hallucination Visor - soldering & mind hacking workshop

Modify welding goggles to project diffuse flickering colors. Hit resonant frequencies of visual cortex and observe complex unstable spatiotemporal patterns. Hack your brain.

• Custom printed circuit board
• Preprogrammed micro-controller : 100+ color light patterns, shuffle, browse, or play in sequence
• Passive components, batteries, switches and LEDs
• Laser cut light diffuser panels with custom quasi-crystal artwork
• Everything you need ( additional materials such a as soldering and glue will be provided )

• Flicker induced geometric visual hallucinations
• Ganzfeld hallucinations
• Other neurological illusions and demonstrations

The hallucination visor displays immersive flickering lights. While completely safe for most people, individuals that suffer from photosensitive epilepsy or flicker induced vertigo should not use this device. The visor is not designed for individuals with a lazy eye or other ophthalmological conditions that interfere with convergence and depth perception.

Ready to hack your mind?

This Wednesday, December 14th from 7- 10 PM at the AS220 Labs (on Lucie Way next to the AS220 Printshop), Labs Keymember, Jenine Bressner will be hosting a screening of Handmade Nation, Faythe Levine's documentary about contemporary DIY craft in the U.S. Locals also featured in this film are The Dirt Palace, and Deb Dormody of general awesomeness (If'n Books and Marks and Craftland.)

The movie is one hour long and will be preceded by a slideshow about FAB7, the fascinating international digital fabrication conference that took place this past August in Peru. The screening will be followed by a conversation about the importance of DIY, and how Fab Labs are facilitating that all over the world!

Last night marked the first workshop of "Build Your Own Audio Amplifier" at the AS220 Labs, an introductory soldering and construction class based around Elliot Clapp's Dirtbomb Amp Design. The workshop provides students with a kit, complete with a circuit board, components, and an enclosure - all of which are assembled by the students.

The kit was entirely design and developed by Labs Keymember, Elliot Clapp. Using both the Milling Machine to prototype the electronics and the Laser Cutter to design the acrylic enclosure. The kit will be developed more and available for sale soon on our online store, and of course there will be more workshop offerings based around the kit, so stay tuned

What can you do with it?

• Use it as a mini-amplifier (2 Watts) for practicing at home or on the go
• Use it as a pre-amplifier and plug it into a speaker cabinet
• Use it in-between your instrument and amplifier, it's also an overdrive pedal!

Check out more photos from the workshop...

Listen up fellow makers, fabricators, and those who like to work with their hands! We got some exciting new hands-on courses at the labs coming up, check them out below.

Laser Cut Textiles

Learn how to lasercut textiles and make your own Halloween costume while you're at it! This machine enables entirely new possibilities from easily cutting pattern pieces (within 1' x 2' dimensions) to creating new textures, functional decorations, dimensional objects, and even etching images or text onto fabric! This class will also include sewing tutorials for lasercut textile applications. Different techniques will be demonstrated and experimenting will be encouraged!

Part I - October 29th, 1-6PM
Part II - October 30th, 1-6PM
Instructor - Jenine Bressner

Sign up at our online store

Soft Circuits

Soft Circuits I - This workshop is an introduction to soft circuits, including tips on working with conductive thread and guidance on sewing connections between a light and a battery. You will experiment with conductive everyday objects, like metal beads, to make a flickering felt brooch.

Soft Circuits II - This workshop builds upon the skills learned in the Soft Circuits I workshop, but can be taken without any previous experience. In this workshop you will learn how to add multiple lights to a circuit while creating an illuminated bracelet (or cuff) that shines only when worn.

Soft Circuits I - November 5th, 1-4PM
Soft Circuits II - November 12th, 1-4PM
Instructor - Anna Kaziunas France

Sign up at our online store

For questions regarding class schedules and enrollment, contact james@as220.org

Fellow makers of all things noisy, lend me your ears!

This month, we got a special workshop going on at the labs. Traveling circuit bending rock band, CMKT 4 will be stopping by the labs to host a "Build a Contact Microphone" workshop on Thursday, September 22nd. Contact microphones are awesome for noise making and experimenting. Just check out some cool projects here - Get LoFi. You can record sound traveling through any material (metal, wood, your body...starting to get awesome ideas?).

What can you do with a contact mic? Put it into a glass of water in the freezer and record the sound of water freezing or unfreezing. it sounds really cool! Slap it on a banjo or any acoustic instrument and electrify it!

Build a Contact Microphone Workshop

Join the members of the circuit-bent rock band CMKT4 for a workshop on building your very own EconoMIC Bottle Cap Contact Microphone (from Creme DeMentia).  CMKT4 will show you how to solder up a piezo-electric pickup and house it sturdily in a recycled bottle-cap housing of their own design! Stick around for a set from the band as the tool-handle dip on your freshly built contact microphone dries. Additional take-home kits and other surprises will be available, come build a mic and see and hear some of the circuit-bent instruments you've read about on www.GetLofi.com  up close.  Bring your own instruments and objects to amplify!

The workshop is going to be held on Thursday, September 22nd from 7-10PM at the AS220 Labs. Students pay $20 to partake in the class, this includes materials to build 1 contact mic, and additional kits are available for $10 each. Pre assembled kits will also be on sale for students to purchase.

*To enroll in the course, go here - online store. *

Ready to make some noise? You're neighbors will love you.

Last week I went up to Haystack Mountain School of Craft to train and work in their Fab Lab. Haystack is an international craft school located in Deer Isle, Maine - a beautiful area of Maine. They offer workshops in traditional crafts - blacksmiting, woodworking, pottery, metalsmithing, jewelry making, painting, and other very cool crafts! They also happen to have a brand new fab lab (see the photo below). And as AS220 is part of the Fab Lab network, Haystack reached out to our lab and asked for support this summer.

I went up to Haystack on a mission to learn how to use the ShopBot - a 4'x8' CNC Router (seen in the photo below) that can cut wood, plastic, and aluminum materials very precisely and automatically. It is the missing ingredient in our AS220 Fab Lab, and we are anxious to get our hands on it as the months go by without having one. Going up to Haystack was my opportunity to use and learn the machine in a similar environment to AS220, and I took full advantage of it.

I was partnered up with ShopBot Guru & MIT Brainiac, Nadya Peek - check her work out here. She showed me everything I needed to know to safely and successfully operate the machine. Together we consulted with Haystack Artists and Staff on their projects and helped them make things - a whole week of making things for artists! It was an amazing learning experience.The photo below is of Nadya and Stuart Kestenbaum, the Director of Haystack.

During my time there in the fab lab, I made a wide range of things for both artists and myself. The best way to learn a machine is just to use it as much as possible, so I just kept making stuff. I started out with simple furniture designs and then got into some sign making. Although I am no furniture designer, I was able to make a pretty functional stool and chair. Once you have the basic operating procedures down, it is a fairly simple machine to use, because it does all the work for you!

As for the artists, the fab lab was an absolute hit. Most people accepted the modern digital fabrication tools as just another tool in their shop. It allowed them to experiment and learn more about their own craft too. Once we put them behind the wheel of the machine, it was all over for them. We helped artists make bats for throwing clay, dies for jewelry making, stencils for decorating, precision cut finger joints, laser-cut felt shapes, and woodblocks for printing. We even had an artist mold and cast a dinosaur army!

Besides training on the shop bot, I was also learning how a different fab lab operates and interacts with an artist community. There was a lot of similarities to AS220, which allowed me to take away a lot from the experience and bring some new ideas back to labs. Two other key members from the labs, Anna Kaziunas France and Elliot Clapp, will be heading up there to train on the ShopBot later this summer. Aside from that, the lab is still looking and working hard to acquire one of these machines. So if you know of someone with an extra ShopBot lying around, send them our way!

Stayed tuned! I am going to be making video tutorials on the ShopBot and posting them online. Also, check out the slideshow below for the full Haystack experience.

Looking to be crafty and creative this summer? We have some brand new classes ( like sound synthesis and creative programming! ) at the labs. Come on and down, take a course and get trained to use our equipment or learn how to make something cool! Click on the classes below for a full description and sign up info.

June

Graphic Design Tools: Inkscape $50
Tuesday, June 14th 7-10PM

Make a Pinhole Camera with the Laser Cutter $75
Wednesday, June 8th 7-10PM and Saturday, June 11th, 12-4PM

Sign and Sticker Making with Vinyl Cutter $50
Saturday, June 4th 12-4PM

Introduction to Laser Cutting $70
Wednesday, June 15th 7-10PM

Make and Break
First Tuesday of every month!

July

Introduction to Audio Engineering: Two Weeks $75
Saturdays, July 23rd and 30th 12-4PM

Sound Synthesis with Pure Data $40
Tuesday, July 19th and Thursday, July 21st 7-10PM

Laser Cut Press Fit Design $50
Wednesday, July 20th 7-10PM

Sign and Sticker Making with the Vinyl Cutter $50
Tuesday, July 12th 7-10PM

Introduction to Laser Cutting $70
Wednesday, July 27th 7-10PM

Make and Break
First Tuesday of every month!

August

Creative Electronics with Arduino: 3 Weeks $125
Thursdays, August 4th, 11th, 18th 7-10PM

Creative Programming Weekend $50
Saturday, August 6th and Sunday, August 7th 12-4PM

Electronics for Artists: 3 Weeks $125
Wednesdays, August 10th, 17th, 24th 7-10PM

Laser Cutter Intensive: 2 Weeks $90
Tuesday, August 23rd and Thursday, August 25th 7-10PM

Make and Break
First Tuesday of every month!

Ever partied with a laser before? Well get ready Providence! This very evening at 7pm join us for the first ever Fab Social at the NEW AS220 Labs at the Mercantile!


WHAT: AS220 Labs Grand Opening Parrrrrtttyyyyyy featuring Math the Band!
WHERE: AS220 Labs at the Mercantile-off Mathewson Street, around the corner from the AS220 Project Space Gallery.
WHEN: Friday, January 7th, 7-10pm (TONIGHT)


See live demos of our awesome rapid prototyping and fabrication tools, meet our keymembers and swap sweet hacks with local nerds and makers! Enjoy tasty treats from AS220 Foo(d), plus Narragansett beer and cupcakes!


Can't wait to see you all here! It's party time FabLab style!

Next thursday night, the labs will be hosting a "salvage night". This is a night when anyone from the community can come and go through our junk pile and pick out anything they want. It's completely free, and snacks and refreshments will be provided too. You can come hang out and reminisce over old hardware, or just take things apart for no apparent reason. We will provide some tools for salvaging - screwdrivers, pliers, soldering irons, etc. Come on down and check out what we got!

Here is just a couple of the things you'll find lying in the junk pile:
- old computer parts
- computer chassis
- printers
- scanners
- wire and cables
- and other weird things

When: Thursday, October 21st 7:00-10:00PM
Where: AS220 Labs (2nd Floor, 115 Empire Street)
Why: Because we're moving and we have lots of junk!

For additional information, contact james@as220.org

The labs is offering a series of introductory courses this October. To sign up, just click on the name of the class below.

Introduction to the Laser Cutter
Saturday, October 9th, 1-4pm
Learn how to use this tool to cut or etch wood, plastics, papers or textiles! From 1pm to 4pm we will cover the basics of using the laser cutter safely, techniques for working with different materials, and the software tools for preparing work for the cutter. This is a hands-on workshop; bring a project if you like!

Electronics for Artists 101: Two Weeks
Wednesdays, October 13th and 20th, 7pm-10pm
Have you ever wanted to learned some basic electronics to add to your art? Do you want blinky things? Monster switches? Retro red digital numbers? This is the first of a series of classes designed to teach the basics of electronics to those interested mostly in the practical with just a little bit of the theoretical. EA101 will introduce students to basic electronic components, how to design and prototype simple circuits, and where to go from there.

Open Kit Build Night
Tuesday, October 26th, 7pm-10pm
Buy a cool kit and come build it in our labs! We'll provide the tools and the space. Choose from a dazzling variety of the following kits! TV-b-Gone Minty Boost bring your own container & 9v battery That's right! For the mere cost of parts, you'll walk out of our lab with a blinking, singing, tv-annihilating toy you made yourself!

Maker Faire came to Rhode Island this saturday, and filled downtown providence with all sorts of creative makers and hackers. Maker Faire is a family friendly festival to celebrate makers, creators, engineers, artists, science, technology, and all things related. The festival featured hands on building workshops, beer brewing, creative innovations, robots, and lots of maker bots.

I was there on behalf of the AS220 labs, accompanied by AS220 Cottage Industries Coordinator, Krystal Grow, and celebrity hacker, Jimmie Rodgers. Our station featured soldering workshops, where people came to assemble various electronics kits. TV-B-Gone, Mintyboost, Open Heart, Atari Punk Console, and Drawdio were among some of the kits available to the public.

There were quite a few makerbots hanging out on saturday. The one below is a makerbot that maker, Forest Crossman, assembled.

John Sarik displayed his Nixie Sudoku, which used 81 retro Nixie Tubes to create a electronic sudoku game that people can use and solve. Really cool!

Check out a complete list of all the makers that attended - here.

A huge thanks to Kipp Bradford and Brain Jepson, and all the Maker Faire crew that helped put of the festivities. It was a very exciting and interesting day.

This is what our June Artist-in-Residence Jimmie Rodgers showed me how to do last week:

It's an Atari Punk Console Noise Dolly! The Potentiometers are in her arms! When Jimmie told me he could turn toys into electronic instruments, my first thought was "Creepy Doll Orchestra." Now I'm one doll closer to realizing my vision. This weekend, I'm going to LASERCUT a little stage for them to play on.
It's Magic! And you can learn it too! This week and next, Jimmie will be hosting a series of workshops for you to learn how to turn your own toys into wonderful oddities.
Did you notice that we also have kits back in stock! You betcha! TV-b-Gone! MintyBoost! Open Heart! Buy a kit then drop by and learn from the master himself. Jimmie is only here for another week and a half! Don't miss out on the magic. Sign up NOW!!

That's right, it is officially GO TIME in the AS220 Labs. So many classes, so many weird and wonderful things for you to learn and see and make....like this:



It's the Open Heart by our Hacker-in-Residence Jimmie P. Rodgers.

For the entire month, Jimmie will be here to show us what he knows, and, to be corrupted by our all powerful and irresistible laser cutter. Look what he made on his first try:



In a few short weeks, Jimmie will be hosting some awesome workshops, like this:

Circuit Bend the Easy Button Tuesday, June 22 7-10pm.

Buy a Kit, Build a Kit Wednesday, June 23 7-10pm.

Atari Punk Console Kit Build Thursday, June 24 7-10pm.

Circuit Bending II Tuesday, June 29 7-10pm.

Buy a Kit Build a Kit Vol.2 Wednesday, June 30 7-10pm.

Or, just stop by any weeknight between 7 and 10 to say hello, hack some stuff and hang out. We'll be here, making stuff like this:

Atari Punk Console:

And talking about Jimmie's hacker space Artisan's Asylum opening June 18 in Union Square in Sommerville!

Resistance is Futile....resistors are plentiful. Get it while the gettin is good!

Greetings from the hacker capital of Rhode Island-It's* QuahogCon*! We've been talking with makers, hackers, thinkers and tinkerers from across the country about how cool it is to be a total nerd.
There's robots and LED's and brain machines and lock pickers and laser cutter goodies all over the place! It's pure magic!
Our comrade John Duksta, fearless leader of DC401 put this whole shindig together and we couldn't be happier to be here!

Students from the FabAcademy are impressing the masses with their gadgets

the Fluxamascanner 3D scanner
Chording Keyboard prototype
Motion sensored skulls with LED eyes
3d casts of moon craters and Pure Data Frequency Modulators
and cute laser cut keychains that amazingly double as bottle openers!!

It's all fun and games here friends! And don't forget about our May classes:

Intro to the Laser cutter
Basic Electronics for Artists
Laser Eastern Woodblock Printing
Hop to it Hackers!! We'll be waiting!

Listen up geeks: you do not want to miss what's goin' down in the labs this Spring. We have new classes and old classics seeking open minds and able hands to help us hack and hot wire our way out of winter. Behold-It's Springtime in the FabLab!

MARCH
13: Intro to the Laser Cutter 10am-1pm $65
18&25: Electronics for Artists 7-10pm $100(includes parts)
20&27: Lasercut a Pinhole Camera 1-4pm $55

APRIL
3: Intro to the Laser Cutter 10am-1pm $65
22: Programming Workshop 7-10pm FREE

MAY
1: Intro to the Laser Cutter 10am-1pm $65
5,9&12: Laser Cut Japanese Woodblock Printing $125
6,13,20&27: Introductory Arduino 7-9pm $200 (includes parts)

Sounds like fun, don't it! Visit our online store for detailed class descriptions and to reserve your spot!
Questions? Comments? Suggestions for super slick hacker savy classes?
e-mail krystal@as220.org

That's right folks, lasercutting is back with a vengance in the AS220 Labs. We're slicing and dicing our way through the dark days of winter, and this is your chance to get in on the fun! Didn't get a spot in this Saturday's sold-out class? Not to fear friends of the lasercutter, there's another class this Monday with 3 spots open!! Can't make it then? Then sign up for Broken Hearts Lasercutting on Saturday Feb.13th or almost-but-not-quite Leap Year Lasercutter on Feb. 27th and get your piece of laser glory. Come on, you know you wanna! Visit the online store to sign up!

Fabrication and Folk Technology in downtown Providence.

AS220 Labs is proposing to expand the scope of the lab from software and electronics instruction to include the personal fabrication and machining technologies of a Fab Lab.

AS220 Labs is located on the 2nd floor of our Empire Street Complex. We plan to double the size of the existing lab to incorporate the Fab Lab tools and workshop space. We are currently seeking financial support to build the Fab Lab and sustain it during the startup phase.

The mission of the AS220 Fab Lab is to provide access to tools and training (to young people 14-21, especially) and to act as the home base and foundation for AS220's technical support functions. Our goal is to increase our non-financial resource-building capacity by hooking into the growing Fab Lab network of makers. We are interested in freeing the means of fabrication from wasteful, inequitable industrial processes and promulgating the idea of "folk technology" as an alternative to corporate consumer technology.

AS220 has acquired and is beginning to develop a third building on Washington Street in downtown Providence. Our longer term plan is to incorporate the Fab Lab program in the new building.

AS220 is actively working on developing the Fab Lab, which will open this Fall. We're in the midst of fundraising and grantwriting, but we realize that there might be surplus equipment or resources out there that could be put to use in the community lab. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to look over this list and see if there is something that you, your employer, academic institution, etc. may want to contribute to the effort.