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As a part of ME 318 Computer Aided Product Creation at Stanford, students utilize a HAAS VF2 CNC Mill to complete three projects to apply the basics of CAM and CNC machining learned in the course.
View the slide decks below to learn more about each project!
This project is inspired by the Butterfly Effect, which theorizes that minor perturbations in the world, such as a distant butterfly flapping its wings, could influence the formation of extreme weather patterns.
Initially, I liked the idea of approaching the prompt "Extreme" from a manufacturing perspective. As I worked through different concepts that would result in extreme manufacturing, the idea of earrings came to mind. Moreover, I liked the idea of how I could integrate the Butterfly Effect and have a fun play on words, as my small concept influenced an extreme design.
With a final size of 0.94 x 0.14 x 0.59 inches, “One flap of a butterfly’s wings…” pushes the bounds of manufacturability with a three axis CNC mill utilizing only a standard toolset. Due to the thin, 3D form of the wings, machinable wax was utilized for optimal work holding. The design also features a lockable hinge to allow the butterfly wings to be oriented in any orientation the wearer wishes. The addition of this hinge required an additional setup to drill the holes, as well as some post processing to tap the #1-72 UNF thread integrated in the bottom hinge piece.
Final Photo Essay.pdf
“zodiac” is a representation of the juxtaposition between Taiwanese and American culture I have felt growing up in an immigrant household. The Chinese zodiac is an animal selected based on your birthyear, whereas the western zodiac is a constellation selected based on your birthday.
Front Side: Rabbit
The overall shape of the bottle opener is an abstraction of the rabbit form factor, featuring a spherical tail. The tail creates an additional textural point that looks and feels nice in the user’s hand. The bottle opener is intentionally oriented such that the most comfortable holding position is with the left hand. The belly of the rabbit is raised more steeply to give emphasis and provide additional weight to the base of the rabbit.
Back Side: Scorpio
The constellation of Scorpio is depicted, following the curvature of the rabbit form factor. My birthday and year (Nov. 11 1999) is inscribed into one of the ears of the rabbit. This is intentionally inscribed deeply to create another textural feature on the backside.
Bottle Opener Photo Essay.pdf
Passing on 吳 is a representation of the future as I see it. In April of 2023 my grandfather passed away. One of the final things he said to me was that he sincerely hoped that I would one day improve my Chinese. He also said that he wished that I would pass on the Chinese/Taiwanese language and continue to honor Taiwanese family values/culture through the future generations. It was these words that inspired me to start taking Chinese as an elective and really start to put effort into embracing and learning about my family heritage and culture.
I chose to depict my last name, Wu 吳, as the center point of my maze because of the emphasis that family and ancestry has in Taiwanese culture. Growing up, my grandpa always stressed that we should be proud that we are Wu's. He always stressed to my dad that he had a big responsibility carrying on the Wu name. I never really understood why. It felt silly to put so much emphasis on just carrying on a name. I now understand that it isn't about the name, but the generations of ancestors who worked hard and suffered to get the current generation to where we are now. By sharing the name Wu, we are able to take pride and remember everyone who came before us.
Through some minor manipulation of the character, I was able to turn 吳 into a fun and mildly challenging maze. Inside the maze there are five steel balls running around. These five balls represent the five members of my family, and how we are all running around and working together to pass on our culture and to do enough with our lives to make our ancestors proud, and their sacrifices worthwhile.
Maze Photo essay.pdfPage updated
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