Some designs on the University blog and scanning my face.

Some of my work has now appeared on the university blog, Open3DP.
You should take a look, there is a lot of cool stuff over there.
http://open3dp.me.washington.edu/?p=502

I have been spending a lot of time exploring the DAVID laser scanner software.  I have built a scanning rig that hold the calibration boards and lets them open so you can scan through the middle.

 This design was adapted from a similar design I found on the DAVID discussion board.  The way mine is constructed allows it it collapse down to flat boards.  This should make it relatively transportable.  I am also working with my lab partner on making a version that does not need the boards to scan.

Here is my latest scan (my face):

It can pick up an amazing amount of detail. (and this is the free version, the pay version is higher resolution)

Food, Equations, Exersice, and Lasers

Food

I have not been eating as well as I would like to be.  I have been eating out way to much.  I went a restocked my fridge and am going to start eating better again this week.

Equations

I have been playing a lot with SAGE and implicit modeling.  It is very cool to have this:
c = Tetrahedral (18,18,60)
sp = Sphere(1.5)
sld = Join(c,sp)
swplt = Plot3d(sld,5,100)
swplt

where you just define the individual shapes like this:
def Tetrahedral (a,b,c) : return ((x^2 + y^2 + z^2)^2 + a*x*y*z - b*(x^2 + y^2 + z^2) + c)
def Sphere (r) : return (x^2+y^2+z^2-r^2
and a join like this:
def Join (a,b) : return Min2(a,b)

And what comes out is:

Yes that is a sphere floating in the middle...  I plan to try printing this.  It should work and have the ball trapped in the middle.  (I will post pictures if it works.)

Exersice

I went for a run this morning.  It was not a very long run, but it was a run.  I think I am going to join the "Movers and Shakers" club at work.  That is where you get a pedometer and log your miles.  You then get prizes at certain points.  It might be a good motivator....

Lasers

I think for my final project in my rapid prototyping class we are going to test and use a 3D scanner setup using free software called DAVID (http://www.david-laserscanner.com/).   What is very cool about this is that it uses any camera and a laser with a line diffuser on it.  You use the laser to scan the surface of the object while the camera records the shape of the line.  This is then converted into a 3D shape in the computer.