Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak

By Dot Cannon: Public Speaker & New-Media ReporterSociety & Culture Education Arts

Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak episodes

December 31, 2017 LCFTRA: The Best Kind of “Panda-Monium”

Creativity and project planning are a special challenge when you're making something that weighs several tons.

Throw into the mix: your finished product will move at about two miles per hour, make millions of people laugh and remain current for about a week.

That's a challenge which Pam Wiedenbeck, and La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, relish.

Pam is La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association's treasurer. And LCFTRA is one of six community organizations which designs and constructs its own Rose Parade® float noncommercially.

(They're also multiple award-winners! According to their website, their Rose Parade® float entries have received twenty-six trophies since 1978.)

As volunteers decorated their 2018 float, two days before its departure for the 129th Rose Parade®, Pam talked about this year's float and how LCFTRA is already looking ahead to 2019!

(And--here's an early heads-up. If you didn't get to decorate a Rose Float this year, and wanted to, keep LCFTRA's information. As a nonprofit organization, they won't mind a bit if you'd like to support them or volunteer in the future!)
In this special edition of Over Coffee®, you will hear:

*
The story of "Panda-Monium", LCFTRA's float in the 2018 Rose Parade;

*
How to enter LCFTRA's float concept contest for the 2019 parade;

*
The three criteria behind LCFTRA's choice for a winning concept (Anyone can enter! Details are available at www.lcftra.org, and the deadline's January 17th);

*
The process of creating the float;

*
How LCFTRA obtained a unique (and expensive) decorating material for "Panda-Monium";

*
Some of the final decorating steps for the 2018 float;

*
What will happen on Sunday evening, as "Panda-Monium" prepares to travel to its parade lineup position;

*
One of Pam's favorite stories, about creating this year's Rose Parade® float.

Don't miss the 129th annual Rose® Parade, starting at 8 am, Pacific time, Monday, January 1, 2018! Look for La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association's "Panda-Monium" just after the Valley Hunt Club and "Forum" floats appear, according to the official parade program.
9 min
December 31, 2017 LCFTRA: The Best Kind of “Panda-Monium”

Creativity and project planning are a special challenge when you're making something that weighs several tons.

Throw into the mix: your finished product will move at about two miles per hour, make millions of people laugh and remain current for about a week.

That's a challenge which Pam Wiedenbeck, and La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, relish.

Pam is La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association's treasurer. And LCFTRA is one of six community organizations which designs and constructs its own Rose Parade® float noncommercially.

(They're also multiple award-winners! According to their website, their Rose Parade® float entries have received twenty-six trophies since 1978.)

As volunteers decorated their 2018 float, two days before its departure for the 129th Rose Parade®, Pam talked about this year's float and how LCFTRA is already looking ahead to 2019!

(And--here's an early heads-up. If you didn't get to decorate a Rose Float this year, and wanted to, keep LCFTRA's information. As a nonprofit organization, they won't mind a bit if you'd like to support them or volunteer in the future!)
In this special edition of Over Coffee®, you will hear:

*
The story of "Panda-Monium", LCFTRA's float in the 2018 Rose Parade;

*
How to enter LCFTRA's float concept contest for the 2019 parade;

*
The three criteria behind LCFTRA's choice for a winning concept (Anyone can enter! Details are available at www.lcftra.org, and the deadline's January 17th);

*
The process of creating the float;

*
How LCFTRA obtained a unique (and expensive) decorating material for "Panda-Monium";

*
Some of the final decorating steps for the 2018 float;

*
What will happen on Sunday evening, as "Panda-Monium" prepares to travel to its parade lineup position;

*
One of Pam's favorite stories, about creating this year's Rose Parade® float.

Don't miss the 129th annual Rose® Parade, starting at 8 am, Pacific time, Monday, January 1, 2018! Look for La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association's "Panda-Monium" just after the Valley Hunt Club and "Forum" floats appear, according to the official parade program.
9 min
December 23, 2017 STEAM: Math, Science–and Magic
Over Coffee® is on hiatus through the Christmas holidays. We’ll be rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes of 2017. Thank you for listening–and be sure to be with us for our coverage of CES 2018!

Who knew that science, math and art are inseparable?

Artist/Instructables designer Audrey Lee Love and electrical engineer/educational advocate/author Sylvia Libow Martinez use that concept every day.

And that statement is at the core of the book Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering and Engineering in the Classroom, of which Sylvia is the co-author. (And it is a gold mine for any maker, not just teachers--as is Audrey's Instructables page!)

In July of 2017, we had the honor of hosting a live discussion panel with them at Pipe & Thimble Publishing and Bookstore, in the city of Lomita. The subject was "The Intersection of Art and Science".

STEAM--science, technology, engineering, art and math--provides an exciting way to incorporate STEM skills into art projects. And both Audrey and Sylvia offered a close look at the ways STEAM education can get kids excited about, rather than threatened by, math and science concepts.
On this edition of Over Coffee®, you’ll hear:

*
How Audrey and Sylvia first became interested in their respective fields;

*
What schools can do differently, to effectively present subjects like math and science to arts-oriented students;

*
How Audrey’s work with Burning Man led to her work with Instructables.com;

*
Sylvia’s perspective on the “fun” element in science;

*
How Sylvia and Gary came to write their book;

*
Sylvia’s advice to parents, on getting schools to teach STEM principles by teaching maker skills in the classroom;

*
How teachers can implement the use of project-based learning in the classroom;

*
Ideas to interest arts-oriented students in science or math;

*
A simple, everyday kids’ activity, that will teach math;

*
How a makers’ stance, throughout school, can reach students, based on their own individual interests and experiences;

*
How we can get more girls interested in STEM subjects;

*
Some LED wearable project ideas that could intrigue young girls;

*
A look at some “very simples”, safe and conductive technologies, for creating light-up art;

*
How maker skills can validate, rather than discourage, students;

*
Some of the trends Audrey and Sylvia are seeing with the maker movement in relation to education;

*
Resources for parents and teachers, for teaching maker skills;

*
Future skills schools need to teach students, to become effective members of a future workforce;

*
How to overcome perfectionism when teaching project-based learning;

*
How to use skills from the maker movement to get ready for Halloween;

*
Where you can see the current projects in which Audrey and Sylvia are involved;
AND all the excellent questions our audience asked!

1 hr 11 min
December 23, 2017 STEAM: Math, Science–and Magic
Over Coffee® is on hiatus through the Christmas holidays. We’ll be rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes of 2017. Thank you for listening–and be sure to be with us for our coverage of CES 2018!

Who knew that science, math and art are inseparable?

Artist/Instructables designer Audrey Lee Love and electrical engineer/educational advocate/author Sylvia Libow Martinez use that concept every day.

And that statement is at the core of the book Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering and Engineering in the Classroom, of which Sylvia is the co-author. (And it is a gold mine for any maker, not just teachers--as is Audrey's Instructables page!)

In July of 2017, we had the honor of hosting a live discussion panel with them at Pipe & Thimble Publishing and Bookstore, in the city of Lomita. The subject was "The Intersection of Art and Science".

STEAM--science, technology, engineering, art and math--provides an exciting way to incorporate STEM skills into art projects. And both Audrey and Sylvia offered a close look at the ways STEAM education can get kids excited about, rather than threatened by, math and science concepts.
On this edition of Over Coffee®, you’ll hear:

*
How Audrey and Sylvia first became interested in their respective fields;

*
What schools can do differently, to effectively present subjects like math and science to arts-oriented students;

*
How Audrey’s work with Burning Man led to her work with Instructables.com;

*
Sylvia’s perspective on the “fun” element in science;

*
How Sylvia and Gary came to write their book;

*
Sylvia’s advice to parents, on getting schools to teach STEM principles by teaching maker skills in the classroom;

*
How teachers can implement the use of project-based learning in the classroom;

*
Ideas to interest arts-oriented students in science or math;

*
A simple, everyday kids’ activity, that will teach math;

*
How a makers’ stance, throughout school, can reach students, based on their own individual interests and experiences;

*
How we can get more girls interested in STEM subjects;

*
Some LED wearable project ideas that could intrigue young girls;

*
A look at some “very simples”, safe and conductive technologies, for creating light-up art;

*
How maker skills can validate, rather than discourage, students;

*
Some of the trends Audrey and Sylvia are seeing with the maker movement in relation to education;

*
Resources for parents and teachers, for teaching maker skills;

*
Future skills schools need to teach students, to become effective members of a future workforce;

*
How to overcome perfectionism when teaching project-based learning;

*
How to use skills from the maker movement to get ready for Halloween;

*
Where you can see the current projects in which Audrey and Sylvia are involved;
AND all the excellent questions our audience asked!

1 hr 11 min
December 17, 2017 RSSC: The Magic of Robots
Over Coffee® is on hiatus through the Christmas holidays. We’ll be rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes of 2017. Thank you for listening–and be sure to be with us for our coverage of CES 2018!
Alan Timm (l) and Walter Martinez (r) with one of RSSC's early battling robots.

How would you like to start building your first robot?

Or, if you already have, would you like to learn even more about your next ones?

The Robotics Society of Southern California is waiting to help.

A nonprofit organization which has been in existence since the 1970s, Robotics Society of Southern California, or RSSC, is geared towards helping anyone with an interest in robotics. And that includes total beginners.

In March, we had the opportunity to talk with RSSC vice-president Alan Timm and secretary Walter Martinez. We discussed the RSSC. robots in general--and the InMoov, the world's first 3D printed robot, in particular. At the time of our conversation, Alan had completed his InMoov, and Walter was in the process of 3D printing and building his.
On this edition of Over Coffee® you’ll hear:

*
How Alan and Walter first became involved in robotics;

*
How makers are creating prosthetic hands through nonprofit E-Nable;

*
What’s involved in building the InMoov;

*
What the InMoov can currently do;

*
The directions in which Walter, Alan and their fellow roboticists are going, as they experiment with the InMoov’s capabilities;

*
How the Robotics Society of Southern California was created in the 1970s;

*
What Walter, who teaches robotics, would tell a beginner about creating a first robot;

*
How both Alan and Walter first became involved with RSSC;

*
What a beginner can expect, the first time attending an RSSC meeting;

*
An exciting major contest in which RSSC will be participating on June 10: the Fire Fighting Robot Contest;

*
Some misconceptions about the InMoov;

*
What Alan and RSSC are currently teaching the InMoov;

*
How Gael Langevin came to create the 3D printed InMoov robot;

*
Where to find “Alan’s Robot Lab” online, and Walter’s “Robotics City“, which includes a kit he created for children;

*
The resources each of them recommend to fellow roboticists as they get started;

*
Alan and Walter’s favorite stories about life with robots;

*
AND, a good mistake each of them made, from which they learned, that can encourage any of us as we build robots!
ALL-IN-ONE-PLACE, COOL ROBOTICS RESOURCES:

*
E-NABLE – a global community that matches volunteers who can 3D print prosthetic hands with those who need them

*
Robotics Society of Southern California – Their upcoming summer classes include Amazon Alexa programming and machine vision

*
InMoov – here’s where to find the plans for the life-sized 3D printed robot

*
Thingiverse – where you’ll see videos of the InMoov robot by Gael Langevin

*
Alan’s Robot Lab – here’s a link to his YouTube page,
27 min
December 17, 2017 RSSC: The Magic of Robots
Over Coffee® is on hiatus through the Christmas holidays. We’ll be rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes of 2017. Thank you for listening–and be sure to be with us for our coverage of CES 2018!
Alan Timm (l) and Walter Martinez (r) with one of RSSC's early battling robots.

How would you like to start building your first robot?

Or, if you already have, would you like to learn even more about your next ones?

The Robotics Society of Southern California is waiting to help.

A nonprofit organization which has been in existence since the 1970s, Robotics Society of Southern California, or RSSC, is geared towards helping anyone with an interest in robotics. And that includes total beginners.

In March, we had the opportunity to talk with RSSC vice-president Alan Timm and secretary Walter Martinez. We discussed the RSSC. robots in general--and the InMoov, the world's first 3D printed robot, in particular. At the time of our conversation, Alan had completed his InMoov, and Walter was in the process of 3D printing and building his.
On this edition of Over Coffee® you’ll hear:

*
How Alan and Walter first became involved in robotics;

*
How makers are creating prosthetic hands through nonprofit E-Nable;

*
What’s involved in building the InMoov;

*
What the InMoov can currently do;

*
The directions in which Walter, Alan and their fellow roboticists are going, as they experiment with the InMoov’s capabilities;

*
How the Robotics Society of Southern California was created in the 1970s;

*
What Walter, who teaches robotics, would tell a beginner about creating a first robot;

*
How both Alan and Walter first became involved with RSSC;

*
What a beginner can expect, the first time attending an RSSC meeting;

*
An exciting major contest in which RSSC will be participating on June 10: the Fire Fighting Robot Contest;

*
Some misconceptions about the InMoov;

*
What Alan and RSSC are currently teaching the InMoov;

*
How Gael Langevin came to create the 3D printed InMoov robot;

*
Where to find “Alan’s Robot Lab” online, and Walter’s “Robotics City“, which includes a kit he created for children;

*
The resources each of them recommend to fellow roboticists as they get started;

*
Alan and Walter’s favorite stories about life with robots;

*
AND, a good mistake each of them made, from which they learned, that can encourage any of us as we build robots!
ALL-IN-ONE-PLACE, COOL ROBOTICS RESOURCES:

*
E-NABLE – a global community that matches volunteers who can 3D print prosthetic hands with those who need them

*
Robotics Society of Southern California – Their upcoming summer classes include Amazon Alexa programming and machine vision

*
InMoov – here’s where to find the plans for the life-sized 3D printed robot

*
Thingiverse – where you’ll see videos of the InMoov robot by Gael Langevin

*
Alan’s Robot Lab – here’s a link to his YouTube page,
27 min
December 08, 2017 The “How-To’s” of Indiegogo
Over Coffee® is on hiatus through the Christmas holidays. We’ll be rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes of 2017. Thank you for listening–and be sure to be with us for our coverage of CES 2018!

What if you wanted to fund your dream project through Indiegogo?

At CES 2017's Eureka Park, we met Kate Drane, who is Indiegogo's Senior Director of Outreach for Tech and Hardware. Kate is also an entrepreneur: she co-founded craft brewery mobile canning service The Can Van in 2011. Today, she serves as their Chief Marketing Officer.

At the time we spoke, Indiegogo was just launching its "Equity Offerings" program. Kate explained how that would work, as well as sharing the story of Indiegogo, and her journey as an entrepreneur. She also offered some guidelines for running a successful crowdfunding campaign!
On this edition of Over Coffee® you’ll hear:

*
How Indiegogo came into being;

*
How to find out more about their “Equity Offerings” program;

*
Kate’s own experience, with her crowdfunding campaign for her small business;

*
The steps to a successful crowdfunding campaign;

*
The factor that enables campaigns to raise the most money;

*
The two social-media channels with which Kate has seen the highest conversion rate;

*
What NOT to do, in a crowdfunding campaign;

*
Some of Kate’s favorite experiences since coming to work for Indiegogo, almost five years ago.

Stand by for our coverage of CES 2018, which happens in Las Vegas, January 9th through 12th!
Meanwhile, are you a startup with a highly innovative idea? As in, one that will make a major impact on the market? According to CES' website, Eureka Park applications are still open! Here's the link to their criteria. Good luck, and maybe we'll see you there!

10 min
December 08, 2017 The “How-To’s” of Indiegogo
Over Coffee® is on hiatus through the Christmas holidays. We’ll be rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes of 2017. Thank you for listening–and be sure to be with us for our coverage of CES 2018!

What if you wanted to fund your dream project through Indiegogo?

At CES 2017's Eureka Park, we met Kate Drane, who is Indiegogo's Senior Director of Outreach for Tech and Hardware. Kate is also an entrepreneur: she co-founded craft brewery mobile canning service The Can Van in 2011. Today, she serves as their Chief Marketing Officer.

At the time we spoke, Indiegogo was just launching its "Equity Offerings" program. Kate explained how that would work, as well as sharing the story of Indiegogo, and her journey as an entrepreneur. She also offered some guidelines for running a successful crowdfunding campaign!
On this edition of Over Coffee® you’ll hear:

*
How Indiegogo came into being;

*
How to find out more about their “Equity Offerings” program;

*
Kate’s own experience, with her crowdfunding campaign for her small business;

*
The steps to a successful crowdfunding campaign;

*
The factor that enables campaigns to raise the most money;

*
The two social-media channels with which Kate has seen the highest conversion rate;

*
What NOT to do, in a crowdfunding campaign;

*
Some of Kate’s favorite experiences since coming to work for Indiegogo, almost five years ago.

Stand by for our coverage of CES 2018, which happens in Las Vegas, January 9th through 12th!
Meanwhile, are you a startup with a highly innovative idea? As in, one that will make a major impact on the market? According to CES' website, Eureka Park applications are still open! Here's the link to their criteria. Good luck, and maybe we'll see you there!

10 min
December 01, 2017 Road-Mapping Innovation
Over Coffee® is on hiatus through the Christmas holidays. We’ll be rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes of 2017. Thank you for listening–and be sure to be with us for our coverage of CES 2018!

Where are we headed, with autonomous vehicles?

Michigan Applied Robotics Group co-founder Rourke Pattullo is participating in answering that question. And that response keeps evolving.

Rourke, who is majoring in electrical engineering at the University of Michigan, is currently spending a semester in Shanghai as part of the Michigan Engineers Abroad program.

We had the opportunity to meet and chat at the 2017 Sensors Expo in San Jose, in June, after Rourke participated in the "Sense Technologies" panel during the new "Automotive and Autonomous Vehicles Sensors Workshop". At the time, Rourke had been serving as vice-president of the university's autonomous-boat team, UM: Autonomy.

Prior to leaving for his fall semester in China, Rourke talked about his background, the University of Michigan's innovations in the area of autonomous vehicles, and his vision for the future.
On this edition of Over Coffee®, you’ll hear:

*
How Rourke’s background led to his interest in autonomous vehicles;

*
The test conditions self-driving cars face, in the University of Michigan's “Mcity”;

*
Some of the technologies that may enable future self-driving cars;

*
How the Michigan Applied Robotics Group came into being;

*
How UM Autonomy used their problem-solving skills to implement a critical technology for autonomous boats;

*
The first areas in which UM students learn, while constructing autonomous vehicles;

*
Some of the obstacles researchers have found, to making self-driving vehicles a daily reality;

*
The two reactions Rourke hears from the general public, about the idea of autonomous vehicles;

*
Myths, versus the realities, of "smart" vehicles;

*
Rourke’s favorite funny experience, which illustrates one of the “human-nature” obstacles to implementing self-driving cars;

*
Some of the considerations involved in implementing the new technology in urban areas;

*
Rourke’s projections of the role of autonomous vehicles in two different areas, ten years in the future;

*
And, how engineers are designing self-driving cars to deal with weather challenges.

37 min
December 01, 2017 Road-Mapping Innovation
Over Coffee® is on hiatus through the Christmas holidays. We’ll be rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes of 2017. Thank you for listening–and be sure to be with us for our coverage of CES 2018!

Where are we headed, with autonomous vehicles?

Michigan Applied Robotics Group co-founder Rourke Pattullo is participating in answering that question. And that response keeps evolving.

Rourke, who is majoring in electrical engineering at the University of Michigan, is currently spending a semester in Shanghai as part of the Michigan Engineers Abroad program.

We had the opportunity to meet and chat at the 2017 Sensors Expo in San Jose, in June, after Rourke participated in the "Sense Technologies" panel during the new "Automotive and Autonomous Vehicles Sensors Workshop". At the time, Rourke had been serving as vice-president of the university's autonomous-boat team, UM: Autonomy.

Prior to leaving for his fall semester in China, Rourke talked about his background, the University of Michigan's innovations in the area of autonomous vehicles, and his vision for the future.
On this edition of Over Coffee®, you’ll hear:

*
How Rourke’s background led to his interest in autonomous vehicles;

*
The test conditions self-driving cars face, in the University of Michigan's “Mcity”;

*
Some of the technologies that may enable future self-driving cars;

*
How the Michigan Applied Robotics Group came into being;

*
How UM Autonomy used their problem-solving skills to implement a critical technology for autonomous boats;

*
The first areas in which UM students learn, while constructing autonomous vehicles;

*
Some of the obstacles researchers have found, to making self-driving vehicles a daily reality;

*
The two reactions Rourke hears from the general public, about the idea of autonomous vehicles;

*
Myths, versus the realities, of "smart" vehicles;

*
Rourke’s favorite funny experience, which illustrates one of the “human-nature” obstacles to implementing self-driving cars;

*
Some of the considerations involved in implementing the new technology in urban areas;

*
Rourke’s projections of the role of autonomous vehicles in two different areas, ten years in the future;

*
And, how engineers are designing self-driving cars to deal with weather challenges.

37 min

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Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak episodes

About Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak