Starting with my upcycle project, I made a steampunk aesthetic box out of old beer boxes and cans. My goal for this project was to create a dynamic piece that matched the steampunk aesthetic, using the most simple materials possible. I believe that despite clear challenges, I managed to hit the intended aesthetic, as well as creating semi functional gears out of old cans. At one point I had the gears working smoothly, and then when I ran down my stairs to show my roommate I tripped and fell directly on my box, destroying all of my progress and forcing me to start over. I overcame this hiccup well but could not get the gears working as smoothly again. In order to match the steampunk aesthetic, I cut small pieces of can and attached them to the outside of the box over top of covering made from other boxes. This method helped me attain the steampunk aesthetic well. I also cut out a character from a Voodoo Ranger box and put him in the foreground of my piece, and put him on his own can that could rotate. There was also a few other elements included on the inside that helped me match my aesthetic. Below are links to my upcycle posts as well as a few pictures of my final result.
https://www.aesdes.org/2024/02/21/punk-box/
https://www.aesdes.org/2024/02/14/opposite-upcycle-aesthetic-steampunk/
https://www.aesdes.org/2024/02/07/upcycle-progress-jason-allshouse/
https://www.aesdes.org/2024/01/31/upcycling-project-steampunk-aesthetic/
For my main project, I strayed away from my upcycle project aesthetic and wanted to aim for something more modern and tech based. I chose my aesthetic to be abstract tech. My goal was to hit this aesthetic by creating an infinity mirror which changes the perception of the viewer when one looks into the mirror. My goal was to 3D print a frame for my mirrors, laser cut acrylic, and use an LED strip in the middle. This took many different CAD model revisions in order to fit the requirements of 3D printing. I think I ran into every possible problem while 3D printing my base. But on the bright side, I learned how to 3D print after taking a workshop, and actually became pretty proficient in it by the end of the project. I also learned how to laser cut. Another big challenge for me was putting 2-way film on my acrylic sheet. I am going to redo this before expo and will hopefully be able to present a more clear image if all goes well. I only have enough film for one more attempt, so I will be embarrassed if it does not go well. My plan is to display this at expo in a box, to stop light from interfering with the image inside. Besides that, I am very proud that I was able to not only hit the abstract tech aesthetic, but create a cool dynamic desk ornament that will last for a long time. I think that I am going to give the mirror to my mom. Below are a few photos of the project as well as links to my previous posts! If you read through them, you can see all of the different ideas I had in the beginning compared to my much more simplified final result.
https://www.aesdes.org/2024/03/06/main-project-abstract-tech/
https://www.aesdes.org/2024/03/11/design-preview-infinity-portal/
https://www.aesdes.org/2024/04/01/infinity-mirror-specifications-and-constraints/
https://www.aesdes.org/2024/04/09/infinity-mirror-progress/
https://www.aesdes.org/2024/04/24/infinity-mirror-abstract-tech-aesthetic/
I’m proud of all of the work that I put in this semester for this class and others. I learned a great deal about not only engineering but designing to fit aesthetics as well. Below are some photos of my senior design project, which was aimed to hit the aesthetic of the inside of a private jet! Thank you to all of my teammates as well as others that helped me design and execute projects all year long!
