The first half of the minor focuses on experiments and tinkering. We’ll explore the wonderful world of DIY critical making and digital fabrication. We’ll dive into a variety of topics with weekly assignments.
Biodesign Challenge
we participated with the Biodesign Challenge in 2021 and 2022. Biodesign Challenge is an education program and competition that is shaping the first generation of biodesigners. BDC partners high school and university students with scientists, artists, and designers to envision, create, and critique transformational applications in biotech. https://biodesignchallenge.org/
Electronics
Making sensors
Soft Robotics
We explore the fascinating world of soft robotics. Soft robotics is a bio-inspired approach that combines the collaboration of biology, engineering, design, sensing and control. It investigates the functional principles of shape, movement, control and sensing of soft biological systems. It reverse-engineers these principles and uses it for new applications.
Tinkering
“Tinkering is fooling around directly with phenomena, with tools and materials. It’s thinking with your hands and learning through doing. It’s slowing down and getting curious about the mechanics and mysteries of everyday stuff around you. It’s whimsical, enjoyable, fraught with dead ends, frustrating, and, ultimately, about inquiry.” (Wilkinson and Petrich, The Art of Tinkering, 2014)
food design
This theme combines making skills with food design. You will discover the different possibilities of DIY biomaterials and experiment with making them yourself. By doing so you will dive deeper into the world of bio-design. You will also learn how to use your digital fabrication skills to make molds and how to cast them. You will tinker with and explore the use of shapes, textures, and colors. You will combine this in the design of a food experience.