Bio Blog 2019
@cheapjack and @jackie1050 Planned some workshops and supporting kits that bridge some of the interests across the Wearables group, building on what we've done before our different interests. These workshops would be a small income stream for DoES but really attracting more people to use our facilities and desks.
A mix of
The idea is to buy a ticket to the workshops ran over 4-6 weeks to build a Wearable Bio-illuminator Sensor Badge. It's meant to be a way of covering alot of what Wearables has done so far, and at the same time is a synthesis of the interests of the core group of @jackie1050 @cheapjack & Laura Pullig, while taking a clearly inter-disciplinary position to represent the friendly, social inter-disciplinary world of DoESLiverpool.
This refers to the tech culture tradition of open source PCB Name Badge Making at Tech conferences that @amcewen told us about. Aswell as it being something workshop participants take away, and it's core components able to be reproduced for different usage, we can make more for any future conferences that take place at DoES or events the community take part in. Spreading the so-called DoES Methodology
- Session 1 Make & test a DIY Wearable Pressure Sensor using a Microbit
This first step develops the basics of a pressure sensor; we can refer to more complex and accurate sensors and reflect on their usage.
- Follow the WDHLL pressure sensor build
- Decide on where and how to wear it and connect it the badge
- Session 2 Connect Microbit and sensor to P5.js and experiment with code
Here we use well known platforms with extended communities of practice ie. an active community sharing tutorials and code beyond our won, to explore basic principles of how to manipulate analog sensor data with code, in this case javascript via the block --> javascript friendly microbit platform and p5.js. Both these platforms have noob friendly Browser based IDE's to play with in the form of Microbit and OpenProcessing to save the hassle of installing arduino or python environments, but we can sign post to these easily if participants are interested.
- We will borrow the microbits from Laura's What DoES Health Look Like (WDHLL) to learn and experience coding for data visualisation.
- We'll start with an introduction to Mircobits as it's a good way in to code for newcomers.
- We'll introduce peope to P5.js, a javascript implementation of the popular Processing programming language.
- Use jackie1050's & zarinos test openprocessing sketches and experiment with P5.js.
- Session 3 Make a bio-illuminator, a 'viewing platform'/sharpie friendly writable space for displaying your name and viewing microorganisms on the DoES Microscope and Foldscopes
Here the 3 of us were interested in exploring physical computing in counterpoint to the previous workshops software layers. We are often frustrated with having to use code to do simple routing or logic that could easily be done with electronic components. Programming with components means you really understand what components do and how they scale up into Integrated circuits and gives a more intimate understanding of the tech we use.
- We'll use 4 LEDs and a circuit of
555Timer chips, diodes, logic gates and adjustable DIP switches to programme a sequence of LED illumination to make attractive 'glyph' patterns for our ID badges, responding to the pressure sensor input and under the right conditions 'control' light sensitive algae, Eugelena gracilis on a small fabric or PCB clear fibreglass viewing 'platform' compatible with a standard microscope slide, the DoES Workshop Microscope and a Foldscope which comes included with the workshop kit (@cheapjack can source these at cost of £2.80 each) - This 555 Timer Learning Site is essential reading for us and a good resource to share.
- Session 4 Make our bio-illuminator wearable and test with our algae friends
Finally we assemble everything using a textile pocket to enclose electronics and the viewing platform/writeable surface for wrting your name/twitter handle whatever. We then include a simple safety pin holder and work out ways to route sensors into clothing etc, referring to other DoES community activity like the collaboration with Brouhaha dancers for the LED drum wearables, Netball opening ceremony etc.
- Enclose the
555&DIPswitch illumination circuit in a customisable fabric template - Test it as a bio-illuminator
- Make sure it also works as a name badge when no organisms are available. As our algae are only 100 nm long they can easily live between the writing that is done on the writable microscope slide (ie so you can wear the badge and write your name on it). It's a name badge so it's inherently sociable in the right context. Conversations can include or exclude microbiological critters depending on context.
- We can also look in detail under the microscope at the physical nature of the components, and potentially make PDMS microfluidic moulds from the markings and micro structures of the components and textile materials.
We could re-use these at events, maybe promote idea at Oggcamp19 in manchester or at other events like possible PCB making workshops in the future following the pay for kit for workshop model.
Ross Looked at the PDMS imprints made from the IC's of a discarded ESP32 and Pi Zero from previous week. This is like an twist on making custom photolithographic microfluidic environments, instead finding existing environments using electronic artefacts that are 'domestic' to a makerspace, ie EPS32 IC's and Pi's. He's trying to package this up into a DIY found microfluidics kit. Our rough 'n ready PDMS moulding produced quick hello world results without much care. With practice this could get some good results
Ross worked on an idea for a series of PDMS 'stickers' that can be added to the foldscope with little environments on them for critters.
Jackie & Mike worked on the repair cafe planning
We consolidated, cleaned, tidied and labelled the wearables/bio-material kit storage ready for sorting out the community storage near the fire exit and accessible toilet.
Laura and Jackie sorted out a directory of images that could be used for tweeting and 'gramming about future Wearable meetups.
We decided to plan out a series of workshops that we charge for, some of which build on each other with something to take away each workshop. Basically a workshop that would synthesise Jackie, Laura & Ross' interests and knowledge in a friendly fun way
- Microbit Wearable
- Stretch Sensors
- DIY bio-microfluidics
Picked up PDMS for the Wearables Evening at DoESLiverpool on Algae Microfluidics
We prepared a slide with a microfluidic environment moulded from pouring mixed PDMS onto old vinyl records, then spinning in a centrifuge to get a thin layer. In a dust free fume cupboard we gently cut a section from the set & spun PDMS and laid 'grooves up' onto a slide and placed a protective cover on top. When the sample is ready we put 0.05 ml of the algae solution ontop and drop a coverslip until Netwon's rings form around the environment, trapping algae in the silicon 'grooves' to observe them.
Above is an image from a pre-prepared Foldscope also visible here on @cheapjack's model organisms webpage.
This is a method for model organism observation developed by microbiologist, biotechnologist and engineer Alexandre Benedetto inspired by an article in The Worm Breeders Gazette
Next we are looking at using a mix of micromilled aluminium moulds for recycled Polyproplene, which we make impressions from (made in-DoES on the CNC mill) and 'found' moulds made from taking impressions from the markings and logos of discarded integrated circuits. We are expermenting to see what simple methods we could use to make microfluidic kits. Thanks to @arthrowls Offcut of Polypropylene PP ♷ moulded to milled aluminium in the last Plastic Playday
We poured in our mix of PDMS
Experimented with painting a layer of mixed PDMS on an offcut of 3d printed PLA rafting
Experimented with making an impression of the chip on an old ESP24
Experimented with a chip on a dead PiZero
Left to set. Did not come away from material well, bit flaky, yet to check under the microscope
@cheapjack Adjusted his laser cuts for the EthicalMicroscope project with nicer see through acrylic for easier adjustment.
The EthicalMicroscope is a lasercut & 3D printed RPi microscope platform using standard microscope optics, Alex's recipe for makespace-live-ing to twitch and microfluidic environments for sustaining tiny living protists and other multicellular creatures, rather than letting them dry out and die on microscope slides. You can see some early footage here and eventually we will post a link to the project files once we've got it close to working.
DoES Member Jeremy showed us his amazing acoustic microfluidic work. You can see he's made a 3D printed jig for holding a microscope slide and used brass and plastic standoffs with springs to secure the slide. You can see a white membrane that the black signal generator box vibrates. By inputting different signals he generates standing waves that propagate along the slide.
When you add water with yeast mixed in onto the slide and start up the signal the difference in density and property of the water and little yeast entities seperates the yeast from the water.
He also showed us a vertical filter where the signal seperates the yeast entities into a central column.
The applications for this sort of process are fine filtering and processing of the content of fluids. Although very small, these devices setup with a supply of fluid left over time can process large amounts of material. By modifying the signal you could be very particular about how you affect any particulates in the fluid.
Finally we saw some prototypes he made with Roland the vinyl cutter, experimenting with metallic tapes and films as these materials reflect acoustic waves well, so with a signal propagating through them they can act like a pump.
We discussed the idea of a wearable bracelet with some kind of microfluidic pump that could move reservoirs of food colouring and/or tiny protists or fungal yeasts around your wrist, a small DIY workshop would generate the fludics using a vinyl cutter. We could use a modified EthicalMicroscope platform to stream microscope images when people press their wristband to the jig.
Ultimately @cheapjack wants to make wearable devices that are environments for tiny living protists and make ways to make them visible. The protist wristbands are a starting point heading toward other ideas like a microfluidic bomber jacket where your movement acts like a pump, a Peristaltic Jacket
We spent a bit of time experimenting with DIY microfluidics from this Science Practice blog before we start trying to make some of the cool stuff on Metafluidics We hand cut slits in double sided tape and mylar OHP sheet with scalpels as described in that post to see if we could reliably move food coloring from a reservoir. We then experimented using Harry Plotter the vinyl cutter to cut out simplified channels based on the Indus River Basin. Not quite got the settings right to cut channels properly
We imagined how wearable materials could act like 'pumps' for moving around coloured fluids through the capillary action of the microfluid channels so the fabric patterns would change over time. Maybe some fluids are clear but then mix together and make colours on reacting.
We imagined what tiny creatures like Vorticella could live in these tiny channels if you made them extensive and provided food, movement pumping nutrients around a living garment.