arXiv subjects

Nadya Peek

Publications and source records attributed to Nadya Peek.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

PANDA-film: an automated system for electrodeposition of polymer thin films and their wetting analysis

Thin polymer films are widely used as functional and protective coatings. However, determining the composition and processing conditions that produce a desired function is a tedious process due to the large number of factors that must be considered and the manual nature of most synthesis and characterization methods. Self-driving labs (SDLs), or robotic systems that prepare and test materials samples, are designed to overcome this bottleneck by enabling the efficient exploration of complex parameter spaces. In this paper, we report the development and testing of the polymer analysis and discovery array (PANDA)-film, a modular SDL for electrochemically synthesizing polymer films and then determining their water contact angle as a measure of surface energy. The system is designed to be highly modular and based upon a lowcost gantry platform to facilitate adoption. In addition to validating fluid handling and electrochemical tasks, we introduce two novel modular capabilities that enable PANDA-film to run sustained campaigns to study the wetting properties of films: (1) an electromagnetic capping/decapping system to mitigate fluid evaporation, and (2) a top-down optical method to determine water contact angle based upon reflectance. These capabilities are validated by depositing and characterizing a poly(allyl methacrylate) (PAMA) film using electrodeposition of polymer networks (EPoN). Comprehensive details for replicating the hardware and software of PANDA-film are included.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

p5.fab: Direct Control of Digital Fabrication Machines from a Creative Coding Environment

Machine settings and tuning are critical for digital fabrication outcomes. However, exploring these parameters is non-trivial. We seek to enable exploration of the full design space of digital fabrication. To identify where we might intervene, we studied how practitioners approach 3D printing. We found that beyond using CAD/CAM, they create bespoke routines and workflows to explore interdependent material and machine settings. We seek to provide a system that supports this workflow development. We identified design goals around material exploration, fine-tuned control, and iteration. Based on these, we present p5.fab, a system for controlling digital fabrication machines from the creative coding environment p5.js. We demonstrate p5.fab with examples of 3D prints that cannot be made with traditional 3D printing software. We evaluate p5.fab in workshops and find that it encourages novel printing workflows and artifacts. Finally, we discuss implications for future digital fabrication systems.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2022

"Short on time and big on ideas": Perspectives from Lab Members on DIYBio Work in Community Biolabs

DIYbio challenges the status quo by positioning laboratory biology work outside of traditional institutions. HCI has increasingly explored the DIYbio movement, but we lack insight into sites of practice such as community biolabs. Therefore, we gathered data on eleven community biolabs by interviewing sixteen lab managers and members. These labs represent half of identified organizations in scope worldwide. Participants detailed their practices and motivations, outlining the constraints and opportunities of their community biolabs. We found that lab members conducted technically challenging project work with access to high-end equipment and professional expertise. We found that the unique nature of biowork exacerbated challenges for cooperative work, partially due to the particular time sensitivities of work with living organisms. Building on our findings, we discuss how community biolab members are creating new approaches to laboratory biology and how this has design implications for systems that support non-traditional settings for scientific practice.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2021

Remote Learners, Home Makers: How Digital Fabrication Was Taught Online During a Pandemic

Digital fabrication courses that relied on physical makerspaces were severely disrupted by COVID-19. As universities shut down in Spring 2020, instructors developed new models for digital fabrication at a distance. Through interviews with faculty and students and examination of course materials, we recount the experiences of eight remote digital fabrication courses. We found that learning with hobbyist equipment and online social networks could emulate using industrial equipment in shared workshops. Furthermore, at-home digital fabrication offered unique learning opportunities including more iteration, machine tuning, and maintenance. These opportunities depended on new forms of labor and varied based on student living situations. Our findings have implications for remote and in-person digital fabrication instruction. They indicate how access to tools was important, but not as critical as providing opportunities for iteration; they show how remote fabrication exacerbated student inequities; and they suggest strategies for evaluating trade-offs in remote fabrication models with respect to learning objectives.

cs.HC↗