Lab/Collaborators

Founding Faculty

Mike Eisenberg, Faculty, CU Computer Science, Institute of Cognitive Science, Center for Lifelong Learning and Design.  B.S. Chemistry, Columbia University.  M.S./Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ann Eisenberg, Senior Research Scientist, CU Institute of Cognitive Science.  Affiliate Faculty, CU ATLAS Institute.  Adjunct faculty, CU Computer Science.  B.S. Mathematics, University of Hawaii.  M.S./Ph.D. Computer Science, CU Boulder.

Mike was the philosophical guiding force, the “big-picture” guy behind the Craft Tech Lab.  Just a few of his many research interests included mathematics and science education, educational technology, end-user programming, and spatial cognition.

In addition to graduate and undergraduate courses in artificial intelligence, discrete mathematics, and cognitive science, Mike (along with his wife, Ann) taught a course called Things That Think where students integrated computational elements into moving toys and science exhibits. He also taught The Canon, a readings seminar in great works of computer science; and The Computational World, an introductory computer science course for non-cs majors.  A complete list of courses can be found here.

Mike and Ann co-taught a series of different GEEN 1400 (Intro to Engineering Projects) sections with topics including building models of mechanisms from da Vinci’s sketchbooks (using current tools like laser cutters and 3D printers), mechanical moving toys, and computational costumes.

Ann and Mike were co-developers of HyperGami and JavaGami software environments for the creation of three-dimensional paper sculptures through the design of customized polyhedra.   

While Mike was the “big picture” guy,  Ann is his “details-oriented” professional collaborator (and his wife).   Ann’s work continues more than two decades of play and collaboration in projects that explore the intersection of hands-on crafts with embedded computational elements and new fabrication techniques including 3D printing, laser cutting, and e-textiles.

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Current Students:

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Recent Students

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Collaborators:

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Mark D. Gross
Professor
ATLAS Director
Co-PI, Debugging by Design

Mark D. Gross, director of the ATLAS Institute and professor of computer science, has worked on intelligent computer-aided design, virtual environments and design simulation, modular robotics and computationally enhanced construction kits and craft, tangible interaction design, sketch and diagram recognition, digital fabrication and more.  He is the co-founder of Blank Slate Systems Incorporated and Modular Robotics Incorporated. He holds a PhD in Design Theory & Methods from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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Sherry Hsi
Collaborator, (PI) Paper Mechatronics
The Concord Consortium
B.S./M.S. Mechanical Engineering, U.C. Berkeley.  Ph.D. Science Education, U.C. Berkeley

Sherry is Executive Vice President at The Concord Consortium, an R & D organization that improves STEM teaching and learning through technology. She leads the “Learning Everywhere” initiative which is creating extended learning opportunities across K12, museum, and online spaces. She was recently awarded a National Science Foundation InSPECT grant to study and improve high school biology using innovative dataflow software and maker-oriented learning technologies. In collaboration with Mike and Ann Eisenberg from the Craft Technology Lab in Boulder, she leads the Paper Mechatronics project that makes computationally-enhanced paper-based craft kits and Robot Petting Zoo makeathons for engineering education. With collaborators at UC Davis and the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Sherry designed the Augmented Reality Sandbox (AR Sandbox) exhibit which was showcased at the White House Water Summit and featured on Wired, the Huffington Post, and most recently on NPR.

Hyunjoo Oh
Collaborator, Paper Mechatronics
Assistant Professor, Georgia Tech  School of Industrial Design and the School of Interactive Computing

Ph.D. 2018, CU ATLAS (Co-Advised by Mike Eisenberg and Mark Gross).
BFA/Masters of Design, Ewha Womans’ University, S. Korea
Masters of Entertainment Technology, Carnegie Mellon University

Hyunjoo is the mastermind behind the FoldMecha design system for creating gears, linkages, and more from paper.  Read about it in her dissertation here.   She is now faculty at Georgia Tech.

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The Craft Tech Canine Crew

Stella Eisenberg is the youngest member of the Craft Tech family.  When not doing schoolwork or playing video games with Adam, she is an avid researcher in the field of Dognition (doggie cognition).  She usually employs her finely honed knowledge of humans to steal food, get them to take her for pup-u-ccinos, and generally get her way whenever she wants.

Rhombi (short for Rhombicuboctahedron) Eisenberg was the Founding Terrier of the Craft Tech Group.  Living to a ripe old age of almost 17, he spent his time keeping a close eye on Adam and all of the students.  When not tending to various family and friends, he enjoyed stealing Nilla wafers, even if it meant occasionally getting the bag stuck over his head.

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Leah Buechley, University of New Mexico

Yasmin Kafai, University of Pennsylvania

Deborah Fields, Utah State University

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Previous Collaborators and Students:

Arielle Blum, Instructor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering (ECEE)

Ethan Frier, Master’s Student, CU ATLAS

Ben Shapiro, Laboratory for Playful Computation,  CU Computer Science

Joe Polman, CU School of Education

Christine Chang, CU Computer Science

Nicholas Gonyea

Antranig Basman

Hilary Peddicord, NOAA

Katie Siek, Indiana University

Jeeeun Kim