Bernoulli

As a new year rolls in, one of FifeX's first jobs was to build a new version of an exhibit we last built about ten years ago - the classic Bernoulli Blower! The National Centre for Motorsport Engineering were looking for a model for a tradeshow - see a video of it working on our twitter feed!

Corian Curves

FifeX has been doing a lot of Corian work recently - not worktops but smaller and sometimes quite intricate shapes for various displays.

We were approached to build some bespoke Corian display stands for a company in Edinburgh - the stands would hold a small tablet computer.

We came up with the design shown here and gave ourselves a few headaches in the process. The main shapes were thermoformed and then joined at FifeX's workshop.

After hours of sanding by Dom, the shapes in the picture at the top became the shape at the bottom with joins that you can't see! The client was happy and ordered five more - we're ordering Dom a new shoulder!

Devil's Porridge

FifeX always likes making new contacts and we were delighted to be contacted by the Devil's Porridge to have a look at one of their exhibits that needed a bit of TLC.

The beer pump interactive challenges the user to answer some questions about alcohol during WW2 and has some surprising results.

FifeX was happy to do a fix on the interactive and send it back home in time for Christmas!

Transparent LCD

FifeX has done quite a bit of work for GSC over the last few years and we've just completed a project for them about CATACURE and PROTEUS - two exciting new projects.

As part of this exciting exhibition, we were asked to work with a transparent LCD - allowing users to interact with a 3D model on a 2D touchscreen.

It's a great technique and could be applied to a whole host of applications.

There is more about this exhibition in the portfolio section of the website.

A first for electricity

FifeX worked with Lyndsey Clark to produce some exhibits for Cragside House.

Lyndey's demo is part of a project with some science classes for visitors to the venue - they will learn that Cragside was one of the first places to make use of electricity. One of the devices they first powered was a copper light with a curious and distinctly unsafe method of passing the electricity from the source to the bulb.

In our mock-up, users can see some copper jugs with 3D-printed modifications and they're a bit safer than the original!

Botanics

FifeX worked with StudioArc to produce a new installation for the Botanics in Edinburgh. The display, about biodiversity, fills one of the units that was already in place. It has a range of activities like feely boxes but its main attraction is the large rotating triangles which show users the incredible range of animals and plants that are all around them in Edinburgh. The unit presented us with significant challenges as we tried to manipulate five huge triangles with sub-mm accuracy... but we got there! If you go to the Botanics, you can't miss it!

Our Olis

FifeX worked with the outreach team at Unversity of Cambridge to produce some small table-top interactives about stem cells. A lot of the project involved manipulating graphics of oligodendrocytes to make sure that we could fit the electronics in and make the whole thing work practically whilst also being scientifically accurate.

We worked alongside their own in-house team who produced a second set of interactives and we're pleased to say they both came out looking like they belonged together.

We're looking forward to more collaborations with Becky and the team at Cambridge!