Fab Lab, De Waag Technology & Westergasfabriek

Part 1: De Waag Fablab

Visiting the Fablab was an interesting and informative experience. We had about 4.5 hours to use the lab to create anything we wanted. To be honest, my initial impression of the Fablab was that of an endless workspace with unlimited supplies and resources at our fingertips. In reality, there were a few materials and resources but far less than I imagined. Our project seemed very ambitious and daunting when we surveyed the Lab.

This turned out to be a challenging and good thing, because we had to think more creatively to fulfill our goal of making our robotic bug. After surveying materials, we decided to use dumb motors, gears and clear plastic to make the frame. My job was to design the aesthetics or "shell" of the bug. This proved to be a very daunting task, because how was I to create the exterior cover of the bug when the interior was not really conceptualized? I had a rough set of measurements, but I am not mathematically inclined enough to actually figure out how large to make semi-circle "scales" over a rectangular frame. So I spent the first part of the day conceptualizing the design.

There was this black plastic I really wanted to use for the shell, but it turned out to be sticker material so I opted for the clear. I am not an engineer, and know almost nothing about mechanics and gears (though I can understand if explained to me in detail). So Clint, Dylan and Clifford worked on the body and the mechanics while I guesstimated measurements for the shell. I cut out the translucent plastic on the laser cutter, which turned out to be too hot so it burned the edges of my shapes. It turned out to have a really neat browning effect that I think everyone actually liked. So after 4.5 hours of learning (and sometimes failing) new software, hardware, machinery, materials and design, we ended up with a bunch of pieces of bug. We will return next Tuesday to complete the fabrication and test out our bug.

I'm still not totally clear on what exactly the Fablab does for De Waag. I understand they are open to the public every Tuesday afternoon. But is the Fablab where they create all of their prototypes? Is it more of an educational space? These are all questions I will ask during our next visit.

We have learned much about the Society in the last two weeks and what I am most unclear about is how all of the sub-spaces of the Society fit together. This certainly needs more investigation on my part, especially since the connection seems crucial so understanding how De Waag wishes to solve social issues.




Part 2: Meeting with Tom and Peter (Dylan's Technology Interview)

We the Media group had our first interview of three today, with Peter Fekkes, Manager of the Media Lab, and Tom Demeyer, Head of Technology.

The interview was very informative. I think Clint's idea for all of us to attend all of our scheduled interviews, regardless of topic, was the best idea since all of our individual research questions are so related.

The most important bit of information I learned about the society was that De Waag does not actually develop new technologies. Rather they implement existing technology in new and creative ways to solve some social problem. Generally this means creating a prototype with a certain group in mind, such as old folks or mentally challenged individuals. Technology is usually secondary to their projects, and if using a low-level technology is the best and most efficient means of solving a problem, then the low-level technology will be used.

Another comment I found fascinating was the comment that "no nerds work here." I suspect this is not totally true, since technology and new media IS an integral part of the work De Waag does and therefore there probably are individuals who are very interested in technology. But from who we have met at De Waag, there seems to be a striking parallel between those who work at De Waag and those who work at VKS: all individuals with diverse multiple backgrounds in seemingly unrelated fields. Is this unique to these two institutions, or is this type of background highly valued in Amsterdam? Or Europe?

Part 3: Tour of Westergasfabriek

Our travel from Prinsengracht to Westergasfabriek:

View Larger Map

My video pails in comparison to some others that have been posted. I hoped to pick up some audio of Pol talking about the park, but the wind distorted it too much to be of any use. You can hear him talking about the huge number of people who visit the park. So here is a 360 view of the center of the park. Note the kids playing soccer and open green and concrete space.





On the map on the right, we stand next to the huge blue circle in the middle of the park. It was the old gas factory, which is now used for concerts, parties and other social events. Pol works for the park and has a creative vision of using new media technology, including blue tooth, to bring people in the park together.

This "Park of the 21st Century" is divided into four parts:
-Living Park
-Living Lab
-Services
-Events

He made notes to show us the structure. I apologize for the poor photo quality.






















Pol is working with De Waag to conceptualize some prototypes for creating this living park.