eliotlaidlaw-blog

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Word Art Reimagined

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Final Project Week 1

For my final project I’d like to make a water-dispensing/waiting robot. The robot would move around a party space (whether it be a college-type party or more formal reception-type party) and either carry a tray of hors-d’oeuvres are dispense water to guests. It will need to be able to move around a space, providing each guest with equal access to whatever it’s carrying, wait for them when they are trying to use the robot, and not run into people. The water dispenser would be automatic and give guests easy access to water that is not always available at parties. Especially at parties where drinking is involved, water is super important for keeping people healthy.

Precedent work:

Robotic waiter system

Chinese robot waiters

Nepalese robot waiter

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Working shoe key prototype

This week, Rhaime, Christine, Gabby and I worked to develop a working prototype of our original shoe key idea. After extensive research into RFID, we decided that for the first iteration we would try to implement a low-range solution since the higher-range versions cost a lot more and are much larger.

We also had to really consider how we were going to connect the sensor at the bottom of the door to the rest of the electronics in the lock box. We considered using a wireless solution, but ended up using a wire because the wireless version would be too much to tackle in one week.

We used a solenoid for the lock itself. The door is almost fully functional at this point and would just need the different settings to be implemented and to have the handles work like they’re supposed to.

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Distance Sensor Week 2

This week, Jenny and I transitioned Lil’ Ian into a new home: a trash can!

We were looking for a purpose for the function of Lil’ Ian, and something that we had originally been trying to create was a device that made people think about how thoughtful and patient they were. A time when people aren’t always thoughtful enough about their actions is when they’re throwing things away.

The idea for this project is that it makes people think before they’re throwing things away, because Lil’ Ian closes his trash can lid if people approach too quickly.

We adapted the project by moving Lil’ Ian to the trash can, adding a lid, mounting the sensor and new LED indicator lights, and creating graphics for the front.

To create the lid and sign, we laser-cut cardboard. The sign is laser engraved, with green sharpie for extra effect. The top was spray-painted black and we added a strip on the front edge so that the cardboard corrugations wouldn’t be visible. The Lil’ Ian graphic was drawn and cut out of paper.

To mount the sensor and LED, we drilled small holes in the metal for the wires to go through. We also spray-painted the sensor black to make it blend in with the metal.

The code for this week was very similar to last week, except instead of four states, we cut it to three. You can also walk up to it a little bit faster because although we want people to think for longer about throwing things away, we don’t want them to be standing there for *too* long.

Video is in next post

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Works-like prototype

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Diegetic Prototypes Week 3

This week, we focused mainly on redesigning the inside panel of the system, because the previous version was largely hacked together and not well-considered. We tried to really start from the ground up and question every part of the design, from what shape the panel should be to exactly where to put the auto lock/keep open switch. Some concepts we came up with can be seen in the sketch below.

We then mocked up a couple of these options in CAD.

We ended up actually making the version on the top left, in which the end of the handle pulls out for the “keep open” state, and can be pushed back in to set to “auto lock.” We liked the symbolic aspect of the switch being “open” when the door is open and “closed” when the door is locked. We also wanted to make a handle that was more functional and could theoretically be opened without hands free (It’s at least easier than a round door knob). 

To make the new prototype, we 3D printed the handle and switch and laser-cut a new panel. We decided to shorten and widen the panel a little bit to take up less vertical space but still feel substantial and secure.

Here’s my reflection and description of the final design:

The problem that we identified for this project was the inconvenience of using traditional keys. We brainstormed ways to get around the reliance on normal keys through biometrics or an RFID-like system. Out of those two, we settled on the latter because fingerprint reading requires that one’s thumb or fingers are exposed and not being used, and methods like facial recognition or iris scanning are either too complex or not reliable enough. From there we focused on where an RFID-like chip could be placed on the body such that the user would have it at any time outside the house. We eventually decided that shoes were the best place because people almost always wear shoes when they leave their home.

From there, we began to discuss the specifics of how something like this might actually work. We thought about a device that could scan or take a picture of the sole of someone’s shoes and match to that each time they tried to enter their house, but that wouldn’t work because lots of people have the same pairs of shoes. We also thought about putting a barcode sticker on the bottom of each pair of shoes and using a mat to scan those, but we eventually moved away from the mat idea because it felt restrictive and easy to steal. Finally, we decided on a sticker that would go in your shoe and could be sensed when in proximity to the door. Questions still remained, however, on when the door would lock and unlock and what would happen if someone tried to steal your shoes.

Also, at this point, we seriously considered what types of people we envisioned using this product. Because of the obvious benefits it would provide for those wearing gloves a lot or who have to carry things often, we originally wanted to focus on lab or industrial settings. After doing some research however, it seemed like not that many labs actually had different access zones within them, meaning this technology wouldn’t actually be very useful. We instead decided to cater to the needs of everyday consumers, because it’s the most all-encompassing user group and every person could benefit in some way.

As can be seen in the final video, the first step when using Shoe Key is to order and receive the set of components. The set consists of a lock box, outside panel, inside panel, light strip, and 50 ID stickers. The user then replaces their traditional door hardware with our hardware and attaches the LED strip to the bottom. Now they’re ready to set up their shoes, which they can do by placing a sticker in the shoe in a place where it won’t get worn down or destroyed and then calibrating the shoes via the Shoe Key app. The app also displays a dashboard showing whether each pair of shoes is in range of the house or your phone. Once it’s set up, Shoe Key is incredibly easy to use. The user just has to walk up to their door and it will unlock as they try to enter. Once inside, the user has a couple options. They can opt to keep their system on “Auto Lock,” in which case the door will lock every time it is closed. Alternatively, they can set it to “Keep Open,” which will leave the door unlocked until it’s set otherwise. This is useful in case the user wants to walk around barefoot outside or have guests over without having to keep unlocking the door. The final consideration we made was for the case where your shoes are stolen. Because the app can tell when the shoes are within range, it will notify you of suspicious activity, and any key can be disabled at anytime.

Overall, we feel that the design is fairly well-considered. As a next step, we think it would make sense to try to make a functional prototype and do some user testing to see what could be further developed, redesigned or otherwise improved.

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Diegetic Prototype #2

This week we looked to iron out more of the specifics of the shoe key system.

We began by sketching out some designs for a system that would replace the existing lock boxes in users’ doors.

Then we started working in CAD to design the pieces:

The different pieces were laser cut, glued, and spray painted to create the final product.

Here’s the final video:

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Here’s the link to our diegetic prototype video