sourced digital art using algorithmic appropriation and remix. Other interests include interactive art, mixed media sculpture, and the maker movement. Terrence is adjunct faculty in the Champlain College Masters in Emergent Media program, as well as the Community College of Vermont Computer Information Systems program. Terrence holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Emergent Media from Champlain College, a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Vermont, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from The Cooper Union, NYC.

     

    Alex Constantino

    Alex Costantino is an art educator and artist working across various media, including ceramics, painting, and and digital sculptural practices. He holds a BFA in printmaking from Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from the University of South Florida in Studio Art. In addition to creating art, he teaches art at Enosburg Elementary School, Champlain College, and Burlington City Arts.

     

     

    Clay Mohrman

    Clay Mohrman uses lighting to connect spaces with the surrounding environment through the combination of LED lighting technology and found materials. Using form, function and materials, his sculptures exist at the intersection of nature, design, and the built environment. The work creates a functional and satisfying union between sculpture, light, and its surrounding environment.

     

    Jake Blend + Alex Toulan

    Jake Blend has earned a reputation as a creative, fun, and determined maker/fixer.  As the rapid prototype shop lead and manager of the Mixed Reality Lab at Generator, his daily bread is transcribing dreams to tangible joy.  Among his many projects are mini arcades, way-finding footprints for a traveling Smithsonian Exhibit, creating the World’s Largest Spirograph, and he is currently working on a secure low latency VR telepresence as part of a National Science Foundation project in collaboration with BTV Ignite.  You can find out more at jakeblend.com

    Alex Toulan is a software engineer, game programmer and product developer. He likes to dabble in electrical and mechanical engineering as well. In his spare time, Alex enjoys creating illuminated interactive installations. The LED Tetris Wall at Highlights exemplifies a number of his passions.

     

     

    Thank you to Illumination Collective and Generator Member Jane Adams for the write-up and photos!

  • Maker in Residence: Hilton Dier III

    Maker in Residence: Hilton Dier III

    Our November/December Maker In Residence is Hilton Dier III, a renewable energy expert and designer (and man of many talents and areas of work), who had this to say about his project:

    “The birth of this idea came during the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. I was contacted by a friend of a friend who was involved in radiation monitoring in that part of Japan. Their battery powered radiation monitors required Blackhawk helicopter flights (at $$$/hour) to replace batteries and he wanted a ruggedized portable solar power pack that could be deployed by non-expert soldiers. The Japanese government restored power before I had finished the design but the idea stayed with me. I have designed and prototyped a similar system for powering a network of medical clinic communication nodes in Malawi. I’d like to fabricate a working prototype of a single-person portable, rugged solar power pack. My rough estimate is that the major electrical parts (PV module, charge controller, inverter, battery) would cost around $450. There would be incidental costs for connectors, wire, adhesives, and similar supplies. The finished device would produce 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC power.”

    We’re looking forward to sharing more about what Hilton accomplished at Generator during his residency. If you’d like to hear more about Hilton, his work, and our Maker In Residence opportunities, sign up for our newsletter.

  • Generator Stories: Meet David

    Generator Stories: Meet David

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    Meet David.

     

    David is a super creative teen who usually dabbles in film. “Making a movie has always been my go-to for school projects,” he said. “Until now.”

    David found his way to Generator thanks to our Design Lab program.

    Design Lab, conducted in partnership with schools and other non-profits, provides hands-on STEM workshops to students in grades seven through twelve.

    The design-thinking process begins in the classroom and culminates at Generator where students use the same software, tools, and processes used by professional engineers, artists, and designers to bring their ideas to life.

    “When I walked into Generator I was like, whoa,” David exclaimed. He has long been curious about product design and engineering and he considered this his chance to learn more.

    “For this project, I decided I wanted to try making something because all the stuff is here to do it,” he said. This decision was a major departure from his normal film go-to strategy.

    David’s Design Lab workshop designed and made simple phone stands. The workshop taught the students about product design and empowered them to use Adobe Illustrator and the Epilog laser cutter.

    After receiving that training, David decided to take the phone stand idea to the next level: a solar-powered phone stand. “You could place it near a window, or on the dashboard of a car, ” he explained.

    David’s project gave him the opportunity to deepen his experience with the tools he learned,  especially the powerful design software and the ever-popular laser cutter. He also spent time in Generator’s electronics lab with designer and staff member Pete Moore who taught him how to wire and solder a USB port and solar hook-up.

    David’s project also led to a conversation with Hilton Dier III, an engineer and solar expert who is Generator’s current Maker-in-Residence. Hilton is spending his two-month residency at Generator fabricating a rugged, single-person, portable solar power pack to be deployed in remote areas and during weather events and emergencies.

    Hilton and David chatted about their project similarities and David’s design challenges. At Generator, we value collaboration and a culture of support, so there are always folks around to lend a hand or give advice. Hilton gave David some pointers on how to design his solar-powered product.

    By the end of the day, much to his delight, David had conceived of a product, designed it, and made it himself. Along the way, he received one-on-one mentoring and encouragement from the Generator community, including from an expert solar product engineer.

    Empowered, David is already contemplating his next project.  “I have so many ideas now,” he said. “It’s so cool here, and everything seems possible.”

    We are grateful to our 2018 Design Lab partners who have included Dealer.com, the Winooski School District, Hunt Middle School, Spaulding High School, King Street Center, Lund Center, Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, the Governor’s Institute of Vermont, Essex Junction Middle School, UVM’s Mansfield Hall, Spectrum Youth and Family Services, Peoples United Community Foundation and many more.

    You can learn more about Design Lab here.

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    Generator wants to expand Design Lab and empower more young people to design, create, and innovate.

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    Will you make an end-of-year gift to help young people like David expand their horizons?

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  • Generator Stories: Meet Clay

    Generator Stories: Meet Clay

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    Meet Clay.

     

    Clay Mohrman started playing with lighting and driftwood while he worked for an industrial light supplier in the greater Boston area. He was a hobbyist in those years, refining his craft and making one-off light sculptures for friends and family.

     

    When Clay moved to Vermont, he rented a small studio on Pine Street. He meticulously sawed, sanded, and assembled his pieces with hand tools.

     

    Despite growing interest in his light sculptures, Clay’s time-consuming, labor-intensive process prevented him from pricing his work to sell.

     

    Clay knew he had a unique idea and that there was a market for his original, elegant work, but needed help turning his art practice into a sustainable art business.

     

     

    Enter: Generator’s Jump/Start program.

     

    Jump/Start is a business accelerator program developed by Generator in collaboration with LaunchVT. The 11-week program consists of weekly lectures on topics ranging from accounting, to intellectual property protection, to marketing. The program also facilitates in-depth tutoring with business professionals and mentors.

     

     

    Clay and three other talented makers were given the use of free studio space, 24/7 access to Generator, a stipend, and free tool training classes to help them refine their product prototype.

     

    “I couldn’t afford the kinds of woodworking tools I needed to be efficient, let alone a full wood shop, so having access to these things at Generator was amazing,” Clay said.  “The pneumatic nail gun alone was a game-changer.”

     

    Through the Jump/Start program, Clay received support in developing a foundation for his business, including bookkeeping, branding, pricing, scheduling, and more.

     

    He received personal mentoring from Burlington’s lighting legend, Steve Conant.

     

    Clay also met with manufacturing experts M&E Design to improve his production process.


    Clay cited Generator’s network of makers, entrepreneurs, and business professionals as a huge asset to his business.

     

    “Starting a small business takes so much support, both emotionally and physically,” Clay said. “Having people around you going through the same process is invaluable.”

     

    At the conclusion of the Jump/Start program, Clay became a Generator studio member.

     

     

     

     

    “Generator keeps feeding me and my business,” Clay said. “I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing without the ongoing support and expertise of so many people here.”

     

     

     

     

    Clay cites his participation in Jump/Start as the source of his confidence to launch his business, Clay Mohr Lighting.

     

    The business has had numerous successes post-Jump/Start, including:

    • month-long shows at Karma Birdhouse and Frog Hollow Gallery where his sales far exceeded expectations
    • a 2018 Seven Daysies nomination for Best Sculptor followed up by a feature article in their “Nest” issue
    • a collaboration with local musician Ivamae, Casting Coalescence, a traveling art installation that combines his lights with her music
    • wholesale orders from shops as far away as Colorado
    • and most recently, a winning bid for a light installation at Stowe’s Spruce Lodge for their Festival of Lights. Clay built and installed his largest piece yet — four feet in diameter. The piece was built in Generator’s common space.

     

     

    “My business is continuing to evolve.
    Jump/Start gave me a foundation to build on.”

     

     

     

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    With your support, we can help more people like Clay access opportunities to learn, create, and launch themselves and their businesses at Generator.

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    Will you make a year-end gift to support innovation?

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  • Member Made: Clay Mohrman’s Wood Light Sculpture

    Member Made: Clay Mohrman’s Wood Light Sculpture

    Clay Mohrman
  • Devin Wilder – Electronic Sensor Translating Data into Sound

    Devin Wilder – Electronic Sensor Translating Data into Sound

    Devin Wilder – Electronic Sensor Translating Data into Sound
  • Textile Maker Treats AI to Fashion Taste

    Textile Maker Treats AI to Fashion Taste

    Textile Maker Treats AI to Fashion Taste

    Generator couturier and instructor Lucy Leith has been traveling to Lincoln, Vermont on an unusual mission: to fit one of the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence ‘presences’ with a new outfit. BINA-48 is an advanced robotic intelligence under development by the Terasem Movement Foundation; in her work, she travels the world. In her next tour, she’ll be wearing what is perhaps the first outfit fashioned from the hopes and affections of an AI. Exciting! Stay tuned for more.

  • Tesla coil project

    Studio member, Colin Brahmstedt, has always wanted a tesla coil. So at Generator, he bought a kit, built it, and these are some of the awesome experiments that ensued (though we neglected to get a video of the pickle experiment)…