First Test Run

Hi. Here is my application’s first test run. There’s heaps to improve scriptwise. There’s also still a latency which can only be caused by either my processing speed or the video delay of the projector. Hmmm…and i only have one week left. :s

Filed under: Hardware, Software

Approaching The Finish Line

I think I can call it a day. My Multiple Touch DSI table is 95% finished. Will still take most of Monday to get it done completely. Same old same old. Small mirror angle is slightly off track and catches the edge of the projector. Big mirror needs to be adjusted accordingly. Cover sheet for the top needs to be cut and drilled and electricity be to be taken care off. Then its only the camera rig that needs to be drilled on the ground -> DONE!  🙂

Mission impossible coding for the rest of the week and everything will turn out good I hope.

Here are the latest pictures:

Filed under: Hardware

Wobble Problem Solved

Hi. Installing the side panels did work. The table is now solid and should provide a good base for my setUp. I’ve also finalized the projector stand this morning.

Here are the updates:

Filed under: Hardware

Building The Body Part 2

Hi there. The body of my table is almost finished. My jigsaw table has been in heavy duty use today to cut two large wooden sheets to size (side panels) and a lot of aluminium profiles. The funny thing is, that one can hardly tell any difference. 🙂 I’m confident, that I’ll be able to finish my table by tomorrow night. Two things concern me at this stage…picture quality and the table being a bit wobbly due to rather long aluminium beams. Hope the wooden panels will solve that problem. The picture quality, which is still a bit blurry is based on my mirrors. Here’s how I intend to fix this:

1. I will mount them onto a straight and solid surface, to avoid distortion.

2. High polishing them. That’s going to become a difficult thing to do. Their surface is completely exposed and very sensitive.

Tomorrow more.

Cheers Gabor

Filed under: Hardware

Large First Surface Mirror – Done

It took about 2 hours and almost a whole bottle of mineralized turpentine. The result looks pretty good though. I figured that the type of turpentine is pretty important too, for there are different kind. I didn’t know that before. You want to utilize 100% Hydrocarbon liquid. Makes you work hard to polish the coating off, but gives more control over the finalised product. Also make sure that there is constantly cold water running over the surface. Cotton will scratch your reflective surface. Use wet papertowels instead. Many of them.

Filed under: Hardware

Camera Rig

Just finished the camera rig. Does not look complicated, but did involve quite a fair bit of sawing and drilling.

Just a reminder: Jigsaws are no toys! Could have easily lost my thumb today, due to being incautious for less than one second.  Have been lucky and got away with a heavy bruises. So be careful 😉

Here is the result:

Cheers

Gabor

Filed under: Hardware

First Surface Mirror – Still A Very Delicate Job

Today I’ve  given it another try with a full sized mirror. After yesterdays euphoria about turpentine, I did expect this procedure to become a bit less nerve wrecking than the time before. But no. It is one thing to succeed on a piece of off cut acrylic, but a completely other to washing off the back coating of a large sized mirror. Nevertheless have I been very lucky today. I damaged the reflective surface just exactly above the measurements I need for my set up and after inhaling heaps of turps i finally ended up with a relatively good result. The large one stil needs to be prepared though and I am a bit nervous just thinking about it. Here’s the result:

Filed under: Hardware

Mission DIY First Surface Mirror – Accomplished

I have managed to create my own first surface mirror using turpentine instead of paint stripper. Now i’ll have to drive all the way up to chatswood again getting two more of these still quite expensive acrylic mirrors. Well, can code on bus and train 😉

Here’s the result:

Filed under: Hardware

Building Tables Body Frame

Ola, only two weeks left until graduate exhibition (28th of July)

This weekend has been all about building the body and i believe it will take another two days to finish the setup to a presentable piece.

I’ve decided to go aluminium profiles for the main frame and it turned out quite good.  Have look:

Obviously all the inside installations have to be sorted out now, which are slightly more difficult to create. Especially the mirrors are giving me head aches for two reasons:

1. I still didn’t manage to make my own first surface mirrors of correct measurements. (Have another glass mirror and still some acrylic off cuts left overs from last time at home, which I will try out today. Also bought a  paint stripper that is less strong than the one before. Will post my results tonight. Hope it works.)

2. Instaling them in a way that their angle can be adjusted easily. (Here I was thinking of utilizing some kind of a radius hinge. I’ll be checking out a speciality fasteners manufacturer tomorrow in Alexandria. Apparently they carry that kind of stuff.)

Cheers

Gabor

Filed under: Hardware

First Surface Mirror Results 1

Ola. Trying to get the color coat of the back of these mirrors is pretty difficult. That paint stripper works way to well and applying it for three seconds is probably enough. Anything longer than that will make the paint stripper eat through the reflecting process. On the far right is my best result so far. Got to go on practicing, before spoiling a $50 mirror. :s

mfg Gabor

Filed under: Hardware