SWARM Progress, Off to Burning Man
Tomorrow morning I’m on my way to the desert for a week of craziness. Be back next Tuesday.
I’ve been working a lot on SWARM.
In the last few weeks I:
- complied the audio tracks for the sound system (a mix of editing, creating, and working with a novel sound playback system)
- fixed up the 6 sound modules… swapped out a bad amp, adjusted volumes on all of them, installed new firmware drivers for the mp3 players
- made 2 new chargey plugs (some were lost)
- tested batteries
- installed IMUs (inertial measurement units) in 6 orbs: cut stainless steel pieces to be mounts, tapped holes (a PITA, I couldn’t finish, grr), welded in place, sprayed IMUs with clear paint, mounted, made ribbon cables, cut holes for cables
- made gussets to reinforce the arms of the canopy on the mothership
- helped manage arrangements with Virgin Festival (though they bagged at the last minute, jerks) (Niladri ran point and did a lot!)
- managed getting insurance for Virgin Festival (that we didn’t need because they bagged at the last minute, jerks)
- had lots of meetings and discussions to figure out exactly how to get our art to the Virgin Festival in Canada. (Dawn did a LOT of work. She’s become an international shipping expert overnight)
- Kept up with SWARM’s In the Media updates
- Got 1/2 way though (fimed, partially edited) creating a video piece for Make TV
- Kept up with our finances. We continue to be in the black.
- Went to a lawyer with Dawn to talk about licensing & patenting SWARM
- A million little tasks like keeping our shop space livable with a cadre of messy mechatrons running around in it, finding new boxes for Virgin took 1hr+, paint for the IMUs 1hr+, ordering TIG supplies 1hr, finding a good deal on rechargable batteries and chargers for the remotes 1hr, …