KineticWorld

Applied Kinetic Arts Upcoming Show

2008-11-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

Kinetic art show, this Friday, 6-8PM, Y2Y Gallery at Jeff King & Company, 251 Balboa Street, in San Francisco.

See you all there, I hope!

The Great Handcar Regatta - SUNDAY!!!

2008-09-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

Hiya folks!

This Sunday, September 28th, a grand event is to be held in Santa Rosa, California. It's called The Great West End & Railroad Square Handcar Regatta & Exposition of Mechanical & Artistic Wonders. It's free to get in, and perfect for all ages. Info on our favorite stuff can be found here. You can easily navigate to the main part of the site, as well as specific info and directions from there.

The gang I've come to consider family, who built the Steampunk Treehouse last year, created a 10 foot diameter hamster wheel for humans called The Lumbering Contraption (pictured above). It is set to compete in the handcar races on the railroad tracks at the event.

I hope to see you all there!

photo 1 - Bena Currin
photo 2 - Nick Winterhalter

Yoichi Nagashima, professor of physical computing, SUAC

2008-07-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Beat Box by Toru Kawarazaki

Yoichi Nagashima from SUAC (Shizuoka University of Art and Culture) just presented a lot of the work his students have done over the years using physical computing. There is a very rich web archive of the work, go look.

Sketching in Hardware 08

2008-07-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Nathan Seidle, owner of Sparkfun Electronics, thinks very hard about something.

I am sitting at the Sketching in Hardware 08 conference, being held this year at RISD in Providence, R.I. This is the third annual Sketching conference, and my third as well. I will be posting links to interesting stuff that gets presented here. My presentation isn't until Sunday so I have some more time to work on it.

"Sketching in hardware is the process through which we understand the capabilities of emerging hardware technologies.

As digital technology moved into everyday consumer products, the economics of mass production and marketing moved products from open systems that enabled experimentation to closed systems that emphasized ease of production over the ease of consumption. This technology creation culture emphasized scale, a deep understanding of basic electronics and the development of monolithic products designed for use largely in isolation from one another.

However, that may now be changing. Miniaturization, power-reduction and knowledge embedding enable smart components that abstract much of the low-level engineering complexity, while keeping the capabilities of the technology accessible and affordable to people outside of heavy industry. This has re-created the possibility of vernacular technology that can be built from smart parts. People who would otherwise be unable to directly engage with digital technology tools can now augment, manipulate, experiment, build, explore. In other words, sketch. "

Fire Arts Festival 2008

2008-07-11T01:57:00.001-07:00

Holy Moly!!!! I've been so busy getting ready for the annual Fire Arts Festival that I forgot to tell you all about it. Two more nights left - tonight and tomorrow. 7th Street, West Oakland, Near BART. Loads of pix online already.

More info at The Crucible's website.

Mechanicrawl, San Francisco, July 12th

2008-07-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

July 12th, 3PM until 8PM.
You can purchase tickets for Mechanicrawl, or join one of the participating organizations and get in free! Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children (under 6 are free) and $11 for students and seniors.

A great way to support these mechanical marvels of San Francisco is through their membership programs; links can be found under Main Attractions at the Mechanicrawl site.

"Mechanicrawl is a progressive tour through the mechanical wonders of San Francisco's North Shore showcasing several amazing machines that are usually not available to the public.

You'll be able to map your own route to see the giant running steam engine aboard the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, one of the most complex mechanical computers ever built, The Torpedo Data Computer aboard the USS Pampanito Submarine, turn of the century automata, over 200 coin operated machines and video games at the Musee Mecanique, the Orrey, Solar Synchronizer and new Walking Bearing at The Long Now Museum and Store, special films and exhibits at the Exploratorium and more!"

More info at Make's site.

Nemo Gould, Solo Show, 7-12 in Santa Monica

2008-07-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

Nemo Gould has a solo show, "Second Hand Made", coming up at the Lois Lambert Gallery in Santa Monica. It opens on July 12th.

Nemo has been creating a whole new body of work in preparation for the show, and he will be showing some old favorites as well. We wish him the best on his first show in SoCal. If KineticWorld can scrape up some gas money we'll try to make it down there to cover this show and the Device Gallery show as well.

Of Nemo's new works, I have to say that "Fat Brasstard" is one of my favorites - it can be seen here.

Fantastic Contraption, July 19th, Device Gallery

2008-06-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Device Gallery
Amazing group show coming soon:
Fantastic Contraption: Featuring 18 innovative artists from around the world whose work explores the mechanical nature of man. This is Device Gallery's inaugural show.
Opening reception: July 19th
Location: La Jolla, CA

The show includes KineticWorld favorites Wayne Martin Belger, Christopher Conte, Nemo Gould, Stephane Halleux, and Mike Libby, as well as: Ashley Wood, D.Hwang, Eduard Anikonov, Eric Joyner, Greg Brotherton, H.R. Giger, John U. Abrahamson, Kazuhiko Nakamura, Theo Kamecke, Viktor Koen, William B. Hand, and Zoran Milvojevic.

Robogames 2008 Opens Today

2008-06-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Robogames (formerly ROBOlympics) is the world's largest robotic competition, and it happens in San Francisco every year. This year's event opens today at Fort Mason, and runs through Sunday.

From their site:
"RoboGames is the world's largest open robot competition (even the Guinness Book of World Records says so!) We invite the best minds from around the world to compete in over 70 different events. Combat robots, walking humanoids, soccer bots, sumo bots, and even androids that do kung-fu. Some robots are autonomous, some are remote controlled - but they're all cool!"

Location: Fort Mason Festival Pavillion - Directions and more info here
Hours: Friday, 12-7; Saturday, 12-10; and Sunday 12-7
Adults: $25/day or $55/all 3 days
Kids 17-7: $20/day or $40/all 3 days
6 and under: Free

Robotica - Opens June 6th in Alameda

2008-06-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...I know, I know...I am WAYYY behind on my posts. Sigh. So much to do, and so little me to go around. Anyway, before this comes and goes you need to know that there is a new gallery show called Robotica, and the opening party is Friday the 6th of June (yep, most likely that is TODAY for most of you reading this) in Alameda at Rhythmix, 2513 Blanding Ave in Alameda, CA.

Artists will include Al Honig, Simone Davalos, Kal Spelletich, Michael and Christian Schiess, Amy Jenkins, and Mark Pauline.

I'll be there, so come say hi, and stay tuned here for a report on the show.

http://rhythmix.org/robotica.html

Tech Connect: Robots

2008-05-15T09:51:00.001-07:00

Salusa Glass Works

2008-05-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Glass artist, Bandhu Dunham creates kinetic sculpture from lampworked glass. These works even include working steam engines. The one pictured above even includes a condenser - that's a part that takes the used steam and turns some of it back into water to reuse in the engine. Dunham also creates rolling marble works. All of it is very very impressive, and even more so when we consider that they are made entirely from glass.

Check out this very cool video of several of his pieces in action.

Many thanks to KineticWorld regular, Jonathan Foote, for sending us the heads up on this one!

Power Tool Drag Races 2008

2008-05-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

The Power Tool Drag Races are back, May 17th and 18th, Ace International Speedway, San Francisco. This year's event will even include some great live music, we're told.

I will not be racing this year - it's my first time not racing at PTDR in quite a few years. Truth be told there are just too many other things on my plate, but I'm okay with that. I'm telling everyone that I've decided to just be happy being a retired champion. I will be spectating though...and undoubtedly heckling as well.

Anyhoo, get over to the speedway and check it out...it's always a blast.

Ace International Speedway, 2255 McKinnon Street, San Francisco...$20 per person at the door to watch, $30 to race.

RoboexoticaUS opening night

2008-05-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Photo by Scott Beale/Laughing Squid

The first annual RoboexoticaUS opened at Space in San Francisco last night to a very enthusiastic reception. Most every machine worked beautifully, and I even managed to get my Breathalyzer Genie working at the last minute after a move from one room to another mysteriously (and maddeningly) disabled it.

Look for some great coverage here:
Laughing Squid blog
Laughing Squid's photos on Flickr
Wired
Daniel Terdiman's Geek Gestalt on CNET

Photo by Scott Beale/Laughing Squid

These guys are the founders of Roboexotica in Austria - Magnus Wurzer and Johannes Grenzfurthner

As soon as I find a good picture of Simone Davalos and David Calkins I'll post it - they are the organizers of RoboexoticaUS.

RoboexoticaUS this Saturday, May 10th!!!

2008-05-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the short notice, but tomorrow night in San Francisco is RoboexoticaUS, the US sister event to the one in Vienna every Autumn.

"What could be better in life that robots and cocktails? Well, nothing! Roboexotica is the premier cocktail making robot event which happens in Vienna each year. This week it comes to San Francisco. Join us for good music, cocktails, and robots that pour you drinks, insult you, and test your BAC. Several different artists from around the Bay Area and Europe will be presenting their work for your imbibing pleasure."

Details can be had by clicking here

RoboexoticaUS - 8pm-2am this Saturday, May 10th at Space, 354 5th Street in San Francisco.

See you there!!!

Upcoming Show: Paul "Da Plumber" Cesewski

2008-05-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

Paul Da Plumber (aka Paul Cesewski) is the current Artist In Residence at the San Francisco dump. As part of that residency, every artist who holds the 4 month position has a culminating show, and Paul's is on May 23rd and 24th. I've been to see the work in progress a couple times now, and I can tell you that this show is going to be a blast. Paul has long made some of my all-time favorite pedal powered works, and he definitely won't disappoint this time around. That's all I'm going to say, the rest will just have to be a surprise.

From his AiR artist statement:
"Fun is the universal language. Information is learned through visceral experience. Exploring ourselves through motion - we face our joys and excitement as well as our fears and hesitation. Physical memories hold lakeside property in our consciousness.

Much of my artwork consists of bicycle powered kinetic sculpture. Participants move themselves through space by pushing bicycle pedals. People powered machines engage us in active participation with the machines. The process of propulsion is in the hands of the participant. The participant can experiment with the machine and respond to stimulus directly. We experience the organic nature of propelling ourselves.

Playful interaction with the machines results in an individual experience for the participant. Personalities are often revealed when participants act and react. Machines with multiple riders counterbalance each other. The dynamic between participants further unfolds. The machines become personality amplifiers."

Show details:
Friday, May 23rd, 2008 - 5PM to 9PM
Saturday, May 24th, 2008 - 1PM to 5PM
503 Tunnel Ave, San Francisco, CA (click for map)
Friday evening's show will feature performance the bay area's own Crank Ensemble

More about Paul
More about the Artist In Residence program

Applied Kinetic Arts a hit at Maker Faire 2008

2008-05-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Nemo Gould's "Guzzler" - photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

The show I curated (or as Nemo Gould put it, "he's the glue that holds this all together") for Maker Faire 2008 was a big hit. The number of visitors to our space far exceeded our expectations, and it was a treat to host them all! We needed a name for our group, and Nemo came up with Applied Kinetic Arts, so that's what we were called. In fact it was so much fun I bought the domain! Click here for AKA, and soon there will be something more to see there.

The artists showing as part of the Applied Kinetic Arts show were (in alphabetical order):
Nemo Gould
Reuben Margolin
Christopher T Palmer
Carl Pisaturo
Alan Rorie

I stayed so busy (and over stimulated) that I think I may have taken all of 10 pictures all weekend, but many others were much handier with their cameras so we will be bringing you more pix, or at least links to pix, in the near future.

Alan Rorie's Dihemispheric Chronaether Agitator - photo by Bena Currin

MAKER FAIRE 2008!!!

2008-05-03T00:20:00.000-07:00

Fresh off our jaunt to Coachella 2008 we are off to Maker Faire 2008 in San Mateo, California. I have worked on putting together a group show of kinetic and mechanical works that we will be showing under the name "Applied Kinetic Arts" - Artists involved include Nemo Gould, Alan Rorie, Carl Pisaturo, Reuben Margolin, Jonathan Foote, and yours truly, CTP.

We are set up in the Expo Hall in space #207. If you are at the faire please come by and say hi. We will be uploading pictures of Maker Faire as often as we can this weekend.

Going to Coachella!!!

2008-04-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Photo by Zachwass2000

In fact leaving in a few minutes. What does a huge music festival in the desert have to do with KineticWorld you ask? Well, for a few years now the grounds at Coachella have included some very cool art, and this year is no exception. I will be helping setup the Steampunk Treehouse. For those of you who don't know, I helped design the lighting and electrical systems for the treehouse, and this year I invented some fireflies that will flit about blinking under the branches...about 30 of them in all. See you when I get back!!!

Steampunk Treehouse website
Steampunk Treehouse on Flickr
Coachella Music Festival

Pitagora Suicchi

2008-04-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Pitagora Suicchi - or Pythagora Switch - is a science show on NHK TV in Japan. Or was at one time...it's not completely clear to me yet. What is clear is that these videos are made up of clips, from the show, of small Rube Goldberg machines. I have to say that I can be pretty jaded about mechanisms once in a while (even though I love them all, really I do, but I've seen SO many) but quite a few of the elements in these clips literally made me gasp out loud they are so brilliant. So please click that play buttons and enjoy! (oh yea, the music made my brain hurt after about 10 seconds...that's just me, of course...but you have been duly warned)

Special thanks to Nemo Gould of Nemomatic.com for tipping us to this video!

Further Study:
NHK TV
Pythagora Switch

Meiwa Denki's Tsukuba Series

2008-04-07T23:49:00.001-07:00

And a Meiwa Denki interview

Super huge thanks to Nemo Gould from Nemomatic for bringing Meiwa Denki to our attention...I think he found it over at Autonomous Mutations
More from Maywa Denki here.

I think I want to be Meiwa Denki when I grow up.

Ira Sherman...Sculptor...Designer...

2008-03-31T22:44:00.000-07:00

excerpted from the site:
"Ira Sherman has been exploring the boundaries of metal fabrication and design since the early 1970s, both as a highly successful custom goldsmith and jeweler, and as an internationally recognized sculptor. His sculptural work uses materials and shapes from science and technology, yet “bio-engineered” to interact with the audience or viewer in a uniquely human way. Many of Sherman’s pieces are, in fact, “prostheses” created around a humorous social concept. These are worn on the body, and may be shockingly intimate. Many of Sherman’s sculptures have sensors that let them interact with the participant or the audience. Parts of his current traveling exhibitions, "Panaceas to Persistent Problems" and "Impenetrable Devices" have been displayed in exhibitions in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Israel and Japan; the Spertus Museum , the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art and the National Ornamental Metal Museum have recently acquired Sherman art work for their permanent collection."
- Charlie Lewis

Big thanks go out to KineticWorld reader Rob Nehring for bringing our attention to Ira's work.

Creative Kinetics...Brand New Book!!!

2008-03-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Rodney Frost has a brand new book out called Creative Kinetics. I just got it tonight and it is truly fantastic...no, STUPENDOUS! The 29 chapters include general construction methods, several types of mechanisms, loads of techniques, tons of very informative drawings and photos, and several cool projects for inspiration. 5 stars for sure...buy it now! (please)

Speaking of buying books, KineticWorld now has it's own aStore on Amazon. Don't go buying anything you wouldn't have already, but if you do plan to buy any books think of us, please. The books will cost you the same, but KineticWorld will get a little help to keep us up and running. Thanks in advance! (and I'll get a link up over in the sidebar as soon as I figure out how :-)

Ujino Muneteru makes some great noise...

2008-03-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Japanese artist Ujino Muneteru uses a wide array of old household appliances, as well as many other familiar objects, to produce some pretty cool sounds. PingMag has an article and interview up, written by Vicente Gutierrez.

Here's an excerpt,
"Not exactly your grandmother's living room, is it? Side stepping the equally playful and bizarre worlds of Chindogu, artistic inventor Ujino Muneteru spends his time developing phallic (and other) instruments called Rotators made of household appliances, tools or furniture and precisely arranges them into a neat bento of sounds. With a coming exhibition in Berlin, PingMag caught up with the noise boy to talk shop about all things analogue."

Special thanks to KineticWorld reader Anthony Disimone for sending us the heads-up!

Scopetris - Tetris on an oscilloscope

2008-03-11T09:25:00.001-07:00

Lars Pontoppidan created a Tetris game using a simple microcontroller for the program, and a standard oscilloscope for the screen, and called it Scopetris. For those of you who saw my post about the oscilloscope clock, and saw how excited I got - well this is even cooler. You see, an oscilloscope is a fairly boring piece of equipment, that sits around the shop waiting for something to do, and then when you use it it shows you waves (changes in voltage over time) and then you move on. It is a tool that was never designed to show an image of something other than those voltages over time. These projects change all that. No, this isn't some earth shattering advance in technology, it's simply hacking at its very finest.

A shout out to Rolf van Widenfelt for bringing this project to our attention.