Project Gado was originally launched in 2010 as part of the Johns Hopkins University Center For Africana Studies’ East Baltimore Oral History Project, which is in turn part of the Diaspora Pathways Project. For more on what a Center for Africana Studies might want with a robot, see Mission. For technical information, code and plans, see The Gado 1.

Timeline

The first design/build phase of Project Gado began in June 2010, and the Gado 1 was completed less than two months later, in early August 2010. Since that time, the machine has been undergoing testing in the archives of the Baltimore Afro American Newspaper.

Phase 2 of the project, begun in June 2011, aims to create a more user-friendly version of the machine, which small archives can build from a prefabricated kit. Phase 2 is a collaboration of the JHU Center for Social Concern, JHU Center for Africana Studies, JHU Sheridan Libraries, and the Baltimore Afro American, and is made possible through a grant from the Abell Foundation.

Acknowledgements

Project Gado was inspired by the Rep Rap and Makerbot projects, and borrows many technical aspects from these machines.

The Gado 1 was designed and built by Tom Smith. The project is administered by Tom Smith.

Special thanks is extended to Bill Roche of the Homewood Arts Program for technical assistance during the build phase of the project, and to John Gartrell of the Afro for his continuing support.

The Gado 1 is dedicated to Amy Smith.