WHAT WE ARE DOING

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

Visiting the MIT Museum and studying the complex and delightful mechanical sculptures of Arthur Ganson

To understand the mechanical strategies used by him as well as the emotional response they illicit

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

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؜Location: Sharjah Museums Authority

1st

We walk to the MIT Museum

Choose one of the sculptures to study in detail. You should aim to choose a different sculpture than your studio mates. Take clear photos and videos of the sculpture.

In your sketchpad, draw a mechanical analysis: How is it driven, how is energy transferred, how is the resulting movement created? You can focus on the entire mechanism or a single part.

2nd

3rd

In your sketchpad, draw a Gestural Analysis: This is a diagram of the resulting gesture of the piece - ultimately, of what the piece makes you feel and why. What is the final "output" of the device? How does this relate to your emotional response? Can the gesture be reduced down to a clear idea or phrase? Your drawing should relate the answer to these questions.

1. For example, the walking wishbone mechanism diagram would show how power is transmitted to the drive train and how this is translated to an oscillating drive for the wishbone but the gesture diagram would show how the wishbone is pulling a heavy weight, reaches the destination, and then is forced to repeat its work over and over.

4th

؜

Back at NuVu, create a short presentation where you will share the name, photos, videos, the mechanical Analysis and Gestural Analysis.

5th

ACTIVITY EXAMPLE

Louvre Abu Dhabi

Bronze Pot

3rd Millennium BCE (Umm Al Nar period)

Cooking or storage vessel

Shows advanced metalworking skills of the ancient UAE; reflects daily domestic life and possible trade links.

Bronze (copper alloy with tin)

؜Cast in a mold then hammered to shape; decorated with simple lines.

؜Restored rim; body mostly complete with minor corrosion spots.

Umm Al Nar Island

Stratigraphic excavation by Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism, 1973

؜Displayed in sealed glass case with humidity control

Spot-lit from above; digital touchscreen nearby shows 3D model and excavation photos

United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi region

ACTIVITY EXAMPLE

Abu Dhabi region, UAE | Excavation: Umm Al Nar Island (1973)

Slide Example

Bronze Pot – Umm Al Nar Period (3rd Millennium BCE)

Function: Cooking or storage vessel

Cultural Significance: Reflects advanced metalworking skills of ancient UAE. Shows daily domestic life and possible trade links

Material & Technique: Bronze (copper alloy with tin).Cast in a mold, hammered to shape, decorated with simple lines.

؜Condition & Preservation:

1. Restored rim, mostly complete, minor corrosion spots
2. Displayed in sealed glass case with humidity control
3. Spot-lit, digital touchscreen shows 3D model and excavation photos

   Palbot is a robotic assistant that seamlessly documents your work. At NuVu inconsistent documentation of project progress is a big problem, often students forget to document their work due to its inconvenience and lack of implementation in students' workflow.

 Palbot utilizes a pressure sensor to detect when an object is placed on it as well as a servo driven camera arm to focus on the object. Palbot also utilizes a strip of neopixel LEDs to express “emotion” and light the shot. 

Project Statement

Client Profile

• Lloyd is a NuVu student that enjoys working on circuitry and electronics based projects 
• Lloyd has difficulty documenting their work and progress 

Many NuVu students have challenges with properly documenting their work. This lack of documentation leads to difficulties later on when trying to summarize a project in presentations as well as a scramble to record what they can at the end of project. Pushing documentation is a burden that has fell upon multiple coaches although lack of documentation is still a persistent issue. 

Research

Summary

Precedents

Alonso Martinez's 3D-Printed Animated Robots!

These robots use simple actuation and lighting to convey a massive amount of emotion. 

Guy Hoffman

Guy Hoffman makes very expressive robots that help out in a workspace, his robots usually consist of very simple arms and joints. 

Viu

Viu is a compact desk based scanner that automatically flattens images of items on your desk, its a very simple design but is elegant and welcoming.

Sketch Exploration

Prototype 1

These first few prototypes are technical prototypes to test features of the final project including a light diffuser, using pressure sensors with the Arduino and running a dc motor based off of a pressure sensor. 

Prototype 2



This prototype was testing possible layouts for the robots armature. Discoveries here led directly into the design of the next prototype including a one pressure sensor system and ensuring accessible cable management.  

Prototype 3

This Prototype is a proof of concept for controlling more complex servo movement with a pressure sensor. This prototype is very similar to the final version except it lacks a camera and LEDs. 

Technical Diagram

Main Arm Body

Servo Mount #2

Servo Mount #1

Electronics Shroud

Pressure Sensor Platform

Wiring Diagram

I need Palbot!

You may notice that none of the LEDs are on in my final photos, this is because right before I was going to take photos one of the solder joints broke. If I had Palbot I could have just documented as I went preventing a lack of LED documentation.

Final Photos

Final Photos

Next Steps

• Incorporate more complex idle animations 
• Implement gestural feed back and reminders 
• Automate image capture with a Raspberry Pi 
• Fine tune framing



The goal of this project is to help the client visualize their joy.

It does this by throughout the day when the user has joyful moments they would activate the device and it would save the location and time data and then at the end of the day the user would have a physical map that would have led lights to represent different locations and they would glow at different intensities depending on the amount the device was activated during the day in different locations.

Project Statement

Client Profile

• Has trouble externalizing and communicating their joy and happiness

• Wants a device help to externalize and communicate their joy/happiness 

Precedents

Name of Precedent etki watch

Author: Adem Onalan

This watch allows the user to record and review moments through the day

Sketch Exploration

Prototype 1

Prototype of how the button response/forum would be 

Prototype 2

This was a design seeing how the electronics could fit in a phone case 

Final model

Final model with GPS module attached to phone and the map

Technical diagram

Arduino nano

Neo-6m gps module

Wiring Diagram

Final Photos

Final Photos

Final Photos

Final Photos

Over recent years, mindfulness has become a sort of an industry. This capitalization on something so individual has left a strong negative tinge in the minds of many- particularly Generation Z, the generation that grew up with this development. LIGHTSYNTH intends to be a different approach to mindfulness- one that intends not to have the same negative tinge as current mindfulness "tools". It gives you an outlet for creativity without fear of needing to improve, or of failure.

Project Statement

Client Profile

• Experiences anxiety/nervousness

• Aforementioned anxiety may be able to be mitigated with mindfulness

• Mindfulness Issues

Mindfulness is a technique utilized in many workspaces- but it cannot "cure" major depression or anxiety, only mitigate the effects. Mindfulness is absolutely oversold as a technique in workspaces, and said workspaces often do not provide the things workers truly want- better wages, better working conditions, better benefits, opting for mindfulness as a solution to try and make workers happier. For many Gen Z folk, this association between mindfulness and dismissal creates an innate negative reaction to the most prominent mindfulness techniques.

Research

Summary

Precedents

Name of Precedent/Author: Habit

I took elements from the experimentation and design of Habit.

Name of Precedent/Author: Pocket Op

The Pocket Operator has a level of playful experimentation that I wish to capture.

Sketch Exploration

Prototype 1

My initial prototype was physical only- a basic exploration of the form factor of my final product. I decided on a "light ring" sort of idea. The design of this ring was slightly altered, but the main difference from the final product was the inclusion of the entire stand.

Prototype 2

This prototype is the "guts" of my final one, minus a handful of essential features (like feedback). This prototype was primarily to demonstrate all of the final features, essentially just a tech demo of what the final might be.

Prototype 3

This is the housed, finalized product. I added a speaker for feedback (playing a different note for each setting selected), and created a casing for the actual.... thing. There are three differently-sized holes for each input on the device.

Use Diagram

Technical Diagram

Wiring Diagram

Final Photos

MoodThing is a wearable device intended to assist in expressing emotions through colored lights. The user uses a potentiometer to change the color of lights on the object, and the color of those lights indicates their present emotion.

Project Statement

Client Profile

• Finn feels they have difficulty being honest about their emotions to other people. They want a device that helps communicate feelings non-verbally and without vulnerability.
• They want a device purely for expression and communication, rather than something to change their emotional state itself.

Using colors to express emotions is a common practice in art, though which emotions some colors represent can vary. Red is almost universally anger, love, and/or courage depending on context, but some colors like yellow are interpreted rather differently, even in context. So, the usage of this product would require some explanation by the user, but hopefully a lot would be interpreted reasonably well.

Research

Summary

Precedents

Zenta by Vinaya

A device that tracks happiness day-to-day, similar to a fitness tracker. Good design inspiration.

The mood ring

The original mood detecting and expressing device (though it didn't really work). Gave me the idea of a wearable that uses colors.

Traditional color/mood associations

In general, people will infer what you mean when your device is a certain color.

Sketch Exploration

Prototype 1

A looks-like prototype of the bracelet, with the tape intending to represent the lights and the box being a place the computer would go.

Prototype 2

A works-like prototype of NeoPixels with the hue controlled by a potentiometer and an Arduino Nano.

Prototype 3

A rough combination of the bracelet design and the electronics, made into a watch-like design with a ring of lights.

Use Diagram

Technical Diagram

Wiring Diagram

Final Photos

Final Photos

Final Photos

Thanks for [listening/enjoying/putting up with me]!

The light up lifter is a focus friend. This focus friend helps the user focus bye giving the user something to recenter them selves with.

Project Statement

Jade Vincent

• Jade works on projects for long periods of time which requires a lot of focus.
• Jade also thought that having another entity in the room would be a nice experience.

Research

Summary

I have researched  how light effects emotion, color theory, ways to mitigate stress and, ways to simplify design which all relate to what jade would like out of this item and examples which would help design it.

Precedents

"Creativity Meter"/Jenna Witzleben:

it is something that measures time and your usage of the item.

FRIEND 1/DAN K CHEN

2 of my project ideas are also desktop helpers and companions like this one.

focus timer/Dave Zuverick:

Another 1 of my 3 projects would do some of the same things 2 of the main things would be to keep track o time and help focus.

Design  sketches

Prototype 1

 This is different than the final but was one of the many explored ideas it was a belt that would be a tool holder that you could move around your desk it would act like a printer belt and is made to hold things from above.

Prototype 2

This prototype is of a small cart that would be designed to move around and pick up scraps from your desk. There also was a method through circuitry that allows this cart to steer clear of large objects.

Prototype 3

This prototype is of a watch that would help people with anxiety and would light up according to peoples moods. It would also still act as a watch as well as the anxiety device

prototype 4

Prototype 4 is the first prototype for the arm and was a general test for the look of it its self.

Prototype 5

The  prototype type is of the arm its self showing  how it would function with the servos directly.  It also helped with the general layout of the tasks.

(made to help with Jades carrot cutting problem)

Prototype 6

This prototype is testing the pads that would be used to power the light up boxes. It shows that the circuit and the pads work. The pads are a few layers of copper tape that conduct the current when the pads touch from above which allows the current to go through when they touch which makes the light turn on.

Prototype 7

The prototype is of a motor being controlled by an Arduino board. It is representing who the motor could be driven on the grabby part of the arm. The motor is the part of the driver that picked and realeaces the boxes using magnets.

Use Diagram

1

2

3

4

5

6

Technical Diagram

linear  actuator 

servo joint

Cardboard arm

light up cubes 

micro controller 

bace plate

Wiring Diagram

Final Photos

Final Photos

Final Photos

Final Video

final video

Photosensitivity, in reference to a more intense form of light sensitivity, affects anywhere from 5 - 20% of the population. Despite this, most lights aren't accommodating to this, having no option for a dimmer, or some bulbs even worsening the effects of light sensitivity. Verity, also being affected by photosensitivity, requested a solution to this. what they need in a lamp, and what's not necessary but a nice addition.

Project Statement

Client Profile

• Using brightness changes slowly to ease into the contrast.

• Needs a light that's adjustable so the options aren't solely fully on or fully off. A dimmer and maybe the option of warm vs cool light is preferred.

Precedents

Pendant Ikea Lamp:

Depending on how open or closed the lamp is, it gives less or more light.

Window Blinders:

Similar to the lamp they can give a variety of different light levels.

Compressable Oragami:

Demonstrates a fun direction I could go with a lamp shade if the dimmer comes from the shade and not the bulb

Sketch Exploration

Experimental Prototypes

Use Diagram

Technical Diagram

Wiring Diagram

Final Photos

Brighten Up is a tool intended to assist a user with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in exercising in their mornings. According to the Yale School of Medicine SAD affects 0.5 to 3 percent of the US population or around ten million people. The traditional form of treatment, a lightbox, simulates the sun's light, however most options for a lightbox are bulky and unattractive, disincentivizing the user to keep one on hand. Brighten Ups sleek and attractive design, paired with features customizable to the users needs helps to overcome the hurdles of SAD.

Project Statement

Client Profile

• Ryan wants a tool to encourage him to get out of bed and exercise in the mornings.

• While he does fine the the summer and spring the onset of winter mixed with the lack of light

  decreases his motivation. 

• A personalized tool will assist him in getting up in the morning and incentives forming habits around exercise.

Thirteen million americans are affected by SAD (NIH). Individuals with SAD are characterized by a set a predictable symptoms: decreased energy level, weight gain and withdrawal from social activities. People with SAD sleep 2.5 more hours in the winter time then the summer on average. There is also a measurable increase in melatonin production within the patient.

Research

Summary

Precedents

Huggable SAD Lamp, Rebecca Erde:

A comfortable lamp for SAD that encourages you to keep it close.

Wake Up Light, Phillips:

Lighting emulating the suns rise helps you wake up feeling awake and rested.

The Everyday Calendar, Simone Giertz:

An innovative way to keep track and form habits.

Sketch Exploration

Prototype 1

This first prototype is an soothing organic shape intended to be attached on your beds headboard.

The inbuilt LEDs imitate the sky natural colors, changing throughout the day. It functions as a clock intended to give the user a greater sense of awareness of the time of day and imitate the sky in the summers.

Prototype 2

This second prototype is in the shape of an egg. The brightness of the light emitted from the egg varies with the users breathing pattern. When the user takes a breath in, the egg brightens, when they breath out it darkens. The intent of this is to slow the users breathing by giving them greater awareness of it. The light is also the same color as traditional SAD light helping with the disorder.

Prototype 3

This works like prototype utilizes an ultrasonic sensor to change the behavior of the LEDs. It would be built into an alarm clock that would be wall mounted on the wall opposite from the users bed. In order to turn the alarm off the user has to stand in front of the alarm clock for a set amount of time, forcing them to both get out of bed and stay upright.

Final Photos

Use Diagram

Technical Diagram

Tab

Tab

LED

LED

9V Battery

Arduino Uno

Pushbutton

Pushbutton

Ultrasonic Sensor

Acrylic

Wiring Diagram

Final Photos

Final Video