Butt Hammock Prototype

We made a quick prototype for the place to rest.

It folds, is attached with an adjustable strap that allows for many different sized poles, and is fairly comfortable. We have decided that we will not be further pursuing this design though. It does not seem to make sense to make a folding chair that has to attach to something to work. At that point we would limit ourselves less with a folding chair that could be set up anywhere. We will still be creating a seat for a bus stop, but we will be focusing on making it something that is more permanent. 

A Place to Rest

The final project for Universal Design is a "spatial prosthetic" the goal being to create a place for a person(s) to rest that is for a specific spot or type of spot. This is a group project and I will be working with Kent and Quassi for it. After getting the project brief we sat down together and started brainstorming. We initially focused on places where one might need a place to rest. The stand out ideas were while traveling, shopping and waiting on a bus. After further discussion we decided to focus on the bus stop. We wanted to create a seat the was portable, folding, and easy to attach. We decided that we would make some quick models before our next meeting and discuss which direction to take at that point.

     
From this point we used a decision matrix to rank the different designs based on different criteria. From there we decided that we were going to make a full scale prototype of the one in the top left, which we are currently calling the butt hammock.

Burn Splint Prototype

After making quite a few rough models the team decided on the strongest versions and went on to make more realized versions of the rough sketches. We used thermoplastic, and torsion springs. We also considered the need to keep the parts that touch the top of the hand non abrasive.

It seems to work well. The finger is extended naturally, and there is still the ability to bend at the second joint. The brace on the palm gives a good deal of leverage, especially when bending the finger. We kept the splint pretty stream lined, you can put the hand in a pocket, but we still need to consider making that easier. The springs work very well, but we also need to make a better interface for them to fit into the splint and hold. The thermoplastic works really well and is very form-able, however it is not perfect. As you work on one part another runs the risk of being deformed. Casting and printing both seem to have potential, but there are limitations to both. The main ones being the resources and know-how needed to do either.

Finger Splints for a Burn Victim

In the latest project for Universal Design we are working to create a splinting device for a burn victim that helps him to keep his fingers straight. The splint needs to be bendable so he can grab things, not be abrasive on the skin on the top of his hands, still allow him to put his fingers in his pockets, and a few other criteria. I am working with a couple of other people to solve this problem, and I think with our varied backgrounds we will be able to create some interesting solutions. Here are a couple of the very rough prototypes that we created.

We created a couple of variations of this one, there is a piece that rests against the palm and helps to keep the last joint straight, the neoprene sleeve keeps the finger straight but still allows the finger to bend. The rigid part in this version is to long and still restricts motion. There also needs to be consideration for breathabilty in the material but there is potential.

Both of these versions allow for the middle joint to move, but help to keep the other joints straight. We found that in this type of prototype the higher the elastic part was attached in the back the better the flexibility and recoil of the brace was.

This best shows the problem with this method. There is a problem with the height in allowing for the hand to enter the pocket. We think that this can be partially alleviated by giving the form a plow shape that helps it to slide into the pocket.


Both of these operate similarly with a rigid bottom piece and straps that could softly hold it to the finger. The main difference being that the top part has an elastic band and the second version has a torsion spring. We are thinking the latter holds a good deal of potential for keeping the entire thing streamlined.

A few of the prototypes we made.

Hearing Funnel

The seam seems is nice and tight after the last set of revisions. The bracket interfaces with the helmet but needs to be beefed up a bit, and I think I need to add a slot to the end of the top piece to help keep it more square,

The print quality on the first one of these revisions was a little bad on the attachment for the strap, but it still works nicely and holds in place quite well.

I am still able to hear the sounds to the front and side and now can direct my hearing behind me. There are still a number of improvements that could be made but I could make but I feel that as a warm up I was able to solve a good number of problems and refine my design quite a bit.

Hearing Funnel

Unsure of what to call this project I have been referring to it as the hearing funnel. I don't feel like this is a final name, but it works for now as I make notes about it. After having a printed version I wanted to refine the tolerances between the two pieces, center the joint better, create a tighter seam, and hide the ends of the seam. I also wanted to work on how the piece was going to interface with the helmet, and created simple brackets to attach to the straps pf the helmet.

Warm Up

After having the cardboard mock up I created an initial model in Rhino. I was really loose on my tolerances and was mostly thinking about how I could assemble the pieces. I have been thinking about the way the piece will attach to the helmet, but decided that I will consider that in the revisions that I do. I know that having a model and 3D printing it is the first step.

Warm Up Project

This project began with the task of making a prototype for something that either heightens or diminishes one of the senses. I considered the senses and thought about my life and bike riding seemed like the thing to focus on. I thought about how I use my left ear to hear what is happening around me, it keeps me safe and helps me to navigate. I do sometimes find myself cocking my head in specific ways to better hear what is happening behind me. On longer rides I sometimes listen to music but I only listen to it in my right ear, which is the one that is away from the street. After some sketching I moved onto a quick cardboard mock to start working through the idea.