Technology & Realization
As described in the introduction of Past, I got in contact with technology quite a lot. I found this part of the study very interesting and was eager to learn more.
The first course I took regarding programming was ‘Creative programming’. In this course I programmed visuals with Processing. The main thing I learned from this is how to read and write syntax code in java. I now have more understanding of how the computer reads your input and what for kind of sketch comes out in the end. I also learned how important variables are and how to use them in your code. This course really helped me figure out how I can be best in programming . Everyone has a different way of learning and I established a technique for myself to make it more clear. Like making the sketches and using clear variables.
In the second year of my bachelor I followed the mandatory course ‘Creative Electronics’. When I first started this course I had never built a circuit before. For me this course therefore fitted with my learning goals described in my B2.1 personal development plan. In this course me and my teammate made a watering system with Arduino and servo motors. I also learned how to build circuits throughout all the challenges in the course.
At the same time I also followed ‘Engineering Design’. During engineering design we worked in a multi-disciplinary team. I worked together with people from bachelors in architecture, electrical engineering, mathematics, and biomedical engineering. Together we build a robot. In this project I worked on the code together with my team member from electrical engineering. And I did the electronics with my new obtained skills from creative electronics..
In my project 2 design I was in charge of making the augmented reality. For the head-up display in the autonomous car, I made the visuals. I made these videos in Adobe After Effects. Adobe After Effect has a steep learning curve and it proved to be time consuming, but after a while I got confident with it and made an augmented reality environment for on the HUD in video form.
In this same project I made an AutoCad model to visualize the car chair, together with an expert. I found AutoCad a very confusing program, but by the end of the model I did get familiar with some commands like for example; slice, box and fillet. I figured out that when making a symmetrical model it is easiest to design one side and then mirror you model. Even though I cannot say I mastered this program yet, I did learn the basics from the expert. This skills to visualize an idea with AutoCad overlaps with the area of Creativity and Aesthetics. It gives new possibilities to bringing the sketches to life in a 3D model on the computer.
In my B2.2 semester I did a research project in the squad studio silver. Me and my group were trying to do to do field research through experience design. I was in charge of the electronics and the programming. I used an Arduino, a potentiometer, motor controller, a dc motor, and an external power supply. I learned that a setup of electronics can be quite simple to serve its purpose. I also learned that is it critical to use a motor controller for a dc motor. Because when a dc motor starts or stops it sends a lot ‘blowback’ voltage (in case of no motor controller) to your Arduino, causing damage.
During this same semester I did the course ‘Cardboard Modeling’. Even though this is originally a course for Creativity and Aesthetics, it also consisted of a big project with motors and coding. In this project I got more confident in programming with Arduino. I made a foam core coffee machine that had motors, LEDs and hidden buttons.
In my B3.1 semester I chose free electives. One of them was ‘Intelligent Interactive Products’. In this course me and my team designed the SmartKey. A key that could learn when the user would come home and then turn on the light accordingly. We did not have to make the learning algorithms from scratch, but I learned how to implement and alter them for a design project. I also learned that it is very important to design a fail save when training a model, because the model might otherwise recognize something that was not supposed to be recognized, This could lead to serious consequences depending on what you design. For this course I was again in charge of the electronics. I soldered all the components and made the circuit. I discovered that this part of technology and realization is something I’m good at and something I’m interested in doing.
I think I got quite advanced in some parts of technology and realization. However, I also acknowledge that no matter how much I practice with programming that this might be one of my weaknesses. I am sufficiently good at programming with Arduino, but I don’t think I will ever excel, even If I find it really interesting to work with technology.
The first course I took regarding programming was ‘Creative programming’. In this course I programmed visuals with Processing. The main thing I learned from this is how to read and write syntax code in java. I now have more understanding of how the computer reads your input and what for kind of sketch comes out in the end. I also learned how important variables are and how to use them in your code. This course really helped me figure out how I can be best in programming . Everyone has a different way of learning and I established a technique for myself to make it more clear. Like making the sketches and using clear variables.
In the second year of my bachelor I followed the mandatory course ‘Creative Electronics’. When I first started this course I had never built a circuit before. For me this course therefore fitted with my learning goals described in my B2.1 personal development plan. In this course me and my teammate made a watering system with Arduino and servo motors. I also learned how to build circuits throughout all the challenges in the course.
At the same time I also followed ‘Engineering Design’. During engineering design we worked in a multi-disciplinary team. I worked together with people from bachelors in architecture, electrical engineering, mathematics, and biomedical engineering. Together we build a robot. In this project I worked on the code together with my team member from electrical engineering. And I did the electronics with my new obtained skills from creative electronics..
In my project 2 design I was in charge of making the augmented reality. For the head-up display in the autonomous car, I made the visuals. I made these videos in Adobe After Effects. Adobe After Effect has a steep learning curve and it proved to be time consuming, but after a while I got confident with it and made an augmented reality environment for on the HUD in video form.
In this same project I made an AutoCad model to visualize the car chair, together with an expert. I found AutoCad a very confusing program, but by the end of the model I did get familiar with some commands like for example; slice, box and fillet. I figured out that when making a symmetrical model it is easiest to design one side and then mirror you model. Even though I cannot say I mastered this program yet, I did learn the basics from the expert. This skills to visualize an idea with AutoCad overlaps with the area of Creativity and Aesthetics. It gives new possibilities to bringing the sketches to life in a 3D model on the computer.
In my B2.2 semester I did a research project in the squad studio silver. Me and my group were trying to do to do field research through experience design. I was in charge of the electronics and the programming. I used an Arduino, a potentiometer, motor controller, a dc motor, and an external power supply. I learned that a setup of electronics can be quite simple to serve its purpose. I also learned that is it critical to use a motor controller for a dc motor. Because when a dc motor starts or stops it sends a lot ‘blowback’ voltage (in case of no motor controller) to your Arduino, causing damage.
During this same semester I did the course ‘Cardboard Modeling’. Even though this is originally a course for Creativity and Aesthetics, it also consisted of a big project with motors and coding. In this project I got more confident in programming with Arduino. I made a foam core coffee machine that had motors, LEDs and hidden buttons.
In my B3.1 semester I chose free electives. One of them was ‘Intelligent Interactive Products’. In this course me and my team designed the SmartKey. A key that could learn when the user would come home and then turn on the light accordingly. We did not have to make the learning algorithms from scratch, but I learned how to implement and alter them for a design project. I also learned that it is very important to design a fail save when training a model, because the model might otherwise recognize something that was not supposed to be recognized, This could lead to serious consequences depending on what you design. For this course I was again in charge of the electronics. I soldered all the components and made the circuit. I discovered that this part of technology and realization is something I’m good at and something I’m interested in doing.
I think I got quite advanced in some parts of technology and realization. However, I also acknowledge that no matter how much I practice with programming that this might be one of my weaknesses. I am sufficiently good at programming with Arduino, but I don’t think I will ever excel, even If I find it really interesting to work with technology.
