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Bill Van Loo

@billvanloo

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engineering & robotics educator | creative technologist | musician
@pihisamurai robotics mentor
@chromedecay artist

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Thanks to everyone who has already supported my new record, Clear The Decks, which dropped two weeks ago. Give it a listen if you’re looking for some deep, moody downtempo electronic beats. by @billvanloo

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16 days ago

I’m delighted to announce that my new record, Clear The Decks, is now available on Bandcamp. It will be available on the streaming services soon.

All these tracks have been slowly accumulating over the past few years; a group of deep downtempo electronic beats that felt like they hung together. Featuring my signature drums and rich organic textures, each track has a story to tell and a mood to set.

As a special bonus, the final track is a live performance of all these tracks performed as one continuous mix at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti, MI. by @billvanloo

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a month ago

New music incoming…stay tuned! by @billvanloo

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a month ago

Happy first day of school from me and @sarahevanloo ! by @billvanloo

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2 months ago

Some photos from today’s setup day in the @pioneerengineeringlab - hard to believe this is the start of year 20 of my teaching career! by @billvanloo

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2 months ago

We were in Muskegon yesterday for the afternoon and saw these incredible steel sculptures by @kimcridler at the Muskegon Museum of Art (among other works by a wide range of other artists). I love the delicacy and organic nature of these pieces, especially rendered in steel. Really gorgeous work. @muskegonartmuseum by @billvanloo

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2 months ago

If you’d told me, a kid who was obsessed with Star Wars, that I would one day not only make my own lightsaber but also run around in an entire land perfectly themed and designed to look like that world, I’m not sure I would have believed you. I’d sure have been excited, though.

A final photo and video of my lightsaber build are on slides 1 & 2. Slides 3-6 are process photos, and the last is a crop of a shot from one of the talented PhotoPass photographers at Galaxy’s Edge.

I can’t thank @punishedprops enough for the video and 3D print files that allowed me to finally build this. While I’ve 3D printed a ton of objects over the past 10+ years, I’d never tried true prop making or painting, and their tutorial was a huge help.

All parts were printed on my Bambu Lab A1 Mini from PLA+, with the exception of the clear bubble strip, which was printed in transparent TPU. I added a little extra brass rod to the end where the blade would go since I’m not planning on adding a polycarbonate tube to this; it will remain just a hilt. by @billvanloo

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3 months ago

Love when a conference leans into their location and audience. @sarahevanloo and I are here at #istelive in Orlando on today’s Character Day and had to pull out a Star Wars look. Lightsaber pics to come! by @billvanloo

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4 months ago

Day 3 of Automate was the last day I was able to attend, and I saw a great final round of presentations, demos, and new tech. Some of the best moments, though, were meeting really inspiring people and reconnecting with old friends. Thanks for following along! by @billvanloo

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4 months ago

Automate 2026, Day 2! This was the education day, so I got to see a wide mix of presentations and demonstrations. Fun stuff! by @billvanloo

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4 months ago

Day 1 of the AUTOMATE 2026 conference in beautiful downtown Chicago! by @billvanloo

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4 months ago

Yesterday, I finished my 19th year as a teacher. Today, I’ll be finalizing grades and reflecting on the year, and starting to look ahead to the fall. From mentoring middle and high school @first_official_ robotics teams to @inventitforward and @skillsusa competitions, to the quiet, steady work in the classroom, it really was quite a year.

Over the summer, I have a bunch of professional development opportunities and learning experiences queued up. I’ll post a few things here, but I encourage you to find me on LinkedIn if you’re interested in following along; I’ll be posting there in a lot more depth.

Lastly: it makes no sense to post about my professional work at school without mentioning that teachers in Ann Arbor Public Schools are still without a contract, which has been the case since January 1 this year. I sincerely hope that the district administration can figure out how to offer a competitive contract, as there’s a lot of uncertainty about next year at the moment. by @billvanloo

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4 months ago