Bootcamp

Design Labs Maker Bootcamp

Design Labs Maker Bootcamp will run Monday-Friday from January 3-19. In this accelerator, you will roll up your sleeves and take a deep dive with a lot of different "making" technology -- everything from manual bending of sheet metal to CNC milling, laser cutting, computer-aided design tools, to  immersive electronics design and fabrication!  Each exercise will build toward a culminating, customizable-template final project that will show off your mastery of your new skills!

The Lehigh University Design Labs Maker Bootcamp is an intensive, hands-on, two-week program designed to give students the foundational skills to become experienced makers.  This course will run for thirteen weekdays over winter break 2023-2024 (January 3-19).  Students will work through a series of exercises each day, building up their maker skills and documenting their progress along the way in a digital portfolio. Soft skills will also be emphasized throughout the course, including critical thinking, problem solving, project management, time management, collaboration, presentation skills, and digital literacy, as well as the development of research and troubleshooting tools.  The course will culminate in a comprehensive, customizable template project, along with a final presentation.  

Basic computer skills (navigating to folders, saving files, using text editing software…etc.) are recommended.  No maker knowledge required, just an interest and passion to learn!  Students will be able to choose from several template projects to customize, and each of these final projects will utilize at least three makerspace machines/tools and include a microcontroller with at least one input and output device.

 

The beginning of the course (day one) will focus on introductory fabrication concepts and soft skills.  Afterward, the course will focus on one maker skill each day, with the morning dedicated to instruction, and the afternoon dedicated to hands-on making and putting knowledge into practice, always working toward the end goal of the students’ final projects.  The last few days of the course will be open build sessions in which students will finalize their projects.

  • Introduction to Fabrication Concepts & Soft Skills 

    • DAY 1:

      • Morning: Course Overview & Intro to Final Projects, Intro to Fabrication Tools & Concepts

      • Afternoon: Best Practices & Project Management, Research & Troubleshooting Tools,  Digital Portfolio Tools

  • Design & Fabrication

    • DAY 2: CAD I- 2D Drawing

    • DAY 3: CAD II- 2.5D & 3D Modeling

    • DAY 4: 2D Machining- Laser Cutter, Vinyl Cutter, Waterjet, & CNC Plasma

    • DAY 5: 2.5D Machining- CNC Router, CNC Mill, Vacuum Former

    • DAY 6: 3D Machining- 3D Printers

    • DAY 7: 

      • Morning- Supplemental Techniques- Molding & Casting, Composites

      • Afternoon- Midway Project Presentations & Critique- A trade-show-style format will be followed.

  • Electronics & Programming

    • DAY 8: Circuits I- Basic Principles of Electronics & Programming- Basic circuit concepts, building simple circuits

      • Hardware/Components: Common circuit configurations (voltage dividers, power circuits/transistors…)

      • Software/Programming: Basic concepts and structure/syntax with block coding

    • DAY 9: Circuits II- I/O Devices & Control Structures- Intermediate circuit concepts with a focus on input and output devices (sensors and actuators) and control structures

      • Input/Output Devices: switches, sensors, servos, motors, LCD displays…

      • Control Structures- conditional statements, loops, map function…

  • Open Build Sessions

    • DAY 10: Open Build Session I- Working toward final project, open lab time

    • DAY 11: Open Build Session II- Working toward final project, open lab time

    • DAY 12: Open Build Session III- Working toward final project, open lab time

    • DAY 13: Final Presentation and Review- Students will present to the group.  A trade-show-style format will be followed.  Note that presentations will be open to guests and critics from the Lehigh community.  

Apply to Maker Bootcamp

Applications will open soon

Apply to AccelerateX for January 2024!

Please fill out the application below to apply for the Design Labs Maker Bootcamp and/or the Sustainable Happiness Institute. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis but are due by December 7th.

Apply Here!