GregsLab.com

Site status

What you see here is a static HTML page which I've stuck here temporarily so that people have something to look at until I finally find time to finish putting a decent site together. The current goal is for this site to be fully operational by July 2006 January 2007. The formatting and database-access code is almost ready, but there is still much work to be done (primarily on visual components) before the site can be launched. If you'd like to be notified when this happens, send me an email and I will add you to the list.

This page was last updated during the afternoon of 10-08-2006.

Current and recent activities

Many of these will eventually have full write-ups when the site is operational. A few have links to images or brief information. Documentation is sparse at the moment, so if you have any questions or comments about what you see, feel free to email me.

• Fun stuff
  I've set up a few fun things for visitors to play with... First is the Web Camera, followed by device control, and, finally, environmental monitoring. Have fun -- just remember that all use of the control functions is logged in detail, so excessively obnoxious behavior is not recommended.
• Fusion Project Update
  The vacuum system layout is more-or-less finalized, most required parts have been either acquired or fabricated, and a UHV system test is in the works. An old 90kVp X-ray head awaits disassembly for use in the power supply, and design of the control system and software is in progress...
• Lab disaster!
  No, not an explosion (my explosions are generally relatively minor anyway); rather, a mere sustained lapse of self-control and thus a gradual increase in organizational entropy in the Lab. In other words, it's time to clean again...
• C.U.B.E.R.S.
  An excercise in mechanical, electrical, and software engineering. An electronic "twist" on the cube puzzle concept. Click here for a picture from about 3/4 through the assembly of the internal electronics. Newer pictures will be added when I have an opportunity. As of July 2006, the electronics are 99% complete, and the display is operating. Much software development, however, remains to be done.
• Plasma in a pickle jar!
  As a concept model for the Fusion Project, I built a simple pseudo-spherical geometry ion accelerator using an old pickle jar. The result was a lovely purple blob of plasma. The device serves little useful purpose (although it could be used to generate X-rays) but certainly looks neat.
• Argon ion laser
  Recently I cobbled together an argon ion laser using a surplus air-cooled laser tube and some junk parts. It is excitingly powerful, with a blue-green beam clearly visible in the night air. The actual maximum output power is unknown, but I would estimate that it is at least 20 mW, putting it in Class IIIB. The argon laser also emits light at a number of wavelengths which excite the fluorescent dyes found in engine coolant, the ink from some highlighting pens, etc...
• 50cm Jacob's Ladder
  After making the mistake of drinking an espresso on a Friday evening, I was struck with a sudden impulse to build a "Jacob's ladder" – the classic "climbing arc" device from old science fiction movies. One hour and a bucketload of junk parts later, I was terrifying the pets with loud buzzing and crackling noises. Click here to download the video (40 seconds long, 4.4MB AVI)...
• "DIY" Underwater camcorder housing
  A one-day project, completed 04-17-2006. Worked flawlessly in terms of keeping the camera dry, but there is room for improvement: future improvements will include lead ballast for near-neutral buoyancy, a better mounting arrangement for the camera, and a better means of controlling the camera. Total cost so far is around $15. Click here for construction photos and a video clip.
• Misc. laser gags
  Occasionally I build silly laser creations as gag gifts or for personal pleasure. The latest was a Nintendo "Zapper" gun (remember those?), with a laser diode controlled by the gun's trigger mechanism (slightly modified). Another notable creation was the "Laser Hammer", a hardware-store claw hammer with a laser diode mounted in the head, a pushbutton on the grip and batteries in the handle (click here for photos). For a school presentation, I built a somewhat scary-looking pointing device using a HeNe tube (although, for legal reasons, I could not refer to it as a "pointer", because laser pointers are not allowed at school!)...
  My laser collection is slowly growing. Aside from a handful of cheap $5 pointers, I have 4 small to medium sized helium-neon laser tubes (ranging from <1mW to ~5mW) and a "small" argon ion laser tube (output unknown, but likely at least 20mW)...

Misc.

• I currently have a camera mounted in my room, recording an ongoing time-lapse video which started in June 2005. The latest image can be viewed here.
• I occasionally provide volunteer technical support at Leland High School; however, I no longer have my own "office". If you are a teacher and have a computer issue, I can be found in J-5 during 6th period. Please note that I have no administrative account priveleges and am not authorized to make configuration changes to any Apple hardware or otherwise do anything particularly useful.
• I appeared on the live television program "The Screen Savers" on TechTV on October 18th, 2002, back while I was in middle school. Click here for some screenshots from the show, as well as a video clip!
• A robot I built in 2003 (I think) is featured in the "Customer Applications" section of the Parallax, Inc. website; here's the article. Please note that the write-up I submitted was butchered somewhat, and any wacky phrasery such as "The product is literally of hundreds of hours of work" is not my doing. In fact, pretty much any awkward language or typographical or grammatical error you see there is likely a result of said absent-minded butchery...

Contact Info

Greg Courville
Email: Greg at GregsLab dot com