A collaborative prototyping session and open investigation into open source syringe pumps. Created and run by designer Jesse Howard.
In 2014, researchers at Michigan Technological University published a paper outlining how to build your own syringe pump using 3D printed components. The response media was positive, envisioning doctors printing their own tools and scientists cutting costs with open source replacements to traditional tools.
Today, a quick search online will lead you to quite a few clear and well documented projects for creating these devices. While improvements and modifications are accumulating, there does not yet seem to be a clear evolution toward these open-source tools standing on equal footing with their commercial counter parts.
In this workshop, the open-source syringe pump will approached from the perspective of the promise of open-source hardware (collaborative development, distributed production), as well as its pitfalls (obsolete electronics and broken links). Through a collaborative prototyping session, we will look into two examples of popular open-source syringe pumps, and propose future development in terms of physical construction, mechanical operation, and digital interaction.
Schedule
Introduction
The Promise and Pitfalls of Open Source Development for Physical Things.
Anatomy of an Open syringe pump
We will deconstruct and analyze two current interactions ofopen-source syringe pumps and their documentation, searching for where development is needed and how adaptations could occur.
Hands-on Prototyping session
We will collectively (paper)prototype new modifications, revisions, and extensions to the initial pumps. This will take a wide point of view, looking from the physical housing of the device, the mechanical construction, to the interface with which it is operated.
This workshop is part of the 3Package Deal residency of Jesse Howard, funded by the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts.
