Robert Zacharias

I’m a teacher, builder, artist, and bicycle person.

Most people call me Zach.

I’m happy to report that I live in Pittsburgh, the Paris of Western Pennsylvania.

Some recent/current projects:

• Co-teaching and co-developing a high-school summer course, Engineering through Music and Fashion hosted at the Center that CARES in the Hill District; collaboration with CMU postdoc Judith Uchidiuno
• Co-developing ioRef: a system of reference cards, a linked web knowledge resource, and a customized version of schematic-drawing software for helping to teach physical computing to neophyte learners; collaboration with IDeATe faculty members Marti Louw (Human Computer Interaction Institute) and Daragh Byrne (School of Architecture)
• Co-developing Remote Possibilities, an interactive web-based performance allowing for live, remote, interactive dance performance during the pandemic; collaboration with slowdanger and Kevin DeLand (project trailer; Post-Gazette writeup)
• Guest teaching a class on Physical Computing at the new City of Bridges High School on the South Side of Pittsburgh
• Tranquil interactive artwork. Part of Project Amelia, an immersive theater piece exploring AI, capitalism, and their intersections with morality
• Resonant Bodies, a collaboration with slowdanger, for which I contributed technically and creatively to a novel tactile speaker and movement-responsive on-body sensors

My portfolio page is partial at the moment, but has some pictures to look at.

At CMU, my students have lately made some great stuff:

• Intro to Physical Computing students made four really interesting assistive devices for community members living with disability; see their final documentation for details.
• Electronic Logics && Creative Practice students produced a wide range of artful, expressive, surprising, and wonderful interactive pieces for our final show, called Between Air and Waterlines. See their documentation for more.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I have channeled all my web-design energies into making hovering over the links on this page exciting. (You’re welcome.)

More documentation, writing, photos, and projects forthcoming! If you want to write me, I’m at rz@rzach.me