@@ -108,11 +122,29 @@ I've set up [Iceland's first Pre Fab course](https://www.fabisa.is/N%C3%A1msefni
I've also been scratching my head over how [Tom Dubick](http://archive.fabacademy.org/2016/charlottelatin/students/999/about.html) takes a cohort of high school students through the Fab Academy every year. We need at least one Tom in every country. I noticed in his students' documentation that they go through a short Pre Fab course before starting the Fab Academy. So I thought it couldn't hurt to try it here, too.
## Free software
I'm trying my hand at [distilling CAD principles](https://www.fabisa.is/N%C3%A1msefni/Pre-Fab/5-tolvuteikning/) in the style of [Neil's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gershenfeld) one minute videos:
One of my robots giving a student a sip of water from a glass:
<divclass="responsive">
<iframewidth="560"height="315"src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/goFWMVis_qk?si=L_z0H7xXgv48x0fV"title="YouTube video player"frameborder="0"allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
[Beehive axes](https://gitlab.cba.mit.edu/quentinbolsee/beehive-axes) by [Quentin Bolsée](https://fabacademy.org/2020/labs/ulb/students/quentin-bolsee/), controlled by a [modular-thing](https://github.com/modular-things/modular-things):
<divclass="responsive">
<iframewidth="560"height="315"src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1KhVkb1dx50?si=TQTe-WEP4CAHXRti"title="YouTube video player"frameborder="0"allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
Free and open source software is a part of the culture of Fab Labs.
### CAD
I used to be prejudiced against free and open source engineering software, but [I changed my mind during the Fab Academy](https://fabacademy.org/2023/labs/isafjordur/students/svavar-konradsson/assignments/week02.html#on-free-and-open-source-engineering-software). Now I [teach CAD using Ondsel ES](https://fab-lab-island.github.io/FLI_Boot_Camp_2024/projects/ondsel/), using the Part workbench (which I find simpler and more powerful than Part Design) and the Laser Cut Interlocking workbench:
I used to be prejudiced against free and open source engineering software, but [I changed my mind during the Fab Academy](https://fabacademy.org/2023/labs/isafjordur/students/svavar-konradsson/assignments/week02.html#on-free-and-open-source-engineering-software). Now [I teach CAD using Ondsel ES](https://fab-lab-island.github.io/FLI_Boot_Camp_2024/projects/ondsel/), using the Part workbench (which I find simpler and more powerful than Part Design) and the Laser Cut Interlocking workbench.
[{: style="width:100%"}](https://www.youtube.com/@FabLabIsa/videos)*The LCInterlocking workbench is great for CNC milling and laser cutting interlocking parts, but it lacks parametric input and a few other things. Since this workbench hasn't been maintained for a few years, I'm considering forking it and learning enough Python to make the necessary changes (when I have the time!).*
...
...
@@ -122,13 +154,19 @@ I received a group of primary school students who were interested in 3D printing
I'm also enjoying [distilling CAD principles](https://www.fabisa.is/N%C3%A1msefni/Pre-Fab/5-tolvuteikning/) for the Pre Fab course:
When I realized that Ondsel/FreeCAD is a capable CAD program, I no longer needed Windows. So I've been daily driving Linux Mint since March of 2024 ([my settings](https://files.svavar.cc/computers/thinkpad/)) and Þórarinn joined me this fall. Mint is the friendliest distro, without sacrificing any power or compatibility.
When I realized that Ondsel/FreeCAD is a capable CAD program, I no longer needed Windows. So I've been daily driving Linux Mint since March of 2024 ([my settings](https://files.svavar.cc/computers/thinkpad/)) and Þórarinn joined me this fall. Mint is the friendliest distro, without sacrificing any power or compatibility.
I'm working on a soldering exercise for the primary school kids who come to the lab and want to try some electronics:
{ :style="width:100%"}*[Development log](projects/t412.md)*
And here's a breadboard-friendly dev board with the SAMD21, my favorite microcontroller. It's got a nice analog-to-digital converter for sensors, it's quite fast and it can run CircuitPython, which my students have grown fond of. Students can make the board and use it to try out different input and output devices and pick the ones that they want to use in their final projects.
<navclass="md-nav"aria-label="Teaching in Ísafjörður">
<ulclass="md-nav__list">
<liclass="md-nav__item">
<ahref="#cad"class="md-nav__link">
<spanclass="md-ellipsis">
CAD
</span>
</a>
</li>
<liclass="md-nav__item">
<ahref="#boards-in-progress"class="md-nav__link">
<spanclass="md-ellipsis">
Free software
Boards in progress
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<liclass="md-nav__item">
...
...
@@ -1619,6 +1667,20 @@
<style type="text/css">
.responsive{
width:100%;
height:0;
padding-bottom:56.25%;
position:relative;
}
.responsiveiframe{
position:absolute;
width:100%;
height:100%;
}
</style>
<h1id="svavars-fab-academy-journey">Svavar's Fab Academy Journey <ahref='https://gitlab.fabcloud.org/academany/fabacademy/2023/labs/isafjordur/students/svavar-konradsson/-/blob/main/docs/index.md?plain=1'title='View Page Source'><imgsrc='https://fabacademy.org/2023/labs/isafjordur/students/svavar-konradsson/assignments/images/file-eye-outline.svg'alt='View Page Source'/></a></h1>
<p><img:=":"alt="2024 Fab Academy Instructor Bootcamp in León"src="images/leon_2024.jpg"style="width:100%"/><em>The 2024 Fab Academy Instructor Bootcamp in León, Spain. My contributions: <ahref="https://academany.fabcloud.io/fabacademy/2024/bootcamp-instructors/workshops/BLDC-Modular-Thing/">BLDC Modular Thing</a> and <ahref="https://academany.fabcloud.io/fabacademy/2024/bootcamp-instructors/workshops/Chat-with-your-repo/">Chat with your repo</a>. Image from <ahref="https://www.fablabs.io/labs/vestmannaeyjar">Frosti Gíslason</a>.</em></p>
<p>I've set up <ahref="https://www.fabisa.is/N%C3%A1msefni/Pre-Fab/0-yfirlit/">Iceland's first Pre Fab course</a> (you'll need to translate that page). I think it's essential that prospective Fab Academy students try a few things before starting the course itself, so that they know what they're getting into! Before I started the Fab Academy, <ahref="https://fabacademy.org/archives/2015/eu/students/gunnarsson.thorarinn_b.b/about.html">Þórarinn</a> taught me to mill on the ShopBot, <ahref="http://archive.fabacademy.org/fabacademy2016/fablabreykjavik/students/272/index.html">Hafliði</a> walked me through making a simple capacitive sensor and <ahref="https://fabacademy.org/2022/labs/isafjordur/students/arni-bjornsson/about/">Árni</a> helped me set up a website. It was unplanned and informal, but it helped me a lot. </p>
<p>I've also been scratching my head over how <ahref="http://archive.fabacademy.org/2016/charlottelatin/students/999/about.html">Tom Dubick</a> takes a cohort of high school students through the Fab Academy every year. We need at least one Tom in every country. I noticed in his students' documentation that they go through a short Pre Fab course before starting the Fab Academy. So I thought it couldn't hurt to try it here, too.</p>
<h2id="free-software">Free software</h2>
<p>Free and open source software is a part of the culture of Fab Labs.</p>
<p>I used to be prejudiced against free and open source engineering software, but <ahref="https://fabacademy.org/2023/labs/isafjordur/students/svavar-konradsson/assignments/week02.html#on-free-and-open-source-engineering-software">I changed my mind during the Fab Academy</a>. Now I <ahref="https://fab-lab-island.github.io/FLI_Boot_Camp_2024/projects/ondsel/">teach CAD using Ondsel ES</a>, using the Part workbench (which I find simpler and more powerful than Part Design) and the Laser Cut Interlocking workbench:</p>
<p><ahref="https://www.youtube.com/@FabLabIsa/videos"><imgalt="Ondsel CAD lessons"src="images/ondsel-lessons.jpg"style="width:100%"/></a><em>The LCInterlocking workbench is great for CNC milling and laser cutting interlocking parts, but it lacks parametric input and a few other things. Since this workbench hasn't been maintained for a few years, I'm considering forking it and learning enough Python to make the necessary changes (when I have the time!).</em></p>
<p><imgalt="CNC furniture"src="images/cnc-furniture.jpg"style="width:100%"/><em>Part of the furniture that my students made in the fall of 2024.</em></p>
<p>I received a group of primary school students who were interested in 3D printing, so I showed them TinkerCAD and asked if they had email addresses to sign up. Some did, some couldn't remember, so instead of TinkerCAD I opened up the Part workbench in Ondsel and showed them how to make basic shapes, resize and move them to assemble what they wanted. After a little less than two hours, they had produced this:</p>
<p><imgalt="Primary school work in Ondsel ES"src="https://www.fabisa.is/N%C3%A1msefni/Grunnskoli/images/ondsel-primary-school.gif"/></p>
<p>I'm also enjoying <ahref="https://www.fabisa.is/N%C3%A1msefni/Pre-Fab/5-tolvuteikning/">distilling CAD principles</a> for the Pre Fab course:</p>
<p>I'm trying my hand at <ahref="https://www.fabisa.is/N%C3%A1msefni/Pre-Fab/5-tolvuteikning/">distilling CAD principles</a> in the style of <ahref="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gershenfeld">Neil's</a> one minute videos:</p>
<h2id="teaching-in-isafjorur">Teaching in Ísafjörður</h2>
<p>One of my robots giving a student a sip of water from a glass:</p>
<divclass="responsive">
<iframewidth="560"height="315"src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/goFWMVis_qk?si=L_z0H7xXgv48x0fV"title="YouTube video player"frameborder="0"allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
<p><ahref="https://gitlab.cba.mit.edu/quentinbolsee/beehive-axes">Beehive axes</a> by <ahref="https://fabacademy.org/2020/labs/ulb/students/quentin-bolsee/">Quentin Bolsée</a>, controlled by a <ahref="https://github.com/modular-things/modular-things">modular-thing</a>:</p>
<divclass="responsive">
<iframewidth="560"height="315"src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1KhVkb1dx50?si=TQTe-WEP4CAHXRti"title="YouTube video player"frameborder="0"allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
<h3id="cad">CAD</h3>
<p>I used to be prejudiced against free and open source engineering software, but <ahref="https://fabacademy.org/2023/labs/isafjordur/students/svavar-konradsson/assignments/week02.html#on-free-and-open-source-engineering-software">I changed my mind during the Fab Academy</a>. Now <ahref="https://fab-lab-island.github.io/FLI_Boot_Camp_2024/projects/ondsel/">I teach CAD using Ondsel ES</a>, using the Part workbench (which I find simpler and more powerful than Part Design) and the Laser Cut Interlocking workbench.</p>
<p><ahref="https://www.youtube.com/@FabLabIsa/videos"><imgalt="Ondsel CAD lessons"src="images/ondsel-lessons.jpg"style="width:100%"/></a><em>The LCInterlocking workbench is great for CNC milling and laser cutting interlocking parts, but it lacks parametric input and a few other things. Since this workbench hasn't been maintained for a few years, I'm considering forking it and learning enough Python to make the necessary changes (when I have the time!).</em></p>
<p><imgalt="CNC furniture"src="images/cnc-furniture.jpg"style="width:100%"/><em>Part of the furniture that my students made in the fall of 2024.</em></p>
<p>I received a group of primary school students who were interested in 3D printing, so I showed them TinkerCAD and asked if they had email addresses to sign up. Some did, some couldn't remember, so instead of TinkerCAD I opened up the Part workbench in Ondsel and showed them how to make basic shapes, resize and move them to assemble what they wanted. After a little less than two hours, they had produced this:</p>
<p><imgalt="Primary school work in Ondsel ES"src="https://www.fabisa.is/N%C3%A1msefni/Grunnskoli/images/ondsel-primary-school.gif"/></p>
<p>When I realized that Ondsel/FreeCAD is a capable CAD program, I no longer needed Windows. So I've been daily driving Linux Mint since March of 2024 (<ahref="https://files.svavar.cc/computers/thinkpad/">my settings</a>) and Þórarinn joined me this fall. Mint is the friendliest distro, without sacrificing any power or compatibility.</p>
<h3id="boards-in-progress">Boards in progress</h3>
<p>I'm working on a soldering exercise for the primary school kids who come to the lab and want to try some electronics:</p>
<p><img:style="width:100%"alt="Hello LED USB 2"src="projects/images/t412/hello_led_usb_2.jpg"/><em><ahref="projects/t412.html">Development log</a></em></p>
<p>And here's a breadboard-friendly dev board with the SAMD21, my favorite microcontroller. It's got a nice analog-to-digital converter for sensors, it's quite fast and it can run CircuitPython, which my students have grown fond of. Students can make the board and use it to try out different input and output devices and pick the ones that they want to use in their final projects.</p>
