hacking task: week three

This week the class headed to the workshop for some fun dismantling some electronic products and creating new models from the pieces. We were told to bring a electronic object and some random materials and see what we came up with. 

Our table had a collection of items including a remote control car, electric razor, plug-in speakers, computer keyboard and a computer mouse. To begin with we took these objects apart to see how the parts were put together and to see how the mechanics and electronics worked. 

collection of items (Noller, 2011)

disassembly (Noller, 2011)

Some of the objects such as the razor where very difficult to open up as can be seen below, however things like the keyboard and mouse where quite easy to open and still understand how it operated. 

finding the screw (Noller, 2011)

(Noller, 2011)

Eventually the razor was opened, which revealed a simple motor, parallel razor blades and on/off switches. The next task was to get the motor working again. The electronics looked fine so we opted to try some new batteries, which we got going with the cooperation of another team.

opened razor showing motor and batteries (Noller, 2011)

(Noller, 2011)

taking contacts off old batteries (Noller, 2011)

attaching new batteries with rubber bands (Noller, 2011)

At this point the other team brought across a toy boat with working propeller but not working motor. We then set about putting the motor from the razor together with the boat to get that working again. This was not really producing a new piece of technology however at that point I think it was necessary for us in order to understand what the idea of the task was. A few attachment were needed to be change to fit the two pieces together which can be see below and this got the boat working again. 

After getting the boat working again, we decided to find some other pieces from the other products to create some kind of tangible model. We decided to attach the wheel from a computer mouse onto the motor of the razor to make it go around in circles to perhaps inspire some other uses for it. 

Another more practical alteration was when we put the propellor from a toy helicopter onto the motor. firstly it was put on and worked fine but the air was being directed back towards the motor. After changing which way it was on, it directed the air towards the user.