Student Work

Introduction Bold, elegant, simple, and retro. These are the first impressions I’m aiming for in my home built nixie clock. I’ve been obsessed with this archaic-yet-elegant technology for over a year now, and this project is my chance to finally dig in. My goal is to blend two polar opposite aesthetics- Cold War era “outdated”…

Introduction   For this project I am planning of building a bladeless fan. You may have seen fans like the one featured above. dyson is a company that makes many unique products. I like the smooth curves in conjunction with simply geometries that give their products a modern aesthetic. For my project I will attempt…

Inspiration (from previous blog post): For my final project, I want to create a dynamic sculptural-like device that allows a user to interact with music in a new way. My initial inspiration for this project came from the original implementation of frequency spectrum audio visualizers. These visualizers break the audio spectrum in to discrete chunks,…

Introduction: I have been inspired by the Sand Pictures frames for my final Project. Some call these frames as dynamic/moving sand or magic frames, they really are. As I introduced that I first saw the frame in the Denver Art Museum’s shop and that it was the art piece that resonated in my mind the…

As I begin to finalize my design for the final project, the excitement is building. On first impression I hope for people to want to understand how such intricate relationships between parts work together to generate a seemingly simple operation, a spinning shaft. I have been designing my engine in a way to show off…

I have chosen to create an alcohol stove following a modern and minimalist camping aesthetic. Since I was a little kid I’ve been intrigued by the designs of minimalist camping gear such as stoves, pots and pans, silverware, and multitools. This summer my buddy and I made some crude alcohol stoves from aluminum cans and…

For my project I want to make something that I recently found out is called a useless box. What it is is a box that has a switch on top of it. When this switch is flipped a “creature” will flip the switch off and go back to hiding in the box. I’m sure that…

I want my final piece to be weird, unusual yet attractive and beautiful. I also would love for my project to expresses me to some extent as a women and engineer who has appreciation for aesthetics. In order for that to happen I want to create a simple walking mechanism and be able to amplify…

PDR Presentation Video: https://youtu.be/4gHbGJgX8D8   What will it say upon a first impression? It will be obvious that it is a longboard upon first impression.   What will it do? It will roll with humans on top.  It should be strong, yet flexible for versatile turns and sliding.   How do these add up to aesthetic…

So my final project depends on a craigslist purchase in the works currently. In my inspiration post I talked about two ideas for my final project: a dynamic dart board and a cafe racer. After some further research I was able to find an affordable running bike within my budget that I can convert into…

When people see the outcome of this project there are a few things I want to come to mind: Rock and Roll Road worn Mismatched/accidental My intent is to make something that looks like it was put together in somebody’s garage or basement.  It should be clearly a labor of love, something made out of…

Introduction For my final project I am going to make the bicycle Hemingway would zip around with on his way from one post-apocalyptic Parisian cafe to another. It is currently dubbed the “SlickCycle.” A primary inspiration for my work is the feel and aesthetic of a punching fist, specifically Joe Lewis’s in the iconic Detroit art piece…

Introduction For my main project, I intend to design and build an “electric hourglass”. The initial concept was to construct a custom wood stand and hourglass section in which a lighting display would imitate the movement of sand. However, this challenge seemed beyond the capability of the lighting options I found online. It was not…

When seeing this Lazy Susan Kitchen Device (LSKD), the user will think: “that is so convenient!” They will also think that this is an exceptionally useful and space saving Lazy Susan. The LSKD will act a rotating paper towel, spice, and kitchen utensil holder. It has four components: a base plate, a bearing, a frame/outer…

Inspiration (Taken from previous post) For my final project I knew that I wanted to do something with arrows. I learned how to shoot a bow with my grandfather when I was a child, and since then archery has become a favorite pastime of mine. For the upcycling project I considered using some old broken…

For my final project I have chosen to construct a wind turbine that I can actually use at my home.  I came up with this idea from another one of my classes, where my group is creating a business plan for a hypothetical hydro turbine company.  After doing plenty of research on small turbines, I…

Neo’s Parasol As An Umbrella Note: Most of this is from my previous post as I already planned out my report as of last week! The inspiration behind this idea is that I am planning on making this character’s entire outfit anyways for NDK.  As background, this character is from the show RWBY and her…

After considering several possible ideas for dynamic, fully 3D-printed toys, including things like transformers figurines and twisty puzzles, I have settled on creating a mechanical buffalo crank toy. The buffalo will have moving legs, at minimum, that will be actuated by a crank to make it appear to be running. I will ultimately create a printable kit with…

First Impressions Upon a first impression, it should strike the viewer as an object that is futuristic and robotic, but there should also be a feeling of being old and outdated at the same time. If such a thing exists, the design should convey a world where heavy machinery has become automated and robotic. When someone…

For my project, I’ll be designing a MIDI drum pad.  MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is just a standard of connectors, digital interfaces, and protocols that allow musical instruments to communicate with one another and computers.  My midi drum pad will be able to sense when a drum head is being hit, and transmit that…

Upon first impression, the Immersion Wheel will seem rather mundane, because at rest it will not be very dynamic. The main component made of perforated steel may appear more like a tool for sifting rocks rather than to provide visual stimulation. The wheel itself will be nestled vertically on a sleek base, triggering curiosity and…

As I said in my design inspiration post, I plan on building a swing bike. A swing bike is a bike with an extra pivot on the seat tube, which allows the front and rear wheels to steer independently of each other thus opening up a dimension of agility and fun that normal bicycles can’t…

Introduction For my project, I’ve decided to do what I call, a Sunrise/Sunset Backlit Panorama. Upon first impression, the piece would simply look like a static piece of backlit wall art, but over time, the lighting would change to mimic the lighting outside. The most drastic changes would occur during sunrise and sunset. I really…

The vision that I have for my main project is to design glass writing boards for the hallways in the dorm that I live on campus – Andrews Hall. This hall has been my home since I started my first year at CU, and the community there has allowed me to become better and feel…

  I have slightly changed my design idea from a mobile to a fiber optic chandelier. My inspiration for this project is the many memories I have growing up, star gazing with my Dad in the backyard. Star gazing is something I have always enjoyed, as it puts things into perspective, reminding me how small…

For my main project, I would like to build a mechanical clock that functions primarily as an aesthetic expression and secondarily as a time-telling device. Originally, mechanical clocks functioned as an important tool to measure time. However, due to the proliferation of inexpensive quartz clocks, computers and cellphones mechanical clocks are too inaccurate (+/- 15…

For my final project, I would like to design and build a mechanical clock, or a similar mechanism. Although many clocks have been built before, I think I can apply a unique aesthetic to make the project my own. From a purely utilitarian perspective a clock has been done before, but it if you look…

I got the idea for my project from a few of pre-existing products that are a bit outside of my price-range: namely, the Korg Wavedrum,  Roland HandSonic, and Nord Pad.  Each of these are electronic drum pads used for music production/performance.  The price is mainly the result of internal sound-engines (much like a synthesizer) which provide…

Mandala Sacred Geometry Home The inspiration for my main project is sacred geometry. While working with perforated sheet metal, I noticed that two sheets with the same hole pattern creates interesting patterns when rotating in relation to each other. The resulting pattern is an array of dynamically changing hexagons. Feature image credit: http://fractalenlightenment.com/12086/artwork/unveiling-the-mystics-of-sacred-geometry

For my main project, I have been wanting to do a very intricate woodworking project for a while. I have been contemplating making a locket of a dark hardwood. The inspiration for this locket came from The Illusionist. In this movie, there is a secret pennant that the main character gives his childhood sweetheart. In the…

I am still unclear on exactly what I want to do, but I have a few ideas. I am still looking for a great aesthetic to fit my project so any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have good ideas for modes of function, but I still need to determine the actual function for the…