STEAM educationRecently, many people are concerned about the hot film 《La La Land》. The hero’s love for jazz, and his persistent pursuit of dreams set an romantic tone for the film’s OST. Moreover, they give more imagination of the La La Land for audiences.
The background of a young maker of Makeblock
As a jazz music Fans, Wang Weijiang, a youth maker in Shenzhen, combines his love for jazz and technology. He used mechanical device like paper, needle and metal to constructed a vintage vinyl, which is interpreted the combination of jazz and technology.
Weijiang graduated from the Department of Industrial Design Wang, having it quite a cutting edge look. It is difficult to imagine his childhood was a “Wreck-It Ralph”. Because he grew up in a music-loving family with his father collected at home.
Curious about the structure and principles of the phonograph, he secretly removed the two player’s home and found there are many parts can be installed back. He took out of the shell and the key to recovery, without immediately noticing his father. Even if his father later found, he did not blame Weijiang. Damage to the two vinyl has inspired the Wei River who began hands-on ability to explore the unknown. Whenever asked about the dream after growing up, “became an inventor” is always his answer.
The realization of dream
Time flies, the inventor of this lofty ideals, all the way deep in the heart of Wang Weijiang. He arrived Shenzhen, the Maker City, joined Makeblock in product development. He gradually realized the similarities between the original inventor and maker. And now he enjoys the creativity and technology combined with the creative process.
In December, 2016, he participated in the company’s internal trainee marathon. Within only 24 hours to complete the “Makeblock and paper” theme creative competition, he led his team constructed DIY vintage vinyl and won the First prize.
With the preference for blues and jazz music,the DIY vinyl player is Weijiang’s “premeditated for a long time” idea. He has been waiting for the right opportunity to practice thinking. Originally, he began to contact jazz from the primary school in classic films or music. Since then, he has always wanted to DIY a vintage vinyl.
He produced DIY retro vocal music player reflecting the application of the principle of physical acoustics. Using of paper vibration is easy to sound characteristics, combined with vinyl tracks(or groove) on the record to reproduce the principle of sound waves. And then he used Makeblock’s component to assemble the remaining parts of the player. With the steady speed stepper motor to drive the vinyl record, and the tip of needle wrapped by the paper, the vinyl sound information into paper vibration to make the sound.
How to overcome the technical difficulties
Wang Weijiang admitted that indeed encountered technical difficulties during the process of creativity put into practice – the cooperation between the needle and the record. In the case of non-manual operation, let the stylus switch the position automatically and maintain good sound quality, is a technical challenge. So it is necessary to design a reasonable structure and repeated testing and verification.
Wang Weijiang found Huo Yanlin, Li Kaijie, and Ran Li, three colleagues to help themselves. They are starting with Makeblock components which are easy to use. Firstly they erected player base, and then adds crossbar on this basis. As for the part of the stylus, it is made of the rolled paper and the needle, so the vibration of the needle and the soundtrack is transmitted to the paper
Therefore, the vibration of the paper magnifies the sound, and moderately increases the relationship between the stylus and the record pressure. It sends sound of more intermediate frequency and low frequency. Music has more balanced and better sound. In this process, the team also used the Makeblock’s graphical programming software——mBlock. After several adjustments and testing, it ultimately overcame the stylus and recorded with difficulties.
Within 24 hours of the creation, Wang Weijiang did not miss any details. Instead, he carefully set up two unique paper light, hoping to achieve the interaction of sound and light creative experience.
He used paper translucent features, so players cut over 120 sheets of large paper and more than 30 small pieces of paper. Through the multi-layer stack, they made a highly complex irregular spherical shade. The interior is full of reflective, translucent and shadows of the cross and the corner placed the dazzling light ball, accompanied by melodic musician jazz song 《Quizás, Quizás, Quizás》.
Sound and light hit each other. So this combination of mechanical and aesthetic works show perfect to conquer the audience and the judges, and let everyone feel the charming STEAM education. Some audience thought that the graceful music was pre-recorded rather than on-site.
STEAM Education
For the rise of the founder and STEAM education, Wang Wei Jiang also has its own unique insights.
First of all, he believes that there is a keen observation of life and found that others are not easy to see things or angles.
Secondly, there must be full imagination to divergent thinking; At the same time, but also have a certain execution and self-driving, make the idea into reality.
He used his experience as an example. In the past, people use painting and other means to observe and depict the world. But now more and more people use the robot or other mechanical equipment to expand the imagination, exercise logical thinking, teamwork and other capabilities. This change reflects the the significance of STEAM education.
Back to the film <<La La Land>>, which tells the story of the Jazz and dream, the hero achieve their own jazz dream in the years of persistence. Coincidentally, Maker Wang Weijiang and Jazz has a bond. He achieves his own small goals through long-term accumulation and efforts. Shenzhen, the city of this Makers like Wang Weijiang, provides a fertile soil for dream. So that they work in their own love, in which to find a family belonging to the satisfaction of the family.
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