Projects
Popup Workshop
Popup Workshop featured the construction of a tool for children that allowed them to explore the world of
pop-ups by supporting them as they learned to make pop-ups.
The software allows the user to select from several common elements used in pop-ups, add them to the
page, modify them, and then print the resulting designs to be cut-out and assembled. The pop-up being
designed is shown in both 2-D and 3-D views and changes made to the pop-up elements are automatically
adjusted to fold properly.
Popup Workshop was tested with children from ages 7 to 13, and has been downloaded by more than 4000
users worldwide.
MachineShop
MachineShop was a Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system for
children. Targeted at users 10 to 13 years old, it provided them with a tool for the creation of mechanisms
for use in mechanical automata. Specifically, MachineShop allowed users to design cams, gears, and levers
that were then fabricated using computer controlled machine tools, such as carbon dioxide laser cutters.
Children at this age rarely have much experience working with tools or resistant materials. By simplifying
the design process for complex mechanical components and automating their fabrication, MachineShop
let users create more complex and precisely crafted mechanisms than they could normally. By allowing
them to work at the level of their creativity rather than their skills with tools and materials, we looked at how
the creation of automata affected their mechanical reasoning and spatial cognition.
The Boulder Gaelic Study Group
Scottish Gaelic is spoken in Scotland and Nova Scotia, and is a Celtic language related to Irish. We host a
weekly study group for those learning the language. See the project page for schedules, Gaelic events in our
area and the rest of the world, as well as links to help you learn more about the language.
Pop's Garage
While Pop's Garage (named in memory of Glenn's father Max) started as a hobby interest that is growing into
a form of maker space where young people are learning to repair and modify older cars and trucks as a way
to learn not only a variety of skilled trades (welding, fabrication, machining, electrical wiring and mechanics)
but also aspects of mechanical engineering in a systems oriented manner. While the garage has been up
and running only a short time, interest is growing and the number of future projects on hand as well as our
resources and capabilities are slowly growing.
