"The first check cleared through Control+H. We're assembling the benchtop proof-of-concept prototype for mid-November so people can physically interact with it before joining the team."
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The Paradigm Shift: Each time people hear about haptics, they default to "assistive speech-to-text wearables" for hearing convenience. No! Haptics is an expressive fine-art medium like oil painting or synth sound design. Having a physical demo destroys that misconception immediately.
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Pacing Strategy (The Shift): When this grant came through, it blew up my original year in the best way possible! I deliberately set Q4 2026 as low-burn prototyping while wrapping up my dual AS/BS degree requirements.
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Full Throttle in 2027: Heavy fabrication, bulk actuator purchases, and contractor stipends begin in January 2027 (Milestone 2) when I have the 100% bandwidth this project deserves.
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Active Momentum Drop: Tomorrow I'm staging a forest performance for a Deaf DJ with wireless sound-reactive lights and haptics—proving the sensory translation pipelines in real-time before full zoo builds.
✓ Golden Framing
"Strategic phased pacing: low-burn benchtop prototyping in Q4 2026, full multi-maker fabrication ramp in Q1 2027."
✗ Avoid Saying
"College is taking all my bandwidth / my plan for the year was ruined / building a rough and dirty prototype."
"As a Deaf engineer who has worked in isolation or with Deaf teams, this is my first time leading a multidisciplinary team across language barriers—sprinting after a rolling ball instead of pushing it uphill alone."
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Inclusive Technical Leadership: Using modern tech (live speech-to-text, video relay, shared CAD schematics) to eliminate friction and direct skilled hearing specialists (soft-goods, machinists, textile designers).
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Advanced Fabrication Access: Partnering with Control+H gives us industrial-grade tooling (like precision fiber laser cutting) to turn scrap & structural metals into rugged interactive enclosures and tactile skins.
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Legitimizing Tactile Arts: Showing that touch is not just 'phone buzzes'—it encompasses thermal sensations (Peltier coolers), kinetic displacement, air pressure, and resonant acoustic tactile feedback.
✓ Golden Framing
"Partnering with Control+H gives us direct access to precision tooling (like fiber laser cutting) for custom metallic tactile skins."
✗ Avoid Saying
"This grant allows me to buy a fiber laser cutter to give away to Control+H." (Keep focus on tooling for the artwork!)
1
Mid-November 2026: Benchtop Interactive Prototype
Functional testbed ready at Control+H. In-person demonstrations to recruit mechanical & textile fabricators.
2
January 2027: Milestone 2 & Full Fabrication Launch
Disburse fabricator stipends ($18k line), place bulk orders for actuators/PCBs, begin enclosure machining. (Ideal next formal OCF check-in!)
3
July 2027: OSU Grand Kinetic Challenge Debut!
Deploy the first two completed Haptic Zoo enclosures at Oregon State University’s major summer event. "Haptics is kinetic art at microscopic distance and speed!"
4
Fall 2027 – 2028: Premiere & 2-Year Regional Oregon Tour
Milestone 6 final build accounting; launches to Portland Community College and regional venues across Oregon.
"I have Portland and Corvallis locked down. Where OCF can be huge is opening doors to rural, coastal, and eastern Oregon host venues for our 2-year tour!"
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Statewide Venue Matchmaking: Does OCF know regional arts councils, public libraries, science hubs (like OMSI affiliates), or disability advocacy spaces across Oregon that would love to host a hands-on tactile exhibition?
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Storytelling & Media Assets: What formats of photo/video documentation or maker profiles are most helpful for OCF’s communications and board updates as we hit our early 2027 milestones?
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Inviting OCF to Experience it:
Jan 2027 Private tactile demo at Control+H in Portland.
July 2027 Come party with us in Corvallis at OSU's Grand Kinetic Challenge!