Posts Tagged ‘Open Source’

Transmissometer: measures concentration with lasers

I’m starting a company that makes campfire scented cologne, and to solve a problem in my production process, I built a transmissometer.  Here is the video Aaron Kowalski and I made with Element 14‘s support:

Transmissometer from Pumping Station: One on Vimeo.

Here are more details on the device, including photos, schematics, and source code.

Thanks to everyone who helped out with the build and filming!

20

Apr

Announcing: Creative Code Workshops

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Creative Code Workshops

workShop[0] = Processing;

Over the past several decades of advancement in computer technology, a fledgling movement of computational and digital media art has emerged. Initially the province of a handful techno-savvy pioneers, today there is a wide range of tools and resources available to artists and designers, drastically lowering the barrier of entry for anyone interested in computer art. This series of Creative Code Workshops explores the sometimes-nebulous territory of Code-As-Art, bringing creatives and technologists together to make interesting, complex work.

In our first workshop, we will explore Processing, an open-source programming language and framework developed for the visual arts community. Originally created to teach computer programming fundamentals within a visual context, it has grown into a robust yet flexible platform serving both artists and pedagogues. Its open-source license has led to a vibrant developer community that has contributed to its extension into other regions of computational media, including computer vision, audio processing, networking, data visualization, and tactile media. This hands-on workshop will help both artists looking to get their hands dirty with computer programming and programmers looking to explore their creative side.

Where: Pumping Station: One. 3354 N. Elston, Chicago, IL.
When: Saturday, September 25th, 2010, 4pm.
Cost: FREE
Accessibility: Open to the public

About the presenter

James Patrick Gordon is an emerging digital media artist based in Chicago. His work covers a range of topics in digital and computational media, including responsive environments, augmented reality performance, virtual worlds, interactive narrative, sacred computing, the cultural and social ramifications of information networking, and the convergence of art and social justice.
You can find him on the web at: www.thaumatropia.net, or email him at: james.patrick.gordon@gmail.com

About Pumping Station: One

Pumping Station: One is Chicago’s premiere hackerspace and community workshop. Its mission is to foster a collaborative environment wherein people can explore and create intersections between technology, science, art, and culture. Hackers, makers, artists, developers, scientists, and craftsmen come together in a collaborative environment that explores the intersections between technology, art, and culture.
More info can be found at: www.pumpingstationone.org, or email them at: info@pumpingstationone.org

03

Sep

BARcamp Chicago is coming up this weekend

Many members of Pumping Station: One will be attending and helping to produce BARcamp Chicago.  Press release follows.

On August 21-22, Chicago will host its 5th annual BARcamp Conference.  Come to BARcamp Chicago 2010 to learn from and mingle with Chicago’s most talented and innovative computer and technology enthusiasts in an impromptu, informal setting.  BARcamp Chicago is an un-conference, meaning event participants are the people who run the event, give the presentations and host the various activities throughout the weekend.
Here is what they have lined up for you:

  • Many talks and demos concerning a wide range of technology topics
  • Socialize with Chicago’s top technology enthusiasts
  • A drunken panel discussion
  • Geeky/technology related movies that run all night
  • Free food and drink
  • BARcompany – Start a business over the weekend
  • Random other activities

Guests from a multitude of backgrounds will be in attendance, including programmers, developers, engineers, tech students, open-source advocates, entrepreneurs and business professionals.  Participants are encouraged to share, learn and break off into smaller focus groups, brainstorm and collaborate on any project or idea.  Professional networking is highly recommended.

Words really cannot describe this event! Take a look at the videos and pictures linked from their website:  http://barcampchicago.com/

BARcompany

Returning to BARcamp this year is BARcompany, which challenges small groups of participants to come up with an idea and create a company around it in about a day’s time. The resulting companies and ideas are presented at the end of the weekend to the conference attendees and to a panel of judges made up of local, influential people in the technology community. The team who organizes the best company has a chance to win prizes which may include server hosting for the developed web application, co-working space and possibly even some start up capital.

More Information

The event is expected to draw several hundred attendees and is free and open to the public.  The majority of talks and activities will be between the hours of 10 AM and 7 PM each day. Complimentary food and beverages will be provided as well as activities on Saturday night through Sunday morning.

17

Aug

PS:One at Flourish March 19 & 20

Photo by Anne Petersen

This Friday and Saturday, the Chicago area open source community will converge on the University of Illinois at Chicago for this year’s Flourish Conference.

Flourish is a totally free (as in beer) conference and if you register ahead of time you get a free t-shirt as well.  Speakers will be covering various topics such as Git, Python, Women in Open Source, Building Open Source Software Communities and Video Recording Presentations.

Pumping Station: One will be manning a table in the mini-expo room handing out stickers and debuting our larger than life photobooth TARDIS for the first time outside our space.  Bring yourself and your friends to come see us and all the great speakers at UIC this weekend.  At 6:00 PM on Saturday right after Flourish 2010 closes, there will be an afterparty at OfficePort Chicago sponsored by ChicagoAndroid.com.

See you there!

Details:

Friday, March 19 & Saturday March 20
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
University of Illinois at Chicago
750 South Halsted St., Chicago, IL

You can visit the conference website at http://flourishconf.com to register, sign up for Lightning Talks, see last year’s photos & videos and more.

18

Mar