V.E.L.M.A.
Mobile STEM Lab | Design-Build | 2021
BSIA | Prof. David Matthews
Undergraduate Research Award 2022
Mobile STEM Lab | Design-Build | 2021
BSIA | Prof. David Matthews
Undergraduate Research Award 2022
V.E.L.M.A. (Vehicle for Engineering, Light,
Mechanics & Acoustics)
This design-build studio constructed a prototype STEAM lab trailer “VELMA” for the Lenoir City Middle School STEAM program. The 18 member, student design team partnered with 6th-grade students and cross-disciplinary experts to envision, design, and build the lab. The VELMA trailer serves as a prototype for multidisciplinary innovation that expands student educational STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts. Math) experiences.
Conceptual Framework:
The concept of VELMA emerged from merging design ideas generated by the 6th-grade STEAM students and interactive design sessions with the Leadership Visioning Team. The Leadership Visioning Team is a group comprised of experts from STEAM Education, Physics, Engineering, Design Methods, and Industrial Design. The synthesis of the two groups is essential to developing an approach to the design that is empathic to the 6th-graders’ needs and the wisdom and knowledge of disciplinary experts.
The five images below represent five parameters used for developing a fully immersive and enticing experience for the 6th-graders, who would end up using the lab to learn, brainstorm, invent, design, and build sound machines. These machines would ultimately impact and interact sensorially with the VELMA Lab. Each image represents a stage the users would experience to help guide them through the space and creative processes. The stages are: Entice, Enter, Engage, Exit and Extend.
This design-build studio constructed a prototype STEAM lab trailer “VELMA” for the Lenoir City Middle School STEAM program. The 18 member, student design team partnered with 6th-grade students and cross-disciplinary experts to envision, design, and build the lab. The VELMA trailer serves as a prototype for multidisciplinary innovation that expands student educational STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts. Math) experiences.
Conceptual Framework:
The concept of VELMA emerged from merging design ideas generated by the 6th-grade STEAM students and interactive design sessions with the Leadership Visioning Team. The Leadership Visioning Team is a group comprised of experts from STEAM Education, Physics, Engineering, Design Methods, and Industrial Design. The synthesis of the two groups is essential to developing an approach to the design that is empathic to the 6th-graders’ needs and the wisdom and knowledge of disciplinary experts.
The five images below represent five parameters used for developing a fully immersive and enticing experience for the 6th-graders, who would end up using the lab to learn, brainstorm, invent, design, and build sound machines. These machines would ultimately impact and interact sensorially with the VELMA Lab. Each image represents a stage the users would experience to help guide them through the space and creative processes. The stages are: Entice, Enter, Engage, Exit and Extend.
Overall Construction & Intent:
The construction of the interior system provided many highs and lows, trials and errors for the design-build students. The hands-on experience provided opportunities to learn how to work together and communicate with all the moving parts involved in creating the interior. The students gained new perspectives and knowledge on construction and material fabrication.
The VELMA exterior is created to provide visual signals to the operational, creative and exploratory potential housed in the interior. Vinyl graphics surround each button top rovide visual aids for STEAM students to begin developing sound associations. Each graphic represents a different feature of the STEAM trailer, sound, light, mechanics, and acoustics. The heavy blue presence on the outside represents the audio graphic and the signal of producing sound with the “entice” mallet game.
The construction of the interior system provided many highs and lows, trials and errors for the design-build students. The hands-on experience provided opportunities to learn how to work together and communicate with all the moving parts involved in creating the interior. The students gained new perspectives and knowledge on construction and material fabrication.
The VELMA exterior is created to provide visual signals to the operational, creative and exploratory potential housed in the interior. Vinyl graphics surround each button top rovide visual aids for STEAM students to begin developing sound associations. Each graphic represents a different feature of the STEAM trailer, sound, light, mechanics, and acoustics. The heavy blue presence on the outside represents the audio graphic and the signal of producing sound with the “entice” mallet game.
Construction & Fabrication:
The fabrication process for the ceiling was complex and required a trial and error method for installation. The first step was to build the frames to support ceiling panels. Each frame varies in size due to the trailer’s construction dimensions being inconsistent. The process included cutting all parts for the frame, assembling, dry fitting, disassembling, re-cutting, and repeating until each frame fit within a 1/16” tolerance. The next step of the ceiling assembly was constructing the ceiling panels and attaching them to each frame. We had to cut each panel with the track saw to accommodate subtle angles slightly out of square. A screw location template was created to attach each fastener with high precision. This created a pattern of screws mapped with precision.
The original flooring of the trailer was plywood covered in thick red paint. In thinking about the new flooring, we used a material that would draw your eye through the space. We also decided on using two different types of flooring to create visual contrast. The first material used was diamond thread aluminum sheets placed down the center of the trailer. This material was chosen for its reflective and durable properties. It was also the material chosen to lead your eye through the space, as it reflects the light throughout the trailer and creates focus at the light wall at the end of the trailer. The selected second material was rubber mat flooring. This was chosen as it provides visual contrast with the aluminum diamond plate, as it is dark and light absorptive and provides a soft cushion in case a metal tube gets dropped. The aluminum is attached with screws to the plywood sub-floor, and the rubber flooring is adhered to the existing sub-floor with contact cement.
The fabrication process for the ceiling was complex and required a trial and error method for installation. The first step was to build the frames to support ceiling panels. Each frame varies in size due to the trailer’s construction dimensions being inconsistent. The process included cutting all parts for the frame, assembling, dry fitting, disassembling, re-cutting, and repeating until each frame fit within a 1/16” tolerance. The next step of the ceiling assembly was constructing the ceiling panels and attaching them to each frame. We had to cut each panel with the track saw to accommodate subtle angles slightly out of square. A screw location template was created to attach each fastener with high precision. This created a pattern of screws mapped with precision.
The original flooring of the trailer was plywood covered in thick red paint. In thinking about the new flooring, we used a material that would draw your eye through the space. We also decided on using two different types of flooring to create visual contrast. The first material used was diamond thread aluminum sheets placed down the center of the trailer. This material was chosen for its reflective and durable properties. It was also the material chosen to lead your eye through the space, as it reflects the light throughout the trailer and creates focus at the light wall at the end of the trailer. The selected second material was rubber mat flooring. This was chosen as it provides visual contrast with the aluminum diamond plate, as it is dark and light absorptive and provides a soft cushion in case a metal tube gets dropped. The aluminum is attached with screws to the plywood sub-floor, and the rubber flooring is adhered to the existing sub-floor with contact cement.
Interior Construction & Fabrication:
The design of the light wall located at the end of the trailer is to create a visual focus ande mphasize the linear circulation axis. The light tubes are constructed similar to those in the deployable structure, with twisted LED strips encased in a glossy plastic tube to enhance the sparkle. The back wall is the interior side of the original exterior aluminum skin. The light tubes are sandwiched between the aluminum wall and the perforated metal sheets. The visual effect dissolves the material qualities and emphasizes the light energy. The installation of the overhead tech shelf and flooring had to be coordinated before fabricating the light wall. Once these were in place, the aluminum poles were cut to the correct height. The perforated panels were dry fit and clamped to ensure precise drilling of holes for screws.
The design of the light wall located at the end of the trailer is to create a visual focus ande mphasize the linear circulation axis. The light tubes are constructed similar to those in the deployable structure, with twisted LED strips encased in a glossy plastic tube to enhance the sparkle. The back wall is the interior side of the original exterior aluminum skin. The light tubes are sandwiched between the aluminum wall and the perforated metal sheets. The visual effect dissolves the material qualities and emphasizes the light energy. The installation of the overhead tech shelf and flooring had to be coordinated before fabricating the light wall. Once these were in place, the aluminum poles were cut to the correct height. The perforated panels were dry fit and clamped to ensure precise drilling of holes for screws.
Wall-Mounted Storage System:
The tube wall-mounted storage system is visually composed to mimic a light or sound waveform. The shelving system was modeled in three dimensions to ensure accuracy in accessing the tubes and ensure reliability with tight height tolerances. The individual shelves are fabricated with 3/4” thick horizontal plywood brackets and vertical 1/16” aluminum structural supports. The 3-d model was used to generate CNC drawings for digital cutting operations. The aluminum brackets were cut using a digitally-driven abrasive water jet cutter. Mounted under the tube storage system are the storage buckets for the mallet and rig materials. The buckets are repurposed wooden waste baskets. The shelving holding the storage buckets was also cut using a 3 axis CNC router.
The tube wall-mounted storage system is visually composed to mimic a light or sound waveform. The shelving system was modeled in three dimensions to ensure accuracy in accessing the tubes and ensure reliability with tight height tolerances. The individual shelves are fabricated with 3/4” thick horizontal plywood brackets and vertical 1/16” aluminum structural supports. The 3-d model was used to generate CNC drawings for digital cutting operations. The aluminum brackets were cut using a digitally-driven abrasive water jet cutter. Mounted under the tube storage system are the storage buckets for the mallet and rig materials. The buckets are repurposed wooden waste baskets. The shelving holding the storage buckets was also cut using a 3 axis CNC router.
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