I made a robotic toy scorpion in 2008. Here’s a video about it! Originally posted on MAKE.
I made this scorpion toy with a Twitchie Robot Kit. I’m really afraid of scorpions where I live in Arizona, so I thought a friendly toy would help me get used to them. I made his plush body from some fabric I had around, aiming to make him look like an Arizona bark scorpion, which are tan/yellowish/translucent.
Music is “At the Crack of Noon” by Shuutobi
In Stitches is a video sculpture. The viewer gazes into a knitted television cover to see and hear the video, which is of a knitted tube in progress. The effect is eerily gastrointestinal. A gentle clicking of knitting needles can be heard. Watch above for the video that plays on screen.
If you like this project, try these others!
My friend Sarah Hatton and I have pieces in a show of entirely self-illuminated artworks, called Lighthouse, opening Saturday evening at the Alwun House in downtown Phoenix.
Lighthouse @ the Alwun House
Saturday, November 8, 7pm
1204 E. Roosevelt St.
Phoenix, Arizona
I have two plushies in the Plush You! show at Double Punch Gallery in San Fransicso opening this evening!
I sent the above squid and one of my steaks, battery powered.
Plush You SF
November 7 – 30
double punch
1821 Powell Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
At Maker Faire Austin, Jimmie Rogers gave me one of his Open Hearts to work into a portable brooch. I used a LilyPad Arduino board and sandwiched the two back to back, using two layers of fabric to insulate the circuit boards. I used conductive thread to make the connections, and I dangled the board sandwich from the LilyPad power supply, to which I attached a safety pin for making it a brooch. Because of the way I made it, I have access to the programming pins on the Arduino so I can change the animations any time I want.
I made an instructable about how I put it together. You can also view my flickr set. Thanks Jimmie!
Here’s a video of it in action:
Ski Mask for Eating a Sandwich
I’m at the Participatory Design Conference in Bloomington, Indiana for a few days, presenting my participatory art project, Body Technology Interfaces. I knitted a bunch of components (sleeves, rectangles, tubes, etc.) and people can come and make their own BTIs to take home. Here’s the description:
“Our interactions with personal electronic devices provoke a broad range of emotions from frustration to confusion to feverish obsession. Increasingly, these devices dominate our everyday work activities, our behavior in public space, and our personal communications. Becky will conduct interviews to help create custom-knitted coverings for participants’ personal electronic devices. The installation aims to bring critical awareness and consideration to the complex relationship between people and technological artifacts. Each BTI will reflect salient interaction behaviors between the participant and their chosen device, as well as provoke thought in observers.
You’re invited to participate in creating your own Body Technology Interface using the knitted components provided in the installation. After working with Becky on a design and sketch, a kit of parts will be assembled for the execution of your design. You may choose to sit and work on your creation at the table workspace, take your kit with you to assemble during other sessions, or leave it with Becky to assemble and pick it up later. Photos and thoughts will be documented on the project website.”
Stay tuned for pictures of new BTIs created at the conference.
Whenever I bring my TV-B-Gone out to restaurants, I always look real suspicious holding it up and pointing it around, so I’ve been looking for a more subtle and dinner-appropriate solution. I got zippered hoodie sweatshirt from the thrift store which had a convenient logo on the upper left front, complete with rhinestones! I thought the IR LEDs would blend in quite nicely, so I stitched it into the sweatshirt. The batteries are in the pocket. I broke out the pushbutton leads and used conductive thread to sew paths to the edge of the zipper, which has a metal pull. I made two little pads with the thread that are bridged by the zipper pull when it passes by, so all I have to do is zip the sweatshirt up or down to activate the TV turning-off action. Works great! I made an instructable for this project so you can see how to make your own. You can also view the full set on Flickr.
You can buy my LED sewing kit (whose parts can be used to make one).
I took basic knobs and felted around them with wool roving (in the washing machine and by hand), then detailed them with embroidery floss. Custom orders welcome!
King Kamehameha
The Professor
Berry Pie
Rosebud
Ziggy Starknob
Peaches and Cream
CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) images are used to thwart internet bots from creating accounts or posting spam. I collect particularly attractive CAPTCHA images, then recreate them in acrylic. If you have a favorite CAPTCHA, you can commission is as a painting through my Etsy Shop.
asius
YFHWR
qGphJD
FW1K9
draddl
