This paper draws on a collaborative project called the Africatown Activation to examine role design practices play in contributing (or conspiring against) flourishing of Black community Seattle, Washington. Specifically, we describe efforts group and build an installation that counters decades disinvestment ongoing displacement historically Central Area neighborhood. Our analysis suggests despite include community, conventional may perpetuate forms institutional racism: enabling activities...

Digital fabrication in industrial contexts involves standardized procedures that prioritize precision and repeatability. However, machines are now available for practitioners who focus instead on experimentation. In this paper, we reframe hobbyist CNC milling as writing literate programs which interleave documentation, interactive graphics, source code machine control. To test approach, present Imprimer, a infrastructure mill an associated library computational notebook. Imprimer lets makers...

As digital fabrication machines become widespread, online communities have provided space for diverse practitioners to share their work, troubleshoot, and socialize. These pioneer increasingly novel workflows, it is critical that we understand conceptualize these workflows beyond traditional manufacturing models. To this end, conduct a qualitative study of #PlotterTwitter, an community developing custom hardware software tools create artwork with computer-controlled drawing known as...

Researchers who build creativity support tools (CSTs) define abstractions and software representations that align with user needs to give users the power accomplish tasks. However, these specifications also structure limit how can should think, act, express themselves. Thus, tool designers unavoidably exert over their by enacting a "normative ground" through tools. Drawing on interviews 11 creative practitioners, designers, CST researchers, we offer definition of empowerment in context...

As interactive electronics become increasingly intimate and personal, the design of circuitry is correspondingly developing a more playful creative aesthetic. Circuit sketching multidimensional activity which combines arts, crafts, engineering broadening participation electronic creation to include makers diverse backgrounds. In order support this ecology, we present Ellustrate, digital tool that enables functional aesthetic circuits with multiple conductive dielectric materials. Ellustrate...

We present Jubilee, an open-source hardware machine with automatic tool-changing and interchangeable bed plates. As digital fabrication tools have become more broadly accessible, tailoring those machines to new users novel workflows has central HCI research. However, the lack of infrastructure makes custom application development cumbersome. identify a need for extensible platform allow researchers develop fabrication, material exploration, other applications. Jubilee addresses this need. It...

Recent digital fabrication tools have enabled new form-giving using a wide range of physical materials. However, light as first class creative material has been largely ignored within the design our electronic objects. Our work expands illumination space by treating material. We introduce tool that simulates and visualizes interactions with variety materials for creating custom luminaires. further develop computational process secondary optics elements (SOEs), which provides additional...

Makers from increasingly diverse backgrounds use digital fabrication machines to explore novel design spaces. However, software tools for are designed primarily replication-based tasks; programming bespoke applications while accounting physical contingencies remains challenging. To better support exploratory fabrication, we present Verso, a proof-of-concept approach that extends concepts computational notebooks. Verso affords graphical control via modules result in continuous feedback,...

As a rule, user interface designers work iteratively. Over the course of project, they repeatedly gather feedback, typically through in-person meetings, and update their designs accordingly. Through formative work, we find that design software tools do not support in managing meeting notes previous iterations as cohesive whole. This causes to rely on ad-hoc practices for organizing which makes it hard them keep track relevant feedback explain decisions. To address this problem, present...

We propose a programming environment for prototyping workflows that consists of custom digital fabrication machines and user-defined interactions. At its core, Machine-o-Matic comprises domain-specific language defining CNC as aconfiguration tools moving stages connected together. Given software defined machine configuration, the compiles to firmware code allows user control test physical immediately. The includes constructs users define actions with tool interface input from sensors or...

Digital fabrication machines for makers have expanded access to manufacturing processes such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and milling. While digital models encode the data necessary a machine manufacture an object, understanding trade-offs limitations of themselves is crucial successful production. Yet, this knowledge not codified must be gained through experience, which limits both adoption creative exploration with tools. To formally represent machines, we present Taxon, language that...

LiveObjects approaches expressive object design from the lens of art theory utilizing theatricality, or perception an having presence, to create a series IoT data objects. This approach actuates materials and everyday objects express social provokes new interactions between objects, viewers, space. We showcase how such can form unique personalities, expose relational data, perturb environments information spaces.

Digital fabrication tools for makers have increased access to manufacturing processes such as 3D printing and computer-controlled laser cutting or milling. Despite research advances in novel hardware software tasks, there is no formal way reason about the machine itself. There standard format representing high-level features of machines trade-offs between them; instead, this important information relegated folk knowledge. To make explicit, we present Taxon, a specification language broad...

Experimental digital fabrication workflows are increasingly common in human-computer interaction research, but difficult to reproduce. We present Tandem, a software library that lets fabricator implement an end-to-end workflow as computational notebook program others can run physically reproduce the workflow. Tandem programs read and write CAD CAM software, project augmented reality interfaces onto machines for manual interventions, directly control machines. Fabricators also denote...

Scientists, artists, and engineers are innovating with digital fabrication machines, yet they lack effective tools to program machines for unconventional tasks. We argue programming language foundations empower these practitioners build bespoke workflows themselves.

We present Jubilee, an open-source motion platform extensible to custom applications and application media by means of interchangeable bed plates automatic tool-changing. describe Jubilee as piece infrastructure that can be readily adapted a specialty task requiring precise computer control one more tools without necessitating machine design expertise. To this end, is designed reproduced solely from the documentation in worldwide setting relying on specialized manufacturing processes or...

In exploratory digital fabrication, artists, scientists, and engineers use machines code to prototype object forms ways of making that do not currently exist. However, prior research has yet provide expressive agency for makers doing this work, which includes rapid experimentation, safe adjustments detailed, accurate control data. To address this, I frame fabrication as physical-digital programming: handling physical contingencies within core features a programming language. posit will let...

Although research in automated verication has produced very promising results, the question of how to effectively integrate these results into software and hardware development processes is still unresolved. Typically, fully techniques are not scalable, scalable require substantial user guidance. Alternatively, developers could facilitate by constructing systems ways that make them easier verify. In this panel we will discuss idea design for verication.