Click these to read about my projects:
Universal Adventure Simulator
Making personalized AI Tools
Woodworking
Generative Jewelry
Projection Microscope (Free Download!)
Generative Lighting
3D Scanned Artifacts
Generative Planters
What is generative design?
Generative design is the use of mathematic functions to create complex shapes. Generative design has been used for years in computer graphics for CGI in movies and games, sometimes it is used in architecture. It’s almost never used for everyday things, and that’s what I’d like to change.
Generative design can be used to create recursion, textures, fractals, organic forms, and a limitless number of complex geometries. It’s used all around us in nature in the way plants grow or snowflakes form. It’s a broad category that could be expected to become more common over time as computation continues to become more available.
Generative design also allows continuous variation. By structuring designs around variables that constantly change, we can make every item a unique shape.
These techniques can be used in addition to traditional design methods, meaning a custom piece can leverage generative design to incorporate elements of nature or intricate details into something which is hand-designed.
What is 3D printing?
3D printing is a flexible way to make things by precisely adding material. I use Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Stereo-Lithography (SLA) for 3D printed objects or contract pieces. These technologies weld polymers using heat or light to to build up complex shapes in layers. There are other 3D printing technologies, but right now these are the most mature and cost efficient approaches for creating designs around human scales.
You can think of 3D printing as similar to other crafts in that it’s a nuanced discipline with a range of tools and techniques that can take years to master - but it’s not as daunting as it sounds, and basic 3D printers can now be purchased for around 200$.
I use PLA Biopolymer for all of our FDM items, which is a degradable plastic made from fermented plant starches.
What is 3D Scanning?
3D Scanning is the process of converting physical items into spatial data. There are a range of 3D scanning technologies using lasers, projectors, and cameras, each with benefits and drawbacks and startup costs ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to free.
3D scanning is an exciting and diverse area with broad applications in arts, sciences, and engineering.
I’ve also spent a couple years in data & machine learning, Here’s some data and ML/AI code I can share:
In this project I analyzed machine learning communities on Twitter with three different natural-language processing strategies, and then use six different machine learning systems to see how much you can predict which tweets and topics are most likely to go viral
In this project I built a machine vision system using deep learning techniques to detect pneumonia in children’s x-rays
In this project I looked at large amounts of real-estate data in Seattle to identify key predictors of home value, and then use a linear-regression algorithm to identify homes that may be undervalued in the market & plot them on a map
This project uses Large Language Models to describe and tag our internet browsing sessions, and then outputs them into a “network” notetaking software called Obsidian.
In this quick project I turn whitepaper abstracts into document embeddings to see how much they predict research impact
In this project I used machine learning systems to interpret data from the Taiwan stock exchange to predict companies which are at risk of bankruptcy. This system could also be used to flag specific financial indicators that might lead a company to bankruptcy