As of this week I have not made much progress. A large set back is materials collection. I was hoping to get a good amount of hardware for this project from my IT job, but we haven’t discarded much. A lot of the things we discard on a daily basis doesn’t work for my project so its been a struggle. I was able to get an old Chromebook that is no longer supported, a broken fan from a laptop I switched out, an old receipt printer, and a bowl of screws from discarded devices. I am also no longer 3D printing the case for this project. Instead I am going to use some chip board that I have from previous projects. Although these aren’t the ideal pieces of hardware I was looking for, I do have a few ideas on how to use them.
The first thing I did with this hardware was measure their dimensions to see what I was working with. I did a simple sketch of everything I was going to use and included the dimensions for them. This helped me know what I had and how I could use them.
I decided to open up the reciept printer and see what stuff was inside. I decided I wanted to use the screen even if it didn’t work. I will also split up the keys into different sections and incorporate them throughout the artifact. The printer also had three switches that I will use throughout. For the Chromebook; I am planning to remove all the hardware from the case and keep it working. I want to use it as a display and have a sci-fi tech screen playing.
I sketched different views of the artifact to get a good idea of what its going to look like. This was a challenging process as I was coming up with the basic layout as I sketched. Once I had The front view the others were relatively easy to do.
Since I switched to the chip board the instead of 3D printing, it is going to be difficult to achieve the texture I want. I wanted a smother metal like texture. The chip board doesn’t really fit this. I am still not sure what I will do to achieve a smother texture. Overall, My progress has been slow paced since, I didn’t do much because of the lack of materials. I am hoping to make good progress throughout the week and complete the artifact.
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Hi Alexis. I love your idea, and am super excited to see how it comes together. The concept of creating something that is cyberpunk but through upcycled materials seems incredibly antithetical, but I love your drawings and the idea seems fantastic, I can’t wit to see the end result!
Hi Alexis
Great job on creatively repurposing materials like the Chromebook and receipt printer! Your detailed planning and adaptability are truly impressive. Have you thought about experimenting with finishes to achieve the metal-like texture on chipboard? Also, I’m curious about how the non-functional screen will be integrated into your design. Your approach to recycling materials is not only innovative but also environmentally conscious. Keep up the fantastic work, and I can’t wait to see your project’s final form!