CloudMaker

Overview of Resources and Activity developed from the FACT CloudMaker project

Exploring how Minecraft can be used a platform for social design and collaborative learning.

A creative curated package of activity and existing IT and community resources to explore the Minecraft phenomenon as a educational Utility

I’ve been involved with FACT CloudMaker project since meeting Paul Harter at Maker Faire Newcastle in 2013. This is an overview of Everything the project has led to and developed.

Special Thanks to Researcher Dr Mark Wright for his support and vision and the FACT team who consistently support innovative engagement work.

Background

The Minecraft Of Things sprang from research with FACT, Dr Mark Wright, Adrian McEwen and Paul Harter of PrintCraft funded by IT as a Utility (ITaaU) Network for the CloudMaker project

What we made

CloudMaker Exhibition

Main Project Page

Interactive Minecraft Table Interface

  • Minecraft Models of the former Cains Brewery site
  • Custom Interactive Table Server
  • Using a Windows Touch Table 2, pyOSC and some code developed by Paul Harter and Stefan Kazassoglou to view feducial tags on 3Dprinted buildings sourced from PrintCraft system .stl files
  • Custom Printcraft Server
  • Custom Server World for Norwich Primary School

World On A Card

Paul Harter built an RFID card reader for collecting Printcraft models and rendering them in an arcade-style Minecraft kiosk

TRLN crane

Prototype Minecraft pick and place machine by Patrick Fenner

Education led activity

  • CloudMaker education programme at Liverpool Studio School
  • 6 sessions of activity in Open Lab format to develop and build the Studio School model of the former Cains Factory site
  • CloudMaker Internet of Things Shrimp Kits from ShrimpCraft
  • Physical Light Switch to Minecraft Light Switch
  • Programme of Family Minecraft Workshops
  • StasisCraft CloudMaker science curriculum workshop series exploring Homeostasis through the Internet of Things

FACT Activity

StasisCraft

  • Programme of formal education work with Liverpool Studio School
  • Exploring modelling of homeostasis in Minecraft with the mcpi API

Minecraft RFID kiosk: ‘World On A Card’ Social sharing system by Paul Harter

  • RFID Minecraft Identity System
  • Exploring Digital Identity
  • RFID Printer system
  • Print Custom RFID cards with Minecraft Public Skin
  • QR Code links to Printcraft profiles
  • Custom World Seed generated from RFID card header data * Allow existing RFID cards like Oyster cards to generate A MInecraft World;

CloudMaker Public Server

Minecraft Of Things

  • CloudMaker Repo
  • Minecraft Of Things Blog
  • Minecraft Of Things Workshops github Repo
  • MindCraft resources for interacting with MindWave headsets by NeuroSky
  • Minecraft Of Things Workshop activity at Studio School
  • Prototype Minecraft Of Things ‘shrimp’ kits
  • Prototype shrimp assembly

Lever Prize at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry RF-Rail-Craft

Hardware

  • Raspberry Pi Radio control Arduino HAT RF-Craft
  • Plug n Play CloudMaker IoT System
  • Custom Shrimp sensor kits
  • Custom Radio Control Arduino Board based on Moteino
  • Custom WiFi Arduino kit based on SparkFun ESP8266
  • Custom sensor kit (tbc)
  • Tested at OGGCAMP15

Community

People

Community

  • Maker Community
  • TweachCode
  • Oggcamp 2013
  • Oggcamp 2015
  • Minecraft Twitter community

Young Advocates and Server Admins

  • Sam Woods now studying A Levels at Studio School
  • Dan now studying A Level Computer Science and Advanced Maths at Studio School
  • Sam Germains - local Minecraft player

Maker Culture events

  • Prototype cardboard pick & place trilateration crane (#TLRN) inspired by CloudMaker at OggCamp13, Liverpool
  • TLRN Crane at ANDFestival AND Fair
  • Minecraft Of Things presentation at Mini-Maker Faire Manchester
  • Minecraft Of Things presentation at Maker Faire Newcastle 2014
  • Minecraft Of Things presentation at Internal Make Showcase at LJMU Computer Science Department
  • Minecraft Of Things presentation at ITaaU conference
  • ShrimpCraft at National Museum Liverpool

Audience Stats

Benefactors Numbers
Live Audiences & Participants 5482
Artists/Technologists 11

Impact on Ross Dalziel’s Artistic Practice

CloudMaker has had a substantial impact on Ross Dalziels work around game and tech culture

  • WhitCraft, Minecraft:Pocket Edition Public Server commission and education resources for Whitworth Art Gallery
  • Administration and upkeep of WhitCraft as a service.
  • ShrimpCraft Arduino Analogue sensor kits visualised on the CloudMaker server for:
  • Development of RFCrafting a low power radio control game system for interacting with Minecraft and Text Adventures, Ok Sparks! Arts Council Project with The National Trust
  • Prototype DeadWood biology research project. Developing pop-up minecraft server that allows scientists and artists to overlay images of fungal and bacterial samples onto real world spaces through Minecraft:Pocket Edition on mobile devices.
    • Uses a solar powered android smartphone to broadcast a local wifi hotspot to connect to a custom pocketmine server for iOS and Android clients to access and explore this game space in real space; in this case the site of the samples. Part of Deadwood workshop at AND2015, Grizedale forest.
  • Prototype MineCraft server for Young Adult Carers for Merseyside E-Health co-design workshop

Documentation

CloudMaker - Making Minecraft Real from FACT on Vimeo.