VCU news

By Brian McNeill

Two quadcopter drones buzzed around the two-story lecture hall on the third floor of James Branch Cabell Library last Wednesday as Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” played through the sound system and a massive video wall welcomed a small crowd to the “Cabell Aerodrome.”

I’m a nerd, so I love stuff like this.

“I’m a nerd, so I love stuff like this,” said Mohammad Zafar, a sophomore computer science major in the School of Engineering. “I decided to come out today because I thought it’d be fun to get a chance to fly a drone.”

Zafar was one of several students who stopped by Cabell Library to take part in Wednesdays in the Workshop, a weekly series this semester that offers hands-on demonstrations and instruction on the tools, equipment and technology in the Workshop, VCU Libraries' open-to-all maker and media space, which features 3-D printers, a laser cutter/engraver, sewing machines, video and audio production studios, and much more.

“Wednesdays in the Workshop is an opportunity for people to get experience with the various offerings of the Workshop on the lower level of the library,” said Eric Johnson, head of Innovative Media for VCU Libraries. “Week by week, there’s a different set of things that people have expressed interest in learning about, or that we’re interested in letting people get a chance to experience for themselves.”

So far this semester, Wednesdays in the Workshop has provided lessons on virtual and augmented reality headsets, including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Microsoft Hololens; 3-D printing; scanning slides; and the basics of operating a sewing machine.

“We had one person actually go out and resurrect their grandparent’s sewing machine after they learned how to sew [in the Wednesdays in the Workshop sewing session],” said Ken Hopson, operations manager, Innovative Media.

This Wednesday at noon, Wednesdays in the Workshop will offer an introduction to VCU Libraries’ Orion telescope, which is available to be checked out from the Workshop.

Future sessions will include:

• Oct. 26: 3-D modeling with Maya: Explore the basics of Maya and creating 3-D digital models
• Nov. 2: 3-D Printing 201: Additional tools and resources for successful 3-D printing
• Nov. 9: Beginning Digital Photography: Orienting you to the DSLR camera and the basics of successful photography
• Nov. 16: Intro to Stop Motion Animation: Learn about tools and techniques to create this popular form of animation
• Nov. 30: Podcasting: The most effective ways to record voice, introduce sound effects and add music
• Dec. 7: Video Conversion 101: Move your video from one format to another for projects and presentation

 

“It’s a chance for people to experience these [tools] and then, of course, we can certainly work with people if they’d like to get a more in-depth experience,” Johnson said. “People may not be aware that we have all these things. And even though not all of it circulates, part of our mission is [to expose the VCU community to] emerging technology, so we want to make sure that people are aware of what’s out in the world.”

Last Wednesday, Johnson gave a quick summary on the current state of drone regulations by the Federal Aviation Administration before explaining how to operate the controls of the drones — one a small Hubsan X4 and the other a larger DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ — and outlined the basics of throttle, pitch, yaw and roll.

“Any questions?” Johnson said. “Nah, let’s fly.”

Johnson wants Wednesdays in the Workshop to not only show off the various tools and equipment available to the VCU community, he also hopes to convey that the Workshop staff is well versed in its use and available to help.

“The technology is only one-half — and probably not even half — of what we do,” he said. “It’s really about the expertise of the people who work [at the Workshop].”

For more on the Workshop and to see a full list of its equipment and tools, visit: https://www.library.vcu.edu/services/workshop/. To reserve and use the laser cutter/engraver, 3-D printer, or the video and audio production studios, you must be an authorized user. To become an authorized user, simply attend one of the scheduled training sessions.

 

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