Luciana's blog documentation

Three sketches of a device that stirs your meals for you.

The top sketch is a top that is used as a lid to stir your stuff for you. On the top there is a rotating piece that ultimately would probably be a servo. The rotating piece is then connected to a hinge that is connected to a spoon. The rotating piece will spin left and then right to mimic the movement of stirring so you don’t have to lift a finger.

The second sketch is similar to a blender without the blades. Instead it is two cylinders that will move in a circle on the bottom of a pot. The bottom part of the dull blender will also be a hot plate so you can cook your food as well.

The third design is like a horizontal eggbeater that is attached to the pot. When the user presses the bottom on the out side of the pot the eggbeater will start stirring your food for you.

Write a blog post of your views on Smart design and Emotional design and its importance in our lives, reference 2 products that you use that are not related to a smartphone, computer or tablet etc that you enjoy using and have an Emotional connection to.

As we explore the definition of product design, the intersection of smart design and emotional connection creates another layer to the complexity. In the 21st century, we surround ourselves with gadgets and devices, the importance of products that not only serve a functional purpose but also evoke an emotional response as we create attachment’s to devices like phones and cars.

Industrial design is a field of design that focuses on creating and developing products that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Industrial designers are responsible for designing the form, appearance, and usability of products that are mass-produced. Given that the primary goal of industrial design is to enhance the overall user experience by addressing both the practical and aesthetic aspects of a product, I like to think of industrial design as an art form. Similarly to how actors perform to please their audience, industrial designers perform to their “audiences” (users) personal experience with the product.

I believe that the primary goal of industrial design is to enhance the overall user experience by addressing both the practical and aesthetic aspects of a product. Good industrial designers consider factors such as ergonomics, user interaction, materials, manufacturing processes, ect. Industrial designers should work to strike a balance between functionality, usability, and visual appeal.

Industrial design is a type of design that embraces what is known in the STEM world as the creative design process. This process takes sketches and turns it into prototypes. Then takes prototypes and creates different iterations. This process embraces mistakes and changes and has no right or wrong answers. I think the beauty of industrial design is the freedom that comes with the job itself.

Sources:

https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/understanding-industrial-design/9781491920381/ch01.html

Exploring the multifaceted world of industrial design: a comprehensive overview

 

1. Make a short list of 3 non problems that you can describe in a little detail.

• Getting bored staring food in a dish

I am the type of person that looses interest very quickly with a repetitive task. For example, stirring dishes while I am cooking. I think that if I can design something that stirs my food for me I not only can not die of boredom but also be more productive doing other things. For example, if I am making food that requires me to stir the whole time while its cooking, I can have perfectly crafted food while also having my homework done.

• Going back to sleep after alarm goes off

For over a year now I have had my hand forced into having 8:15’s every single day. Unfortunately that also leaves me susceptible to the “I’ll just close my eyes to rest a bit more” epidemic. I want to create something that would make it impossible to go back to sleep so I can actually make it to the classes I need. 

• Snoring roommate 

I love my roommate but unfortunately, she has a bad habit of snoring louder than a child throwing a tantrum after their ice cream falls to the ground. In light of my unfortunate position, I would like to create something that either wakes her up or stops the snoring completely. Maybe I can create something that smacks her (lightly) to wake up so I can get my beauty rest.

1. Pick your favourite Unnecessary invention from Matty Benedetto or a variation on normal from Dominic Wilcox

My favorite invention made by Matty Benedetto is the Cocktail Hour glass. It is a mix of innovation, ridiculousness, and ingenious design. As silly as the idea might seem, I think it is a very good way to make sure that your alcohol consumption is controlled. No one likes when they accidentally drink too much and then end up smack face on the concrete. If you drink from this cup, I guarantee you will never have the problem of drinking too much. You may however run out of time before you want to do something else.

 

 

 

 

Breathe – Luciana Emerson – Rudi

CONCEPTION AND DESIGN:

My partner and I wanted to create something meaningful for our final project. We decided to create something that would cater to people who suffer from anxiety. We knew we couldn’t just slap on the title “anti-anxiety” without doing research so we started by looking up ways to calm people down from anxiety attacks. We first hoped to use heartbeat monitors to trigger the use of our project but we decided that there were too many variables that came with that. For example, everyone has a different heart rate so we couldn’t make a general variable to declare that someone was having anxiety. During user testing, we had a motion sensor on the lamp. Though people liked the idea they thought it would be more meaningful if the lamp could detect anxiety. We noticed that many people who suffer from anxiety start to fidget. We decided that the best way to trigger the start of our device would be to put a vibration sensor on the floor so when people began to shake their legs, the device would activate. We also know that sometimes being told you have anxiety is just another trigger so we also kept the motion sensor so people can use it if they notice they are stressed and need to take a break. When doing research we found that some colors also decrease anxiety. We used the top three: green, blue, and purple. Some people use music to decrease stress so we also added low-fi music for when the lamp starts to activate. During user testing, many people said that our lamp looked very plain. They recommended we decorate it to look more interesting. Because of this, we turned our lamp into a tree because many people see nature as a calming landscape. We also initially had a smaller box that just held the pulley mechanism. We wanted to clean up all the wires so they wouldn’t look so chaotic. For our final, we created a bigger box that held the Arduino, breadboard, and Bluetooth speaker.

FABRICATION AND PRODUCTION:

When my partner and I were first thinking about how to create an anxiety-decreasing lamp we thought about different sensory movements. We even thought about making a hologram coming out of the top of the lamp. We decided that using a pulley system on the tree branches would be the best idea because it is not overstimulating and it coached the user on how to breathe properly to decrease stress. The idea was that as the branches rose, the user would inhale, and as they fell the user would exhale. We liked this idea because we didn’t want to create a device that would be pushy or annoying so even if the user didn’t want to match their breath up, they could still enjoy the experience. At the beginning of the project we also wanted to put lights on the ends of the trees but we thought that the messy wire might become a trigger for anxiety. For user testing, we had a lullaby as the music that started playing. We switched it over to low-fi beats because we didn’t want the music to become catchy or annoying. We also initially had the LED’s rainbow but we switched it over to a calming blue because we didn’t want the user to get overwhelmed by the vibrant colors. We wanted our lamp to sense when a user was feeling anxiety but we didn’t want them to feel pushed into trying to calm themselves down. We decided to incorporate two sensors. The first was a motion sensor that would start the movement of the branches and activate the music. This sensor was for when the user acknowledged they needed a break. The user would wave their hand over it to start the lamp and then wave it again to stop it. The second sensor was the vibration sensor which would only move the lamp up and down once to remind the user to breathe. The vibration sensor would not activate any music.

When we finally settled on the design we wanted we decided that we both would work on a bit of everything. My partner was very advanced in coding and I wanted to be there to learn how to do more. On the last day before presenting she, unfortunately, got COVID. Because she taught me more about coding I was able to fix the bugs that were still left in our code. Before coming to NYUSH I had a background in CAD. So just as she taught me how to code, I taught her how to use CAD so we could cut out our pieces on the laser cutter.

Initial sketch

CONCLUSIONS:

My partner and I wanted to create something that would help people. We decided on an anti-anxiety desk lamp that would help students reduce stress. I think that we were very successful when making our project because we tried to incorporate a lot of calming aspects as well as taking into account different triggers. When people first walked up to our project during user testing they didn’t know exactly how to interact with it but as the lamp started moving, they would look entranced. When they were done all of them would say that it was very relaxing to look at. I think that one difficulty we faced with the project was more interactive. During user testing, we only had the motion sensor. Though I would argue that is interactive, it was very similar to my midterm project. I wanted to add other variables to challenge myself for the final project. This project matches my definition of interaction because, based on the different sensors, it responds differently. With the motion sensor, the lamp will play music and move until you stop it where as the vibration sensor will only move once without music. I think that because the lamp has different responses, it really creates a conversation between the user and the device. This project was assigned right when the COVID restrictions were getting lifted in China. Because of this everyone was getting sick. I think that this project taught me resilience and dedication as both my partner and I kept having to adapt in order to complete the project. Throughout the world, mental health is stigmatized. I believe that mental health needs to be talked about in order for people to feel safe while talking about the struggles that they face. We created this project in hopes that people will see that even the smallest things can have a major impact.

1. ANNEX

All technical documentation that was not included in previous sections should be attached here. Upload your code (copied as HTML) from both Processing and Arduino, wiring diagrams made in TinkerCad Circuits, pictures, videos and all related documentation that would help to understand the technical development process. If you used code or assets from outside sources, properly cite them.

Arduino code

Processing code

Cuttle box design

 

The first iteration of the box

 

User testing

The second iteration of the box

The final iteration of the box. 

When I first looked at this assignment I had no idea what I was going to do. I saw some kids taking YouTube videos and using POT’s to slow down and speed up the video but I was stuck. Then I remembered a filter on snap chat that would change when you tapped the screen. I wanted to do something like that. In class we learned how to create multiple frames of the same camera and tint each one. So I started by creating a screen that did that. I then made it so the initial screen was normal and when you clicked the mouse it turned to for screens with a different tint in each one similar to a zoom call. Then I had to figure out how to Arduino to control it. As I was running out of time I used a button that replaced the mouse click to make the screens switch. I used the button code that was already proved in Arduino’s examples and I worked from there. Initially, the code wasn’t working. It was doing the opposite of what I wanted it to do. Instead of changing each click, it was constantly changing unless I held the button down. I asked a professor and I realized that I forgot to add a resistor. I added the resistor and changed the code up a bit and everything started to work.

Processing:

import processing.video.*;

Capture cam;
int button = 0;
import processing.serial.*;
import osteele.processing.SerialRecord.*;

Serial serialPort;
SerialRecord serialRecord;

float pvalue1;
float pvalue2;

void setup() {
size(640, 480);
cam = new Capture(this, 640, 480);
cam.start();
String serialPortName = SerialUtils.findArduinoPort();
serialPort = new Serial(this, serialPortName, 9600);

// If the Arduino sketch sends a different number of values, modify the number
// `2` on the next line to match the number of values that it sends.
serialRecord = new SerialRecord(this, serialPort, 2);
}

void draw() {
tint(256, 256, 256);
background(0);

serialRecord.read();
int button = serialRecord.values[0];

if (cam.available()) {
cam.read();
}
if (button == 0) {
image(cam, 0, 0);
println(button);
} else if (button == 1) {

tint(256, 0, 0);
image(cam, 0, 0, width/2, height/2);

tint(256, 0, 256)
image(cam, width/2, 0, width/2, height/2);
tint(0, 0, 256);
image(cam, 0, height/2, width/2, height/2);
tint(0, 256, 0);;
image(cam, width/2, height/2, width/2, height/2);
} else {
println(“button = 0 again”);
button = 0;
}
}

void mousePressed() {
button++;
}

Arduino:

#include “SerialRecord.h”

// Change this number to send a different number of values
SerialRecord writer(1);

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(2, INPUT);
}

void loop() {
int sensorValue = digitalRead(2);
writer[0] = sensorValue;
writer.send();

// This delay slows down the loop, so that it runs less frequently. This can
// make it easier to debug the sketch, because new values are printed at a
// slower rate.
delay(10);
}
 

PROPOSAL ESSAY

A. Breathe
The title must be direct, short, decisive, engaging, and self-explanatory.

B. PROJECT STATEMENT OF PURPOSE *
We want to create a project that destigmatizes the conversation about mental health. We want to make it easier to seek help and create a practical project that will help people who suffer from panic attacks. There has been a lot of research that shows that managing breathing, listening to music, or watching a calming video or object decreases anxiety. Our goal is to create a sensory project that helps people have a healthy coping mechanism to control their anxiety.

C. PROJECT PROPOSAL PLAN *
My partner and I want to create a moving lamp that plays soothing music to calm the user down. We want the lamp to move in a calming manor order to create a sensory experience for the user. To make the lamp move we want to use servos that use a pulley system to move the lights up and down. As of now, we are imagining the lamp o look like a tree with light bulbs on the ends. Each branch will move independently and move slowly up and down. We want the movement of the branches to look like they are breathing so the user can match up their breathing to it. To space out our work we want to at least be able to show the moving aspect of the lamp by User Testing. We want the lamp to move only when the motion sensors sense someone directly in front of it. We also want to have a speaker that plays calming music when the lamp is in use to distract the user further from their anxiety. Hopefully, we will have the music working during user testing as well.
When talking about this project to our professor, he said when he feels anxious he goes on his phone and it makes it worse. If we have time we want to remedy that with a slot at the top of the tree that creates a hologram. We want to use processing to create designs and then create a hologram projector to project the visuals on the top of the tree. This would be an additional feature because it is very simple to make.

D. CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE *
Initially, we wanted to incorporate heartbeat monitors for the project because peoples heart beats increase during panic attacks but our professor said the ones at our disposal are not that accurate. We researched a lot of ways people calm down from panic attacks and decided to incorporate the most popular ones. I tried to research interactive devices and gadgets for anxiety and all that comes up are fidget toys and videos so I wanted to take matters into my own hands and create something from scratch.

 

This project aligns with my definition of interaction as it impacts the user’s emotions and reacts to the user. Since I describe interaction like a conversation, I imagine this as a kid going to their parent (the lamp) and their parent calming them down.  If the lamp senses a user then it starts to move and when it doesn’t it stops. I wanted the heartbeat monitor to sense the anxiety but we had to adapt and change our design. I think that our project is unique because it is specifically designed for people who suffer from anxiety attacks. From what I saw during the midterm, many people created things just because it was fun or had something to do with their hobbies. I want my project to be practical. In college especially, anxiety levels are high and I want to be able to make something that remedies that.

 

THREE PROJECT PROPOSALS

 

1. Distorted mirror

 

1. PROJECT STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

This project is an art instillation that takes someones body and puts it into processing using shapes. As the person moves, so does their “reflection” on the screen. I want to make it so when the person moves fast, there is a change in how processing displays the movement. I think that it could be a good way to show how art can be more then just 2D and that many people can contribute in their own ways. If I want to incorporate a musical aspect as well to make the interaction more immersive. If I can pull this off, I hope that my project can make people forget about their worries and just have fun.

 

1. DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES

1. Voices of the people

 

1. PROJECT STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

 

During the brainstorming process I wanted to create something that gave people voices. I was thinking about creating something that let people speak their thoughts without the fear of being judged or attacked. I have a few ideas for this but I want to create a program that gave people an outlet to express their thoughts and then be able to hide them away for ever. I want there to be two features. One that locked away peoples thoughts and one that anonymously showed them on the screen for people that may be going through the same things. For example if a person wanted to say “I feel like an outcast” they would then get the opportunity to submit it without their name onto a screen that had other peoples thoughts or be able to chose to not show them and just give them a place to write down their feelings. 

 

1. DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES

1. Anti-anxiety band

 

1. PROJECT STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

 

The third project that I was thinking about was attaching heart monitors to peoples wrists and having it play music as the heartbeat increases while also creating patterns on a screen. I was inspired by this project because a lot of my friends suffer from panick attacks and they stuggle to decrease their heart rate but most of them say that placing music helps. I think that if the music plays when their heart beat is high and slowly dies out when it returns to normal would be very helpful. I also think that watching sensory digital art on the screen might be helpful too as it soothes you down and distracts you from the panic inside. 

 

1. DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES

Step 1: Design

I was designated to be Student A. I started by following the directions by creating a rectangle and filleting the edges. Then I added second rectangle. Then I cut out the second from the first with the command Boolean Difference. Then I got the measurements of the servo from my partner and added the third rectangle centered at the top with two circles for the screws. 

Step 1.2: Pattern design

I then created a circle that was 120 mm in diameter and a rectangle with the measurements of the servo. I then played around with creating patterns using the Rotational Repeat command to have it revolve around the center point. 

After I was satisfied with the design I exported both into a SVG file and put in onto google drive. In the fab lab Andy retrieved the files and sent them to the laser cutter.

Step 3: Assemble 

After we got out cut outs we started to assemble out stand. 

We then made the circuit and used the example file Servo Sweep from library.

 

 

 

Documentation

Task #1 Documentation

 

• Document your process for completing the task: (what went well? what was difficult? any surprises?).

Programing the first step was fairly simple as I just used the example codes given. The second step I ran into some difficulties. The first time I ran the code, the circle was the one that tracing over the background with a line in the center of the screen. I realized that I didn’t change all the variables for the example line code and I had to change the code from being controlled with the mouse. After I changed those variables, the code ran smoothly and processing looked like an etch-e-sketch. The way people would interact with this would be by spinning the two potentiometers to draw on the screen. After the person spins, the line moves in the x and y direction according to the amount of “spin” is used.

Arduino code:

#include “SerialRecord.h”

// Change this number to send a different number of values
SerialRecord writer(2);

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
int sensorValue1 = analogRead(A0);
int sensorValue2 = analogRead(A1);

writer[0] = map(sensorValue2,0, 1023, 0, 500);
writer[1] = map(sensorValue1, 0, 1023, 0, 500);
writer.send();

// This delay slows down the loop, so that it runs less frequently. This can
// make it easier to debug the sketch, because new values are printed at a
// slower rate.
delay(10);
}
 

Processing Code:

import processing.serial.*;
import osteele.processing.SerialRecord.*;

Serial serialPort;
SerialRecord serialRecord;

float pvalue1;
float pvalue2;
void setup() {
size(500, 500);
background(0);

String serialPortName = SerialUtils.findArduinoPort();
serialPort = new Serial(this, serialPortName, 9600);

// If the Arduino sketch sends a different number of values, modify the number
// `2` on the next line to match the number of values that it sends.
serialRecord = new SerialRecord(this, serialPort, 2);
}

void draw() {

serialRecord.read();
int value1 = serialRecord.values[0];
int value2 = serialRecord.values[1];

stroke(255);
line(value1, value2, pvalue1, pvalue2);
pvalue1 = value1;
pvalue2 = value2;
} 

Task #2 Documentation

 

Document the process for completing the task: (what went well? what was difficult? any surprises? what was your process of teamwork?).

When I first attempted to program this, I could not figure out how to get the servo to work. When the circle hit the opposite side, the servo wouldn’t move. I then realized that there was an example code in the library that helped me make the servo work. Another problem I faced was that when the circle hit the left side, the servo moved 90 degrees, but on the right the servo didn’t tick as far. I realized that with my parameters, the servo didn’t have time to turn all the way 90. So I changed those as well and everything started to work. I don’t think I could call this part “interactive” because only the servo is responding to the code. And one could argue since, the code makes up both parts, the whole mechanism is only responding to itself. I think this contradicts my perception of interaction as it doesn’t create a conversation between two separate bodies.

Arduino:

#include “SerialRecord.h”
#include
Servo myservo;
// Change this number to the number of values you want to receive
SerialRecord reader(1);

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
myservo.attach(4); // attaches the servo on pin 4 to the servo object
}

void loop() {
reader.read();

if (reader[0] > 1425 || reader[0] < 20) { //when it hits the boundary
myservo.write(90); //move to 90

} else {
myservo.write(0); //in middle it returns to zero
}
// myservo.write(val);
} 

Processing:

import processing.serial.*;
import osteele.processing.SerialRecord.*;
float x = 40;
int d = 3;
Serial serialPort;
SerialRecord serialRecord;

void setup() {
fullScreen();

String serialPortName = SerialUtils.findArduinoPort();
serialPort = new Serial(this, serialPortName, 9600);

// In order to send a different number of values, modify the number `2` on the
// next line to the number values to send. In this case, the corresponding
// number in the Arduino sketch should be modified as well.
serialRecord = new SerialRecord(this, serialPort, 1);
}

void draw() {
background(0);
circle(x, height/2, 20);
x += d;
if (x>width – 10 || x < 10){
d = -d;
}
// store some values in serialTransport.values, and send them to the Arduino
serialRecord.values[0] = int(x);
//serialRecord.values[1] = int(map(mouseY, 0, height – 1, 0, 1023));
serialRecord.send();
}