Day 1: (Tue Jan 14, Week 1) Welcome and Introduction

Notes for 2025-01-14.

Please bookmark this site: https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/16-376

Please make a tape nametag before we begin.

Welcome to 16-376 Kinetic Fabrics!

• scope and style of the course

• IDeATe Soft Technologies, Physical Computing minors

• collaboration and reflection

• major objective: outdoor public performance using soft materials

• essential process: discovering new kinetic technique, refining, contextualizing

• mutual introductions, In-Class Exercise: Interview Game

• name tags and photos

Discussion

• Longer personal introduction.

• Main objective: exploration of experimental technique in kinetic fabric sculpture.

  • emphasis on exploratory technique

  • both passive actuation and human operation are in scope

• Essential learning goals:

  • playful research and discovery

  • collaboration

  • using simple textile techniques to craft things which move well

  • applying various actuation systems to fabric

  • reflection, documentation, and critique

• What the course is not:

  • fashion or costume

  • live stage performance

• Potential directions to explore

  • marionettes

  • hand-operated mechanisms

  • body-operated tendons

  • structured airflow (fans, wind)

  • illumination

  • tensegrity, fabric tension structures

  • kites

Inspiration

• Hans Haacke

• Daniel Wurtzel

• Thomas Jackson

• Tensegrity Structures

• Loie Fuller

• Casey Curran

• Jesus Rafael Soto

• Zimoun

• Ernesto Neto

• Janet Echelman

• Poetic Kinetics

• K-Studio

Administrative

• Course site: https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/16-376

  • Daily log pages (like this one): Daily Agenda Logbook

  • Canvas

  • KF-S25 Shared Drive

• revised Assessment and Grading

• Attendance and tardiness policies.

• Electronic device policies.

• Pandemic and Wellness.

• Physical Computing Lab

  • card access

  • Physical Computing Lab use and abuse

  • we are sharing the room with many other classes (see IDeATe PhysComp Lab Calendar)

• laser cutter qualification: see IDeATe Laser Cutters

• my Office Hours and Zoom information (i.e. meetings on request)

New Assignments

• New assignment, due by Tue Jan 21: Exercise: Precedent Research. Please submit your result as a Google doc or slideshow in the Exercise 1 Shared Folder prior to class.

• Please complete the KF Spring 2025 Student Questionnaire if you haven’t already. This should just take a few minutes.

• Please complete laser-cutter training if you have not already done so. As detailed on IDeATe Laser Cutters, there are several parts:

  • scheduled online course: BioRAFT Fire Extinguisher Training (please schedule immediately)

  • asynchronous online course: BioRAFT Laser Cutter Safety

  • more details on IDeATe Laser Cutter Guide

Breakout (time permitting)

Time permitting: short breakout session in different groups. Each should try to find several answers to the following questions:

• What kinds of creative practice are represented in the group?

• What physical, kinetic processes involving fabric would you be excited to try as an expressive medium?