LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate workflows used in circuit board design and fabrication.
- Implement and interpret programming protocols.
- Demonstrate workflows used in network design.
- Implement and interpret networking protocols.
- Work and communicate effectively in a team and independently.
- Design, plan and build a system.
- Analyse and solve technical problems.
- Recognise opportunities for improvements in the design.
- Formulate future opportunities for their digital fabrication projects regarding intellectual property, inventions and income.
Credits: 6
Schedule: 20.04.2022 - 25.05.2022
Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):
Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Matti Niinimäki, Krisjanis Rijnieks
Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):
CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):
Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):
Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English
CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD
Content
valid for whole curriculum period:
This course is one of three Digital Fabrication courses offered by Aalto Media Lab and Aalto Fab Lab. These courses runs parallel to the global Fab Academy lectures and follow the same distributed educational model.
This third course in the series deepens the student's skills and knowledge in digital fabrication with a focus on creating prototypes, products, and machines that include embedded electronics. The student finishes their final project during this course.
During the courses, students will learn a full stack of prototyping skills ranging from web development and version control to CAD modelling and electronics production. In-depth understanding of how the machines work and their limitations will lead to better digital design strategies for manufacturing which can reduce project time in the case of teamwork. The Digital Fabrication courses also introduce the Fab Lab as a playground for digital fabrication where there is everything you need for rapid prototyping set up in a way to reduce the duration of feedback loops.
More details on the course content can be found in the course syllabus for each implementation of the course.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
valid for whole curriculum period:
The course consists of lectures, hands-on examples, and weekly assignments.
Evaluation of the course is based on the official Fab Academy evaluation criteria. Most of the weekly assignments and the final project have to be completed and well documented in order to pass.
More details on the assessment methods and criteria can be found in the course syllabus for each implementation of the course.
Workload
valid for whole curriculum period:
6 ECTS
- 160 hours total
- Contact teaching: 48 hours
- Independent work: 112 hours
Attendance to lectures is compulsory. Minimum attendance 80%.
More details on the workload can be found in the course syllabus for each implementation of the course.
DETAILS
Study Material
valid for whole curriculum period:
- Gershenfeld, Neil A., Alan Gershenfeld, and Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld. Designing Reality: How to Survive and Thrive in the Third Digital Revolution. New York: Basic Books, 2017.
- Slocum, Alexander H. Precision Machine Design. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall, 1992
- Oberg, Erik et al.. Machinery's handbook. E-book.
- Fab Academy website: http://fabacademy.org/
Other materials will be provided during the course.
Substitutes for Courses
valid for whole curriculum period:
Prerequisites
valid for whole curriculum period:
SDG: Sustainable Development Goals
9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
10 Reduced Inequality
12 Responsible Production and Consumption
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further Information
valid for whole curriculum period:
All Digital Fabrication courses from the New Media study programme are committed to the following Sustainable Development Goals:
Industry, Innovation and Infrastucture
The Fab Academy course consists of 21 weeks that cover topics related to the state-of-the-art practices used in the digital (fabrication) industry as well as contributes to innovation and infrastructure. With the skill set acquired during the course one can catch up with jobs in the industry, invent her own job or contribute to the infrastructure with exceptionally innovative solutions and services.
Reduced Inequalities
The course focuses on skills and workflows that are accessible and affordable. Use of open source and free software is encouraged to reduce the proffessional dependencies on commercial proprietary tools. Fab Academy aims to foster understanding about how things work in order to be able to build things instead of being forced to buy them.
Responsible Consumption and Production
Digital fabrication as such is a process where most of the work happens digitally in the computer. Virtual models are being made and fabrication tools are used to test a design at the end of a development iteration. Using biodegradable and recycleable materials is encouraged as well as choosing the right materials for a design to reduce enviromental impact during and after its life cycle. Students are also encouraged to critically evaluate the environmental impact and other problems of the so-called maker culture and digital fabrication processes themselves.
Teaching Period:
2020-2021 Spring V
2021-2022 Spring V
Course Homepage: https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/search.php?search=DOM-E5157
Registration for Courses: Sisu replaces Oodi on 9 August, 2021. Priority order to courses is according to the order of priority decided by the Academic committee for School of Arts, Design and Architecture: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/registering-to-courses-and-the-order-of-priority-in-aalto-arts
In Weboodi, at the latest one week before the course starts.
Maximum 12 students.
Students must meet all prerequisites and have the course in their approved study plan. Priority will be given to fulltime MA in New Media students as this course is an integral part of their alternative studies.