bike for commuters
Jane Neiswander, Nicole Assini, and Louise Goacher developed a beautiful bike than builds user confidence through increased customization. It’s designed to change with needs, aesthetics, time and available technology. User confidence also increases with its unique app that helps the user develop a relationship with her/his surroundings.
Science: physics, psychology
The challenge: Design a bike that raises and maintains confidence for all types of bike commuters.
micro-factory @ maker faire
Fourth-year students designed and sold a range of products. Hello! Snello! by Juyeon Lee is a 3D-printed device designed to hold earbuds and keep them from tangling. Modulaire by Grace Cha is set of stackable, interconnecting holders for air plants.
Science: material studies, psychology
Technology: 3D printing
Art: make a visually-appealing, interesting product
Math: economics, marketing
The challenge: Design a useful product that can be 3D printed in multiples and sold online. Balance the relationship between price and value, and explore ways of benefitting from the changing relationship between designer and consumer.
NASA suit component
Emily Keen and Mauricio Uruena (both Masters of ID students), Sahithya Baskaran (Human Computer Interaction), Norma Easter (Computational Media), and Cameron Hord (Computer Science) worked with NASA’s Human Interface Branch to create a high-tech wearable to accomplish this goal. For more information, visit http://www.ipdl.gatech.edu/projects
Science: anatomy and physiology, stress injuries
Technology: computer science, wearables, part of Georgia Tech’s Interactive Product Design Lab (IPDL)
The challenge: Keep track of astronaut movement in space to pinpoint and alter high-stress tasks in order to keep astronauts as safe and healthy as possible.
push wallet
ID student Sam Harvey realized that using a wallet is extremely difficult using only one hand, yet there was nothing in the market for people who cannot use both hands. To fill this market gap, Sam created a fully functional prototype for a simple wallet that serves the needs of this overlooked group of users.
Science: anatomy, physics, psychology
The challenge: Create a wallet that can be used easily by people with only one hand.
bio-inspired design projects
Second-year students drew inspiration from multiple animals to create their final light fixtures. The shade of Jin Song’s project protects and controls the light by wrapping around the lamp the same way an armadillo curls into a ball to protect itself; Harris Awan took inspiration from the way a turtle can retract or reveal more of itself to create a light that can do the same thing.
Science: biology, physics of light
Art: create a visually-appealing light fixture
The challenge: Understand the function, behavior, and structure of biological organisms, and apply them to solve human problems.
halo - dynamically simple midi controller
Elvin Chu designed Halo to be expressive, like other musical instruments. It is simple to use, with only two methods of interaction: rotate the dial to adjust parameters, and swipe to change parameter sets.
Technology: music technology, connect to computer via Bluetooth, dedicated UI system
Art: make the final product expressive, elegant, and appealing
The challenge: Design a superior MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) controller that overcomes some of the problems the copious knobs on common MIDI controllers face, such as easy breakage and lack of fine control.
one-piece shoes
First-year students designed the entire customer experience – from seeing the product online to opening the package and assembling the shoe, then finally wearing it proudly. “This project is an interesting segue for creatives” said one student. Images here include projects by Angela Kim and Dana Palacio.
Science: resolving material’s tensile forces in response to foot anatomy
Art: design of a visually appealing shoe and marketing strategy
Math: geometric area calculations maximizing pattern efficiency; statistics on how foot length relates to other factors, like big toe length
The challenge: Imagine sustainable systems. Design a beautiful shoe to be crafted from a single piece of felt, then flat-packed and shipped to consumers. Think Ikea for your feet!
Third-year students designed a range of objects, from interactive toys designed to build emotional intelligence to infant seats designed to distract and enable medical examinations. Baby Bolster, designed by Sonia McCall, is a yoga and physical therapy prop for 0-2-year-olds that appeals to infants’ sense of play and helps them achieve proper yoga positioning so that they can benefit from the muscle strengthening, coordination, and balance that yoga promotes.
Science: child psychology, anatomy, material studies
The challenge: Design a toy product that benefits toddlers’ well-being in response to research conducted with healthcare professionals.
toys supporting health and well-being
horse wearable
Fourth-year student Josh Dycus used a Structure Sensor attached to an iPad Mini to generate a detailed scan of a horse’s leg, which he used with CAD/CAM to physically construct a model of the horse leg using CNC technology. This model will be used to develop the detailed wearable that will fit this particular horse.
Science: biology, zoology, psychology
Technology: 3D digital scanning
Engineering: CAD/CAM, CNC machine
The challenge: Design a wearable device for horses that will position sensors strategically to analyze a horse’s gait in real time and diagnose lameness.
edge - new ergonomic approach for wearable optics
Current products such as Oculus Rift (pictured), Google Glass, and Microsoft HoloLens put pressure on the user’s head that makes them uncomfortable to use for extended periods. ID student Elvin Chu recognized that AR/VR are totally different from traditional eyewear and thus require a completely new ergonomic configuration in order to be comfortable for regular use while maintaining a secure fit. Edge achieved a promising fit system for wearable optics, though it may take some time before the rest of the AR/VR hardware is is miniaturized enough to make effective use of it.
Science: anatomy
Technology: 3D scanning of head and inner ear to develop secure fit
Engineering: CAD for prototyping
The challenge: Design optics for augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) that are more comfortable for prolonged everyday use.