ITPG-GT.2513.1 Gabriella Levine Tues 3:30pm to 6:00pm in 442 Call# 18588

Biomimetic designs are used both practically and conceptually to provide solutions to a wide range of environmental and technological problems. Designers have developed an assistive arm modeled off of an elephant trunk that moves in three-dimensions to handle things as delicate as eggs; Architects have built houses from organically grown material; And engineers have developed robotic snakes to explore underwater pipelines for leaks and find hidden secrets in the Pyramids of Egypt. This 7-week course will take a design-based approach to exploring biomimicry as an inspiration for interactive interfaces. Through lectures, workshops, and hands-on prototyping, we will investigate how natural forms and functions can inspire unique technological solutions. We’ll address topics such as re-imagining social networks, mapping urban spaces, and redesigning user interfaces. We will think critically about natural systems and use it as the starting point for our own design development and prototyping. We will work collaboratively to build prototypes that combine hardware, software, and fabrication. We will complete two projects, the final of which will comprise a physical product that integrates bio-inspired design with tangible interfaces. Throughout the course, we will document our work online & offline.Students will be encouraged to use Processing, Arduino, digital fabrication techniques, sensors, and electromechanical actuation. This two-credit course will meet the first seven weeks of the semester.