Narrative Process

3-D Print 1st Iteration

The 3-D Printer was hard at work. The Extruder had to be repositioned throughout the printing cycle.(6 hours!)

At this view, the vertical view of the 3-D Printer does not show the exact level of detail at the base layers, but the vantage is interesting!

The vertical stripes are extra support grooves from the finished print job. These four pieces were early prototypes to enable a physical idea to come to life!

In the first iteration of my original concept, I modeled a form that would take on the shape of a flower.

3-D Print 2nd Iteration

In the second iteration of my original concept, I decided to think more about the practicality of the physical form as an object that is represented in the space that it would reside. The vertical form of this iteration is meant to provide support and be visually similar to that of a flower stalk.

In this close up shot, the smooth curves and symmetry of the object are clearly seen. The 3-D printer managed to create a very smooth surface area. In future iteration work, it will be necessary to utilize this design feature to create a visual and sensory appealing piece of work.

In the third iteration, I focused on providing additional support to the base of the object. I fabricated two additional rings to surround the flower stalk. These forms will also provide room for the Arduino microcomputer, wiring, and prototype board.

Now the concept of TypeEquals has fit together: the second iteration of the flower stalk paired with the support rings is now combined to create a larger 3D object. At first glance, what do you see? A bee hive, perhaps? Or, a flower surrounded by rings of support?

The breadboard in this picture is the functional prototype of the circuit in action. This circuit contains four analog components: (1) Solar Irradiance sensor, (1) Temperature sensor, (1) Photocell resistor, and (1) Potentiometer.