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. 

Making a Lattice

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.

Stepper Test

After some modification I was able to get the stepper driver running I had issues at first. So I rechecked my wiring. I also had to reinstall several libraries and modify the code slightly, but now I am moving on to the next stages of creating the machine.

Arrows

Many years ago I cut a million arrows out of cardboard for a show I was in. I laminated and painted them and was really happy with the results, however the process of cutting them out by hand drove me nuts. The laser cutter seems to be the right tool to expedite the process, not only does it allow me to not have to cut each piece by hand, it also means that I can build up greater thicknesses faster. I won't be pursuing this project for a while, but I do like it and I will come back to it later.

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.

Tiled Pieces

The left over pieces from the larger lattice I cut on the router are interesting.

They are a little plain though. I feel that the contrast was lacking so I bumped it up a bit. I am interested in seeing more of this. Once again the remnants of making something else are now things that I thinking about.