MachineShop: steps toward exploring novel I/O devices for computational craftwork

The notion of "computational crafting" focuses on the numerous ways in which computational media may be used to expand the expressive range of traditional educational crafts. One important dimension of this approach involves a close re-examination of an issue often taken for granted in educational technology - namely, the design and use of I/O devices. The next decade is likely to produce a fascinating array of novel I/O devices and technologies; these in turn offer substantial promise of augmenting the power of computational tools for children\´s craftwork. This paper describes initial work toward developing an educational crafting application for the design of mechanical toys and automata. Our application, MachineShop, is intended to allow students to create mechanical parts (e.g. cams, gears, and shafts) that may be customized and simulated on the computer screen, and finally "printed out" on a laser cutter for realization in materials such as wood and foam core. We describe the current (early) state of the application and discuss its implications for the design and use of novel or unorthodox I/O devices in educational technology