Welcome to HackJam

歡迎登入香港客匠網站

What is HackJam?

HackJam is a community of hackers, artists, techies and the generally curious who share ideas and collaborate to "hack" things.  We also like to "jam" - contributing each of our own skills to jointly improvise a creative solution.  As reflected by our Chinese name (客匠), we also aspire to be artisans, moving beyond the realm of the theoretical, physically implementing our thoughts.  Read more about our vision here...

Workshops / Projects:

 We believe that the HackJam community will be defined both by the people that we attract, as well as by the workshops and projects that we are able to put together.  As such, we are currently drawing up a list of potential workshops / projects.  Please feel free to append your suggestions here!

Suggestions for Projects and Workshops:

• Projects - i.e. one off events focused on building / making / doing something in particular 
• Web-enabled laser particle counter.  While air pollution is notoriously bad in Hong Kong, and data that is readily available only provides data for certain fixed locations and particle sizes (PM10) covered by government sensors.  Of more interest are the ultrafine particles (PM2.5), since these have been shown to produce a larger detrimental health impact.  This project takes a consumer grade laser particle counter, and will convert it from particles per million (ppm) to the WHO standards (ug/m3), while accounting for humidity differences.  The theoretical basis can be found here: 
• Tour of HK's artist workshops.  Since one of our goals is to encourage more interaction between the art and tech communities here in HK, we could do a similar tour to all the various artist establishments in HK.  We will build a list of such venues to explore (e.g. Foo Tak Building, Cattle Depot, Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, The Factory, Fo Tan, etc).  This could also transition to become a longer term series of workshops if sufficient interest (from both members and artists) exists, since we clearly cannot visit all in one day.
• Mini Flugtag.  Inspired by the recent Red Bull Flugtag here, we could do a mini version whereby people design and build their own mini plane (e.g. using paper, or spaghetti, or balsa wood, etc).  We will define certain parameters (e.g. the ramp and launch platform).  Points will also be given for artistic nature.  This may also be combined into the following 2 to create a workshop series.
• Load bearing structures.  Similarly, we can build bridges, cantilevers, etc from simple materials (e.g. also spaghetti, wood, or even reclyced materials).  Once again, designs can be judged by function (i.e. the max load) as well as beauty.
• Protect an egg.  Similar to the previous 2, but the point is to protect an egg from breaking after dropping from a certain height.
• Variation the above 3 is to combine physics with a structure, e.g. spaghetti trebuchet, etc.
• Arduino mashup events, e.g. Vertical window farm with arduino controlled irrigation, Arduino controlled Christmas tree lights, Arduino controlled autonomous cars (e.g. line followers, etc), simple robots, etc
• Camera gear hacks, e.g. 35mm digital back for pre-digital cameras (such as original Olympus PEN-F), time-lapse triggers, remote triggers, etc.  Also other camera related stuff such as darkroom developing, etc.
• Paper making - make paper from pulp!

• Workshops - i.e. a series of events centered around a particular subject matter
• Arduino based workshops.  These could take 2 forms, either to provide the basic underlying skills/tools (e.g. RGB lights, sensors, etc), or to focus the group on using the arduino to build a more ambitious project.  William Liang and Ng Chunyin will think about the exact subject and revert.
• Locksport.  William Liang has the knowledge, and Julian Lee has some tools.
• Heirloom technology workshops.  Basically all the survival / primitive stuff, e.g. how to make a fire without any tools, how to make flint arrowheads, etc.
• Cooking for engineers.  First workshop (Coffee for geeks) being the exploration/demonstration of the impact of brewing temperature, coffee dosage, pour speeds and brew methods on taste of the same bean. Can also do molecular gastronomy as a future workshop
• Thermodynamics stuff.  E.g. heat exchangers, stirling engines, etc.

Completed Projects and Workshops:

• Projects - i.e. one off events focused on building / making / doing something in particular
• Making our own Octopus card activated door lock for BootHK. The lock is finished and functional. A video of how to make one's own Octopus card lock is found here. 
• Visit to electronics shops on Ap Liu Street in Shamshuipo.
• Head tracking Maneki Neko by Alex.
• Visit to Shenzhen Electronics Market.  Video will be uploaded shortly.  
•  

Meetings:

Every other Tuesday at 9pm, come join us to discuss the future of HackJam!  Everyone is welcome!  Please append anything you wish to discuss to the agenda.  If there isn't one already, create a new one using the meeting notes template

• Next Meeting:           20101102
• Previous Meeting:     20101019
• (Earlier Meeting Notes in Archive)

Links and Resources:

Recent activities by our members

• William Liang's visit to Hacker Dojo in Mountain View, CA 
• Lester Lim / Julian Lee's visit to Videotage
• Michelle Lam / Julian Lee's visit to Foo Tak
• William Liang / Julian Lee's visit to M-Lab at HK Polytechnic University

Useful links:

• HackJam FB group
• HackJam Google Group
• HackJam Wiki
• Links of note and relevance