Projects from the Hack Arts Lab, University of Chicago

Smart Lamps for Energy Engineers

The Energy Engineers Pilot Program at Dunne Technology Academy, a program of RDCEP and the Computation Institute (one of HAL’s main sponsors) recently wrapped up. Students were tasked with building and programming the desk lamps’ Raspberry Pi controllers, which permitted the lights to respond to data streams. This project grew out of earlier CI work…

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Woodcut Printmaking Using the Laser

Here is another group project for Professor Jason Salavon’s class, Data and Algorithm in Art (ARTV 22502). Students Edouard Bordeau Brooks, Kyle McCornack, and Annie Asai teamed up to create a serial progression of laser-etched geometric designs in plywood. These designs were then printed onto paper using a traditional woodcut process. Lastly, the resulting images…

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Arduino-based Sound Installation

For professor Jason Salavon’s DoVA course Data and Algorithm in Art (ARTV 22502), students Gabrielle Bernard, Anthony Crespo, and Jonathan Kyl teamed up to create an arduino-based sound project. The interactive sound installation uses an arduino, laser, and optical sensor to trigger audio clips in response to audience movements. Here is a video of the…

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Model Printing Press

This project, by Uchicago undergrads Evan Mayer and Andrew Jaffe, was a class assignment for HIPS 17400: Science, Culture, and Society with professor Adrian Johns. Evan says: “Andrew Jaffe did all of the 3D modeling except for the movable type (by me). His design is based on a combination of a few types of 17th…

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