My work often involves making something physical with a digital twist. My first degree was in visual arts, with a focus on sculpture, and I have been a traditional woodworker for over two decades. Now, I use digital fabrication machines like laser cutters and 3D printers to create digital-physical objects. I also design human body interfaces using new materials that are computationally-enabled, such as conductive additives to silicone.
Computationally-Enabled Materials (active)
Advances in materials science has increased the palette of materials that are computationally-enabled: conductive, magnetic, change resistance when stretched or compressed, light up when electrically stimulated, etc. By adding them to silicones, paints, plastics, or even traditional materials like clay, we produce new sensors, actuators, and displays that infuse computation into the material world.
Building on my research on digital fabrication with additives to conductive silicone, I am currently producing a series of work based on creating interactive ceramic displays.
Moulds, Laminations, and Printing (active)
My first career was in media arts as a print designer, and I have always loved art-making that involves prints, layers, and multi-stage processes. CNC machining, laser cutting, and 3D printing are becoming very advanced, but they still do not work well with multi-part systems.
I am currently working on projects that incorporate new mould-making techniques with the computationally-enabled materials mentioned above, as well as extending laser cutting techniques for traditional woodblock.
CuddleBits Design System (inactive)
The CuddleBits are a series of robots designed to be low-cost, easy to extend, and fast to produce1. They were produced using laser cutters and assembled with standard office materials. We used them in many studies on how humans perceive and express emotion with robots, usually wrapping them with a custom fabric touch sensor.
- Although I don’t make them anymore, last I heard they were still being used in 2023! ↩︎