The Craft Lab has a new industrial 3D printer, a 3D Systems Projet 2500 Plus. This machine, purchased in collaboration with College of Computing through tech fees, is the first of its kind on campus, replacing an older Projet previously run in the Institute for People and Technology (IPaT)/GVU labs.

This new printer is capable of rapid production of high-quality plastic parts with a suite of materials ranging from high-performance engineering materials, USP-VI (bio-compatible) certified materials, and flexible elastomers. Additionally, it allows for rapid fabrication of watertight, high-resolution parts (up to 1600 x 900 DPI with 32 micron layers) while yielding fully cured parts direct from the machine.

“I think it's a really exciting addition to the suite of additive manufacturing capabilities on campus,” said Tim Trent, manager of the Craft Lab and faculty member of IPaT. “These are industry-standard machines that provide us the opportunity to experiment with some different capabilities that complement the capabilities of other equipment on campus. In particular, the bio-compatible materials is a super exciting feature as it means we can do proof-of-concept prototypes in materials that would be acceptable for medical devices.”

Previous projects leveraging the technology of Craft Lab 3D printers include:

* The Wild Dolphin Project from the Contextual Computing Group. Compared to traditional fused deposition modeling machines, the resin-based multi-jet process allowed the team to fabricate fully waterproof cases to house their custom electronics for deployment in the Atlantic Ocean.

* A. Fatih Sarioglu's work in cancer research building 3D-printed traps lined with antigens to capture the white blood cells in a sample. The fine resolution needed for the microfluidics work combined with the need for a bio-compatible material made the previous generation Projet an ideal choice. Sarioglu is an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The Craft Lab’s newest ultra-high-definition 3D printer will continue to support work like the projects mentioned above while advancing material options, reducing manufacturing time, and providing support for new features previously unavailable in the older model.

About the Craft Lab:
​​​​​​​The Craft Lab is a unique makerspace sponsored by the Institute for People and Technology which is designed to promote craft and algorithmic making. The equipment in the lab is particularly well-suited for wearable/flexible electronic systems and is available to anyone interested in making soft objects. The lab includes equipment like sewing machines, CNC knitting and embroidery machines, soldering irons, and 3D printers. Lab users must complete a lab training session before being allowed to access the lab. It is located in the Technology Square Research Building (TSRB), Room 225B. Questions about the lab should be directed to Tim Trent, lab manager, at tim.trent@gatech.edu.

The robot medusai knows where you are. It must—because it plays music with you.

Made from beautifully fabricated steel and eight mobile arms, medusai can play percussion and strings with human musicians, dance with human dancers, and move in time to multiple human observers.

It uses AI-driven computer vision to know what human observers are doing and responds accordingly through snake gestures, music, and light. Gil Weinberg, the director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology, knows it’s unsettling. Wienberg is also a faculty member of the Institute for People and Technology.

Read the full story at Georgia Tech's Center for Music Technology.

Like those of many senior scholars, Paul M.A. Baker’s CV runs more than 30 pages, detailing a career’s worth of research, service, and accomplishments. It’s on page two, however, where you may get the strongest sense of Baker’s intellect. He accumulated an eclectic and impressive collection of degrees, five in all, ranging from zoology to theology and bookending his Ph.D. in public policy.

That kind of dedication to learning was quintessential Baker, as was his commitment to helping lift up those around him, especially junior researchers, said Victoria Razin, a senior research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. She became a friend and mentee of Baker’s after working with him for a year on voting machine accessibility.

“Paul was an incredibly thoughtful researcher, a kind friend, and an incredible mentor who built up the people around him,” Razin said.

Baker, the senior director for research and strategic innovation at the Center for Advanced Communications Policy, passed away suddenly last week after a brief medical emergency, leaving behind an enormous void for his family, friends, and coworkers, as well as a tremendous legacy.

“Paul was like no one else I have met,” said Regent’s Researcher W. Bradley Fain, CACP’s executive director and Baker’s boss since 2019. “To be able to describe Paul succinctly is impossible.”

From Zoology to Technology Policy

After graduating from college with a degree in zoology, Baker worked as an environmental scientist, in real estate, and as a publisher, in addition to later academic roles at George Mason University and Saint Mary’s College. He joined Georgia Tech in 1999 as a visiting assistant professor, where he taught Research Design for the Policy Sciences, American Government, and more.

Two years later, he joined CACP as associate director for policy research and became director of research four years later. In 2011, he was named associate director of the Center for 21st Century Universities, where he oversaw strategic policy initiatives and managed the Center’s policy-focused sponsored research projects. After three years, he returned full-time to CACP, where he was appointed senior director for research and strategic innovation.

In 2020, he took on a new role when the Center for the Development and Application of Internet of Things Technologies moved from GTRI to CACP. Paul became the organization’s chief operations officer, where he worked to further the Center’s mission to spur technology and policy innovation in the internet of things sphere.

“Paul was a wonderful advisor, helping me work through really complicated issues,” Fain said. “Every conversation was an opportunity for him to share knowledge.”

Kaye Husbands Fealing, dean and Ivan Allen Jr. Chair in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, said Baker was an accomplished researcher who was deeply committed to expanding technology and workforce accessibility for everyone.

“We worked together a few years ago on a project with my research assistant, Andrew Hanus, and Connie McNeely of George Mason University to broaden participation in STEM employment for people with disabilities, and he took the initiative to lead a workshop on how veterans could gain STEM skills. I will miss his keen insight, his passion for his scholarship, and his generosity.”

Regents’ Researcher Emeritus Helena Mitchell, former executive director of CACP, said Baker was the Center’s most published employee whose contributions at Georgia Tech and around the world will continue to be felt.

“He was an excellent researcher, a great networker, a man of passion, integrity, and knowledge,” she said.

She and Baker were close friends for over 20 years, frequently hanging out together before Baker moved to Canada to be with his husband. She said she will miss their wide-ranging discussions over cosmopolitans. 

“He’s like a brother to me,” she said. 

Promoting Equal Access

In each of his roles, Baker approached his work with enormous curiosity, rigor, and a genuine desire to leave the world a better place, said Nathan Moon, director of research at CACP, who worked with Baker for nearly two decades.

“Paul was committed to doing research that would promote equal access for all people,” Moon said.

It shows in his publishing record, where you’ll find papers such as “Wireless Technologies and Accessibility for People with Disabilities: Findings from a Policy Research Instrument,”; “E-Accessibility and Municipal Wifi: Exploring a Model for Inclusivity and Implementation,” and “Digital Tech for Inclusive Aging: Usability, Design and Policy.”

In the last few years, he worked with Moon to develop a new seminar course, Policy Innovation for Inclusive Technologies, as part of a grant to develop a new postdoctoral training program for scholars interested in disability and accessible technology policy.

They taught the course together in the recently concluded Fall semester.

“In addition to being an excellent researcher, Paul was a wonderful educator,” Moon said. “He loved teaching and had high hopes and expectations for students, just as he did for junior researchers.”

But Baker’s personality and approach to other people especially set him apart, Razin said.

He had a way of connecting with people that made them feel special. For instance, Baker was a Quaker who also practiced Buddhism. But he always took time to send holiday greetings in correct Hebrew to Razin, who is Jewish.

“That was so special,” she said.

Moon said Baker’s legacy will continue to motivate him and other research scientists at CACP and across Georgia Tech who were touched by Baker’s intellect, curiosity, and drive.

“I can say confidently that as both a research scientist and person, Paul left the world a better place than he found it. He was a good friend, and he’ll be missed.”