About me¶

Me¶

Hy, I'm Lena. I'm 31 years old and live in Bottrop with my husband, two children, and my cat. I love making things with my hands and trying out new techniques. Over the last few years, I have worked with sawing, turning (wood), milling, sanding, sewing, bending, welding, felting, casting, laser cutting, 3D printing and many other processes. Along the way, I have made very different kinds of projects, from children’s furniture and clothing to LARP costumes and Kids, Dungeon & Dragons props and accessories, and many other things.

More about some of these projects further down this page.

I enjoy experimenting with very different materials, but wood and other natural materials are still my favourites.

What I like most about this materials is that they don't only have one purpose. They can become something new, be changed, repaired or reused in a completely different context. For me, sustainability is closely connected to that idea: using what is already there, keeping materials in use and finding new possibilities in things that might otherwise be thrown away.

My background¶

I first studied Applied Computer Science at HRW in Bottrop and later continued with a Master’s degree in Computer Science. As part of my studies, I ended up at the Fablab in 2016 and somehow stayed there as an employee. Although my studies took longer than originally planned, but along the way I learned much more than I expected.

I have also always enjoyed sharing what I know with others. While I was still at school, I started a robotics club and continued to support it for several years afterwards. This is still an important part of my work today, where I regularly give workshops and courses for kindergarten children, school students and other interested people.

Motivation¶

I love trying out new things and learning, especially when it involves making something with my hands.

I also enjoy combining different interests such as electronics, clothing, robotics and making, and Fabricademy offers a lot of opportunities to bring these things together.

I already took part in Fab Academy in 2020, and I really enjoyed learning many new things. Even the time pressure was an interesting part of the experience.

Just looking through the projects from previous years and the Fabricademy programme already gives me a lot of ideas that I really want to try out. Probably more than I will actually have time to try.

What else I've been up to¶

Here are a few insights of the things I have built over the last few years.

Fabacademy 2020¶

In 2020, I took part in Fab Academy and used many of the weekly assignments to build things i can use .

For example, I made a modular Dungeons & Dragons dungeon during the laser cutting week, experimented with 3D scanning and printing to copy a pair of glasses and worked on a soft silicone gripper.

Many of the other experiments later came together in my final project, the second version of the Morph3DBot.

Take a look at my Fab Academy 2020 documentation

Morph3Dbot¶

The Morph3DBot is a modular robotics system designed to teach STEM and digital skills through hands-on learning.

It is based on reusable 3D-printed cubes and adapters that can be combined in many different ways. Motors, sensors, LEDs and other components can be added depending on what the robot should do.

The system is open and not tied to one specific microcontroller. This makes it possible to use different controllers and also helps students understand the electronics behind the robot instead of only using a finished system.

The idea for the Morph3DBot grew out of my experience with the robotics club I started at school. Working with many students showed me that existing robot systems are often either quite limited or become very expensive when you need several sets and want enough flexibility to build different kinds of robots.

So I started developing my own modular robot system. I continued working on it during Fab Academy and later throughout my studies.

More about the Morph3DBot

StackCubes¶

The StackCubes are a modular furniture system that I developed together with Lukas Hellweg for the FabLab Bottrop.

The idea came from a practical need: in 2019, the FabLab moved into larger new rooms, and we wanted a modular furniture system that we could manufacture ourselves and adapt to many different situations,as for the lab and trade shows to later versions for children’s rooms, such as a play kitchen or dollhouse.

The cubes have wave-shaped upper and lower edges, which allow them to be stacked not only directly on top of each other, but also offset or turned around. This creates many different combinations and makes the system much more flexible.

We also developed different add-ons, such as rolling boards and larger connecting panels. With these, the cubes can be turned into mobile storage, tables, benches or other seating arrangements.

Dungeon and Dragon Table¶

Interactive D&D Table¶

The Interactive D&D Table started when I saw similar gaming tables at the SPIEL fair in Essen. I liked the idea, but my first thought was: That is quite expensive, could I make it myself?

I wanted to combine the physical parts of Dungeons & Dragons with digital and interactive elements. But I didn't want to replace the feel of a real D&D game with too much technology. A large screen in the centre of the table can be used for maps and digital game content, while smaller screens in front of the players allow the Dungeon Master to communicate information directly to them.

The turn order is shown using small illuminated signs, adding another interactive element without replacing the physical parts of the game.

More about the Interactive D&D Table