3D Printing
The Charles River Collaboratory has 10 3D printers, 7 Bambu X1C and P1Ps and 3 larger format printers for printing larger objects including two dual extruders. The youth leaders are trained to use the printers and can help anyone learn to learn to use to 3D printing.
Laser Cutting
The CRC is equipped is a 100 Watt CO2 laser with a rotary. The laser can easily engrave and cut a variety of woods and engrave and cut acrylic and glass and color metal. The 100 watt laser can easily cut through 1/4" wood, etch glass, and easily cut through 1/8" wood. The image on this slide is multiple layers of 1/8" birch put together to make Fenway stadium.
The Collaboratory has two 20 watt output small dot focus diode lasers that are ideal for high detail laser engraving of images on wood and for use print screen making.
Diode Lasers
The CRC has a vinyl cutter for making stickers and cutting other materials. The Cricut is an easy to use machine for making your own stickers for laptops, water bottles, or pretty much anything you would like or need a sticker for!
Vinyl Cutter
Small CNC machining
The Collaboratory has two small (computer numerical control) CNC machines designed to making small signs, engraving wood and learning how CNC machines operate. The CNC machines are to teach one the basics of how a CNC machine operates, how to indentify and use different bits, the speed rates, plunge rates, and how to use a CNC machine safely.
Print Screen Making
The Collaboratory has a print screen maker that uses laser cutters to create high detailed screen prints. In this way it is possible to make designs for t-shirts, shirts, bags, and other clothing or materials. The print screens work in both CO2 lasers and diode lasers. The diode lasers allow for higher detailed images.
The Charles River Collaboratory is equipped with multiple Virtual Reality (VR) headsets to explore the virtual world. The headsets are also used to explore augmented reality and to support data visualization of environmental data such as air quality, heat islands, and other data that is often associated with enviornmental justice explorations.
Virtual and Augmeted Reality
The Collaboratory trains youth on how to code and use a micro:controllers to build, test, and explore how to solve problems that can help the community, grow plants, create automated systems, and explore artificial intelligient systems.
Arduino, Raspberry PI, Micro:bit, and Sensors... OH MY!
Automatic Farming Robot
Youth at the Collaboratory are building an automated farming robot that is powered by an Arduino and will be connected to a solar panel system and using rain water. The robot is based upon the basis of a CNC machine and will automatically provide the correct amount water for each plant, automatically weed the garden, and monitor the plant using an artificial intelligient camera. Be on the lookout for the operational robot as you enter the museum by the main entrance!
Autmatied Embrodiery Machines and Sewing
The Collaboratory is equipped with automatic embroidery machine and sewing machines that can be used to put designs on shirts, bags, t-shirts, and other materials. The software is similar in nature to the lasers and CNC machines as such the same set of skills are transferreable between different devices.