(photo: Nathalie Aubret)

Pixelache SummerSchool’08 took place August 7th-9th in our Kimito-Dojo. Ten creative minds played two day and nights with solar panels, analog electronics and hacked toys. The rainy days prevented the planned garden soldering but we rewarded ourselves with an assault to local flea market and among it’s goodies. The result: avant gardened singing horticulture, solar powered dinosaur, lullaby-toy on acid among others. Thank you very much Nathalie, Ami, Juha, Toni, Pinja, Jari, Richard & Robert, top job all of you!

some photos from:
Tuomo, Nathalie & Toni

The hectic workshop continued with Konstrundan 08 event and more soldering and solar panels, this time by kids. There was also a strange breed of solar animals spotted in our forest. Do they come in peace, what is their objective, we shall see.

A version of Mouse Labour project is being exhibited at Yrke, konstnär -exhibition in Parainen. This time the detailed recordings of mouse use are presented as high-resolution prints. The show itself portrays artists working in remote locations in South-West Finland and is part of Konstrundan 08 event.

My newest work-in-process, “Playkka” -play prototype is exhibited in Naantali Vanha Raatihuone from July 1st to 15th. Playkka is a play-test -platform to study play process with tangible interface, namely tagged objects. It is a table with four RFID readers, screen, audio and a pile of play items. The current alpha-alpha version does very little but might lead to new discoveries in “smart” play environments. Far from unique approach, the excellent and inspiring research by Timo Arnall and his students to name one source of inspiration.

Process description (in Finnish)
Article in Turun Sanomat (in Finnish)
Video

I’ll be hosting The first Pixelache Summerschool in our school on the magical Kimito-island. Join us for some outdoor electronics with makers, shakers & breakers. Preliminary date August 7.-8. 2008 + the weekend for cultural wonders of Konstrundan. Accomodation?: tent, floor, tree, sauna, shed, Transport?: Save the nature and take a bike to the train and see the wonders of Finnish archipelago. +20% more.

Google map destination.

First experiment of routing 2D graphic with High-Z S-400 CNC mill. The line graphic was exported as generic EPS from Freehand, converted with Cenon to HPGL format which opened to WinPC-NC milling software. Some hassle was with defining machine & workpiece coordinates and the end result was quite a bit off from 1:1. My short visit to Dan’s über-equipped “Polymer Technology Laboratory” restricted me from further studies this time. However, I hope I can get my own CNC building project back on track now.

Sauma exhibition has returned to Finland from the US tour. The exhibition and our TileToy with it is open in Design museum in Helsinki until March 2nd.

http://www.tigoe.net/pcomp/index.shtml
http://www.instructables.com/
http://www.hackaday.com
http://blog.makezine.com/

Basic Stamp
http://www.parallax.com

PIC
http://www.microchip.com

PicAxe
http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/
http://www.stepsystems.fi/tuotteet/picaxe.php (FIN)

ooPic
http://www.oopic.com/
http://www.esutech.com/OOPic/default.shtml (FIN)

Arduino (open hardware project)
http://www.arduino.cc/
check the clones as well

CATKit (open hardware project)
http://packets.goto10.org/packets/wiki/CATkit

Check also:
• Atmel microcontrollers
• Texas Instruments microcontrollers

My latest DIY electronic instrument workshop took place two days after the Osasto-G opening. Most of the participants turned up and all got their Nandsynths made during the short intensive day. Lot of first time solderers again so nicely done indeed.

The fixed tutorial doc is here and I posted some useful links on the resources category under the Workshops. I’ll keep adding new stuff there so stay tuned.

My latest installation Osasto-G is now up and running in ForumBox with media installations from Hanna Haaslahti and Heidi Tikka. Opening was a success, lot’s of people turned up so warm thanks for all of you who made it! Due to our big move to our new house, I have to postpone more detailed writing on the work and the process after the things settle down. The show runs until December 29th, check it out!

More photos on my Flickr. Video here.