HackteriaLab 2014 MobileLabs

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For HackteriaLab 2014 with it's four different nodes, "water", "forest", "volcano" and "hardware" and with different locations it is going to be an intensive main phase. The participants, all experienced open-, citizen-scientists and tinkerers a mobile lab to work in the field is a mandatory prerequisite.

This page provides insights to the different mobile lab concepts and supports exchange and inspiration during the preparation phase.

From previous experience, this is the minimum-basic requirement for any mobile lab:

1. Easy to carry. Handles, straps for back-packing, must be solid and tested for outdoor conditions. (for HLab Yogya think of rainy season, water proof design and motor cycle readiness)
2. Electrical power. Be sure to carry a rechargeable battery with you to power all your fancy gears. Best ist USB connector (mobile phone charing, powering arduino etc.) and ev. 12 VDC out. Advanced option some means to check battery status, fast recharge. You can get so called "power banks" that do the trick...
3. Any kind of lightning system - LED strips proved to be very versatile. Torch or head light.
4. Music toy. Put 30% of art in all you do. Not a joke. You need some kind of jamming device for the long nights around the lab fire. If you don't join in with you instrument, synthesizer, noisemaker what ever, you will not endure the noise sessions and miss the fun.

Mobile Lab on a Motor-Cycle

Brainstorming notes on mobile lab for HLab 2014

Earlier sessions on Mobile Labs

During the last years we have investigated various approaches on building and using various MobileLabs, MobileKitchenLabs in a hacked Angkringan, in Yogyakarta and Boxology. We explored it's uses at various festivals and conferences such as MutaMorphosis:Nomadic_Science_Lab#Nomadic_Furniture or Lab-in-a-Van for Ars Electronica's Create Your World Festival. MobileLabs Hackathon at BioTehna Lab II, Ljubljana with artists and hackers to focus more in depth on concepts and field testing. And see Doms Mobile vj lab.

GaudiLabs Mobile Lab

Thinking about what kind of mobile lab is best suited for HLab 2014 I evaluated box-style and soft-stlye.

Nice aluminum box.

Great plastic box for mobile lab found at the hardware store. Good to hack.
And trolley is also available...

Backpack I got for really cheap at the flee market.

After discussion at Hirokuri-Brainstorming came to the conclusion that I will go for soft-style. Soft is fun, electronic textile, compact, light weight, good for flight. Want to do forest-exploration-mobile-lab. Thinking of shelter, tent, hammock made from locally found wood and trees, strings, magnets, hooks, fabric and plastic mats. Combine with soft-lab, backpack and wraps with tools and toys.
Let's see what fits.

Went to IKEA to buy some nice and solid textile.

Found that IKEA also sell nice plastic stuff for building shelters etc.

Also got some of this bricklayers cord and some magnets.

Back-Pack-Soft-Lab

Sewing again. Making warps for tools to be put in backpack.

Ordered some EL-wire and foil to decorate / illuminate the back-pack.
Cheese hackteria green.
Plan to do some screen-printing as well.
Colors: Grey (fabric), Yellow (string), green (logos, EL), Blue (plastic)

Stuff and Toys

Ordered these sensors (acceleration, compas, geopositioning GPS) for a mobile tracking device.

"This inertial-measurement-unit combines 3 of the best quality sensors available on the market to give you 11 axes of data: 3 axes of accelerometer data, 3 axes gyroscopic, 3 axes magnetic (compass), barometric pressure/altitude and temperature. We tested many different 'combination' sensors and found these were the best value, with stable and reliable readings." and "We believe this is the Ultimate GPS module, with -165 dBm sensitivity, 5V friendly design, breadboard friendly, mounting holes, 10 Hz updates, 66 channels, RTC battery-compatible and has a status LED, datalogging capability and high altitude functionality with even lower power."...

Adafruit NeoPixel for display of data

Harvesting electrical energy from fire or hot surface through peltier elements.
Allows charging of devices during the night at the lab fire.

Cheap little screw cap containers for collecting samples.
Found in the nail art section on ebay.