One of my projects at the moment is trying to work out how to use a laser cutter to seal together sheets of material, and cheap ways of laser etching onto metals. I have also recently seen a nutter, HERE, laser etch his fingernails by disabling the safety catches on a laser (note the burned and scarred edges of his fingers before you think this is a good idea!). these are all interesting but sometimes it is the super simple that has the most chance to educate if the learnign goes beyond just the skills to make it.
This keyring design below is a straight forward laser project cut in 3mm acrylic with a 2mm ball bearing inside. It is very cheap and quick to make, can be prototyped in cheaper materials and produces a high quality finished product that would be easily saleable. Provided you go beyond merely designing around a standard pattern, and ensure there is work and progression onto mazes themselves, industrial standard material sizes, opportunities to try multi level mazes (3 stacked on top of each other?) etc.. then this would be a good project.
IF you find yourself knocking out the same old size keyrings and ideas, each barely discernible from the rest, and a good way to tell is whether students need to put their name on them to know which is which, then contact me for some tips!

If nature can do it, why can't I?

I have in front of me three prototypes for artificial sycamore seeds. Each one is better than the last, but I suspect it will take me about 12 versions to get it right! This is something I have been pondering on recently, which is, just because you know something can be dome, it does not mean it is easy to do..

Example. I have shown Sketchup to anyone who stands still long enough for me to focus on them over the past five years, but still the take up in schools is woefully low. It is a relatively easy piece of software to learn, but still people need help. I am currently running Sketchup trainmg sessions for three clients, including teachers, and it is clear that once people get the basics, they are fine with the rest...

To this end I have developed a set of 10 beginners and 10 advanced Sketchup e-Learning training films for sale. Each has a single task illustrating a particular skill and is carried out on a Sketchup file like the one below. There is a recording sheet to map progress and they are carefully graded. I ran this with 16 teachers in a Twilight Inset in July and it worked extremely well with all levels of staff being able to use the e-Learning films to work at their own pace.

The advanced set are optional and cover shadows, lighting, camera movement and other skills people may need to get the quality output they require.

If you are interested in training, or purchasing a license for a set of films than contact me!

New Ideas

I am developing some ideas for various clients, and this includes some super simple ones for education where people want a fun activity quick without having to spend ages buying all the equipment and learnign loads of new skills.

one of these is BOUNCE

A simple idea where marbles are bounced along a series of drums with rubber stretched over the top. Like so many things, it really needs a lot of background development to get it working. this came from an idea I saw when I was a child in a friends house. I quickly found that getting the right rubber membrane and holder was essential if you were going to make a reproducible set-up. I solved it by using widely available specialist parts and if the client decides to fund it, I will post a link to the scheme of work some time in 2009 here.

Ballcoaster project

Something I have been working on for a while and has recently had its pilot session has been the BallCoaster. This is a kit of parts from which a roller coaster can be constructed.

It was a pilot on the 22nd of September at the Engineering Centre in Top valley, Nottingham. Ballcoaster is funded by and owned by Nottingham Science City and has proved a tough task now solved.

The parts seem simple, a set of foam brackets holding a hosepipe but there has been some serious engineering and research to get it to work. The hose is a special type which is extremely flexible but still retains its round section when bent otherwise it would slip out of the foam brackets grip. The brackets are a 'standard' industrial foam cut by waterjets by a specialist company. The resulting kit works extremely well but DOES NOT make it overly easy for the students. They have to work together to get it working. My favourite parts are the weights for the adjustable brackets, made of socks filled with gravel, and the adjustable height levellers for the track which are 300 x 200 x 100mm cardboard standard boxes. Both items are extremely cheap and demonstrate that sometimes things can be simple, and seriously effective!

There is a complete blog with downloadable manual and videos I have written HERE, email me what you think and contact Science City Nottingham, Ian Tringali, if you want to buy kits or get some training yourselves.

Hello after a long gap

It has been many months since the last post. Ironically Ihave been contributing to many blogs, and even built a couple of new ones for clients, but rigth now I intend to jeep this weekly at least!
watch this space!