Technology and Realization

Through the implementation of appropriate technology a design can provide unique and compelling experiences for the user. Within this year, I experimented with a variety of technologies that really brought certain projects to life.

Reframe

The integration of technology within a prototype is not only about adding complexity, but about providing the interaction with the device a new dimension. A project which portrays this would be Reframe, the end result of the Aesthetics of Interaction project. The prototype, similar to our previous iteration, has a camera-like form and uses composure lines imposed on the wayfinder which must be lined up in the user's environment in order to get an output. The difference lies in moving away from the emotion of nostalgia, and including functioning technological components to the design to establish a clear communication between the user and the device. The final design includes a led strip which can emit red or green light that only turns on once the device is picked up, telling the user that it is ready to operate. If their composure lines are not lined up to a physical space in the environment they stay red, suggesting what the user is currently looking at is ‘incorrect’, and only turn green upon finding the right space. A simplistic system like this provides the user with more direction in the interaction, by allowing the prototype to react to intended situations. Furthermore, Reframe includes a printer, to print out the picture taken, and a button that makes the noise of a camera shutter. With the inclusion of all these elements, Reframe is a significantly more successful prototype as it truly captures the intended vision for the interaction.

Light and printing functionality of the Reframe Prototype

Measurement tool actuated system stills.

Capturing Depth

A similar implementation occurred for the final prototype of Exploratory Making, having simple actuated systems to better simulate the intended experience. The final prototype for this project is a sort of scientific measurement tool which is able to capture to depth any surface of interest. Ideally it would be able to convert this information to some digital space so it could be better analyzed, but that was outside of the scope for this course. What it can do is expand and retract the main shaft, to travel further into the surface to capture more depth. This is done by a servo motor built into the frame, which pushes the inner-foam with enough force for it to slide out. The second motor is then able to bend the foam face of the device to account for the curved surface, taking up the negative space that is not accounted for. This once more is done by a servo motor mounted in the face, which can be removed in the prototype, that turns until a surface is met or reaches its maximum limit. Ultimately these systems are two servo motors which simply move forward and backward, though with their inclusion alongside the prototype it provides just enough actuation to push the intended idea.