CEC Makerspace
This summer I decided to go through an internship to learn more about certain engineering skills and crafting skills. For the first two weeks we got to know each other and then we got to know the utilities in the area we were in. They had many different machines, tools, materials, and technology at our fingertips. The very first thing that I learned was how to use was a 3D printer. I learned that there are many different softwares that are compatible with the printers and many different printers themselves. I also learned about their laser cutter which was used to cut or carve usually into wooden products to make some neat designs. They also had a vinyll cutter and sautering irons that we got to use to complete our own circuitry. Once we had learned how to use their equipment, we took a short break to help at the Marin county fair for a week.
At the fair I helped for the first couple of days to create the virtual reality exhibit that I would work in for the rest of the week. I helped paint, format the area, and hook up the oculus rifts. For the next 5 days, for 5 hours a day, I showed any visitor what virtual reality technology was about and then let them experience it for themselves. Mostly kids and young adults came, but there were several older people that tried it as well. Nearly everyone that tried it enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun seeing their excitement towards the technology.
At the fair I helped for the first couple of days to create the virtual reality exhibit that I would work in for the rest of the week. I helped paint, format the area, and hook up the oculus rifts. For the next 5 days, for 5 hours a day, I showed any visitor what virtual reality technology was about and then let them experience it for themselves. Mostly kids and young adults came, but there were several older people that tried it as well. Nearly everyone that tried it enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun seeing their excitement towards the technology.
The Virtual Reality Studio
After that week at the fair we came back to start and finish our final projects. We could choose whatever project we wanted to, which was nice. I decided that I wanted to recreate and 3D print a currency called strange coins in a video game that I love named Destiny. To make the coin I used a software and website named Tinkercad and after playing around on it, I found that the best way to make the coin would be to adjust cylinders that had a variable for its arc-length. I based my design off of what the coin looked like and sought dimensional guidance through other 3D models. After a lot of time and toiling I got the coin that I wanted and printed three of them in white. Strange coins in Destiny are not just white in color though, so I went on to mix paints and hand paint each one after my internship ended. I am glad that I took this internship because I learned about different technologies for creation and I also got some strange coins that I was able to create all by myself.
The Final Product