Refinement

After stepping back and looking at my design with consideration of its purpose I decided that it will be most suited to hikers and the like, which will make it an outdoor product that will be exposed to weather and being beaten around. therefore I  plan to refine the materials to be suited to these conditions and will refine the final details on the products form to fit the tough aesthetics of outdoor equipment. I have had a look at other hiking gear such as boots and backpacks to compare the details and design features that make it resistant to wear-and-tear. rubber ribs are a good way to protect the device as it absorbs the impact if the product is ever hit or dropped, which is why i have experimented with putting it into my design. the sketch quickly illustrates the previous design compared to the concept in question.

Hydr8

My design is a hydration reading drink bottle. It does so by incorporating a new technology created by caltimer which gives the user the ability to measure their current state of hydration  through a single drop of saliva. This device is concealed in the base of the bottle and the reader (which looks like a button on the base of the bottle) ejects for a sample to be taken. The transparent parts of the bottle allow for both the water level and light to be visible. This is important as the colour and intensity of the light are both measures of the hydration.

My design  has undergone a lot of refinement since the pin up this week. This was done to create a flowing form for the transparent parts of the bottle, as the sharp form made it seem disjointed. Therefore the shape of these parts was changed to fanning out (such as in the model) instead of tapering into a point (such as in the pin up drawing). I also discovered through the model making process that the ridges in the middle of the bottle, that were designed for an ergonomic grip,  were too narrow for average fingers to fit in, therefore the shape of these was changed to a smoother form. The sharp indents on the lid will also be redesigned to fit in with the softer looking design.

 

James Meikle

good measure refinement

My device was originally designed to measure the risk of a bushfire at a rural property. Over the last couple of weeks i have changed this to a severe weather warning system (to include wind and rain storms) and also a function for everyday use for localized weather reading. i am quite happy with the form that has been achieve through my refinement and from my research it is looking as if there wont be any problems with the technical package. Unfortunately i didn't have a picture of the alert device interface when posting this but it has change drastically since the last pin-up. i have taken the concept of a pager and for the tech package side of things and used an led lighting system with certain alignment for an easy to read display. sounds a bit confusing without the picture but is is similar to the pin-up concept but in a much more organic form. i'll try and put a picture up in the next few days. the only other refinement changes that i will be likely to make to the measuring device is that when making the model it may become slightly more geometric.

sean hibbins

'The Bogger' Refinement

My design hasn't really changed all that much during the refinement stage. Most of the changes have  happened during workshop when the drawings turn into three dimensional forms. My original refinement sketch shows very smooth, rounded sides whereas this made the physical size of the model way too large and awkward to carry. Instead, I've sanded a certain pattern into the side plates in an attempt to make it look more like a power tool and to reduce the overall width of the top section. The handle has reduced in size as well because it was slightly too wide for my hand to grip it properly. I still haven't finished it yet; I'm hoping it feels similar in size to a power drill handle.

 

The internal mechanisms haven't changed at all, but the tube slot that allows replacement tubes to be fitted has needed extra thought on how it actualy works. I was going to have a small pull back spring loaded switch, instead I'm going to have a small spring loaded ball bearing that locks the plates in place and is easily pushed in for tube removal. It all sounds very confusing but it makes sense in my head at least, haha. Hopefully the picture shows what I'm talking about.

 

Matt Van

 

Climbing Fluidity Refinements

So the refinements of my climbing fluidity monitor are coming along nicely. I am now pretty happy with the form of both my hand held device as well as the docking station. I still need to do a lot more research into the technical aspects of making this thing work. In relation to this I need to finalise the specific unit of fluidity that my device will measure ie. the climber will receive a fluidity score of 1-20, or 1- 15... or something completely different.
 Along with the tech report this week I'm also planning on scanning this image of my finalised form into photoshop and playing around with different colour schemes etc..

Sam F

measure device refinement

The purpose of my device is to the measure the sharpness of a knife or blade. with an additional feature of a knife sharpener combined.
the original design i had was a small hand held device where the knife would slide through a thin slider in a very similar movement to cutting your wrists. this proved to be an immediate safety problem and the idea then transformed to another hand held device inspired by a wood cutting plane. which looks more or less like a cheese grater for wood. this design invovled having the knife face up on a surface whilst the device ran along it, again this posed safety issues particularly in busy or crowded situations such as a kitchen. The already existing knife sharpeners all follow a very similar design, i tried so hard to steer clear from this and tried to develop an individual and intrinsically different product, however after much exploration it is obvious why that all look similar. my design is now headead that way, it is focused on a handle section and knife part being fairly separate to keep hands away as far as possible. as far as aesthetics go, development is still proceeding with inspiration being taken from numerous natural elements such as flowers and vines. a screen has been incorporated to cater for different levels of sharpness, for example, the touch screen has many different things to be cut on it, you simply pick which one you cutting and when you use the measure option which a green or red light will appear to determine if it is sharp enough. red = blunt, green = sharp.

lachmarsh

Good measure refinement

My measurement device is a blood tester for divers, it tests the nitrogen levels to help prevent the diver developing the bends.  I've been working a lot lately on my user interface and ensuring that my product is both easy to use and comfortable to hold, this has meant moving around the position and size of the buttons and the placement of the testing needle.  I've been playing with some of the curves of the overall product as well to ensure the tester fits easily in the users hand and also can sit well on a table or shelf of a boat.  I'm pretty happy with how the product is progressing but it definitely still needs work.  Apologies for the lack of photos, i know its pretty hard to tell what I'm talking about, but the photos just won't work for some reason.

 

Ross Thomas

Road Rage Refinement

Mine is a steering wheel that measures Road Rage. My foam model was a dash mounted device, so my design has changed alot. Since last week for the pin up i have changed the form again. The reason is that it seemed very unattached, where each component of the wheel had its own material and feel. I think this new form flows a little better but still suits the function which is to calm the driver. I also changed the material of the upper wheel to a leather wrap since the black plastic was too aggressive.
Now I'm happy with the form i can start making it :)
Shaun T

Cyclist visibility - refinement

Hi all,

I've refined most components of my cyclist visibility measuring device and I'm now mainly focusing on my hard model, which needs a lot of attention. Over the week I've been trying to find a solution to having removable handles as well as have them connected to the electrical circuit that's connected to the photovoltaic cell in the headlight unit of the handlebars. This way the side lights on the handles also increase/ decrease intensity once the handle has been remove and reattached . I've been looking at a few different ways (detachable wires from the headlight to handle on the exterior etc), but i wanted the circuit to remain in the interior for visual reasons. As the handles are being removed via buttons on each side of the handle that can be squeezed with the index and thumb, I've looked at other products with the same sort of function and I came across the Dremel tool that we have at the Monash workshop. The rechargeable battery pack (in picture 2) for the Dremel tool has just what I'm looking for: a removable part that retracts upon squeezing and a connection to a power supply that works after removal and reattaching. In my case, I don't want my power supply to be rechargeable as my main source of power is through my PV cell, so the little conducting plates in the handle will connect to conducting plates in the handlebar, drawing current from the PV cell.

--

Cynthia Tang

Refinement

So basically my design is where it measures how sleepy/tired a person is based on how deeply they sleep. The more 'Zz' you get the less tired you are. I have since changed the form of my design as I found the previous to look too much like a pillow. I have redesigned the top and bottom so they no longer curve inwards. Now they are just straight. I think this makes it look much better. I've been trying to come up new ideas for the buttons as I find 2 square buttons to be very ugly and boring and they do not suit the design aesthetically. I've been trying to design it as one big button or as one button split into two. I haven't decided on the final look yet. Still having a bit of trouble designing the sliding in and out mechanism, but I may take the idea of Peters 'clicking' plastic system and try and come up with something to do with that. Other than that, the refinement is going great........

Mey Chiam

Refinement

My design is a device that reads the pollen count in the air and warning the user about it so that they are able to move away from that area so they do not suffer from hay fever. The over all form is quite nice, and am reasonably happy with it, however i think some more work needs to be done on the interface and where buttons and screens and the air filters could be placed. This needs to be resolved so that it can accommodate the various ways it could be used. My feeling is that it should be able to be fixed on multiple locations like a handbag, pram, picnic basket, a around the belt or even worn on the body around the bicep or something like that. For this reason, the clip needs to be explored in more depth, and a better solution needs to sought out. At the moment it is a simple fold around clip that does not really offer much flexiibility and does not suit the complexity of the design. Other things that need to be considered are the addition of a small compartment where medicine, or anti-histamine tablets can be stored and a wind reader, indicating to the user in which direction the wind is blowing. It will also offer technology that allows the device to learn if the user picks up any new allergies to pollens in the air, and will warn the user about those pollens if they are present in the air. Some research needs to be done in regard to the type of materials that will be used also. Perhaps a weather reader could also be included. 

Raz

Weather Simulator Refinement

My refinement so far consists of the temperature box of my project (most recent pages) and the form change and a few additions to my product. The refinement has changed my product from being a block to a shape with nice curves. There are a few lights in my design which need to be set in the correct position in my design. I was having trouble with the form of the other temperature box as well as the actual product. I went through different variation of different shapes and eventually found on that comprised of similar aesthetics to the main product. First I tried with ellipses and circular shapes, but they turned out to be a bracelet type from which was not consistent with the design of my main product. The final shape consists of squares and circles and has a 'mosaic' style emphasis to it.

I also realized that I need more buttons in my product than I thought. One main addition is the WiFi button to connect my device to the internet so that it is able to download information about the weather. This still needs a little more attention as long as refinement is concerned, however I believe I am closing to the end of my refinement stage in the design.

Bishavjot Singh

LAP TIMER/ INDICATOR - Refinement

Im fairly happy with the overall form of my design so far, the main fold line down each side im quite happy with, and the size proportions seem to work very well (determined from initial foam model). To recap, my design aids race drivers in providing a 'live timing and positioning indicator' with a green/yellow/red single light output.

After roughly determining the basic design quite early on in my design process, I have had quite allot of time to play with the details such as lines, materials, ergonomics and functionality. The material(s) is still undecided, but for the context that this device will be used in, a durable, hard and waterproof material is required. It also must not interrupt the beacon signal between the main body (placed on the pit wall) and the GPS module mounted in the car.

Another process which i am currently working through is the mechanics of disconnecting/reconnecting the GPS module from the main body. The release button on the main body and the dock inside the car are the same, for usability. I have refined the button now to be a dual button release. So your thumb and forefinger 'pinch' either side of the device to release the GPS. I have found that this setup is more pleasing for the user making it a more interactive process. to re-connect the GPS module, no button is required, instead to user simply pushes the model back into the body or dock which gives a confident 'click' fixing it back into place.

Finally, the refined design of the GPS model is almost complete, and will reflect the overall design of the main body. The distinct aesthetic feature of this device is the swooping part line and the accelerated curves helping to project the two tone colouring.

anyway, I hope you like it!


Tom g.

Fwd: Pain machine update

The body of my model almost fully resolved on paper. Exact sizings im expaecting will change while in the workshop as I will have a better idea of porpotion. The next step is figuring out meachanisms and buttons. I have only just realised I have only allowed 15 mm depth for butons. This could mean the buttons will have to be raised from the screen pabel instead of the original plan of keeping them flush.

 

Ben Paul

'Perido' Refined

Perido has been refined. Yes, that's right, this week I decided to get to the bottom of the bangle situation and sort out where the hinge is going to go. The mechanism I've decided on is different from the original idea of a two pin system or a traditional bangle. Now I've got a new pin hinge which is on the exterior side of the wrist instead of the two pin system similar to a watch.

Also, for the docking system, I've played around with the idea of the shape, which in terms of useability shouldn't be too much different, but it may look a bit more feminine with an asymmetrical form. I've studied the form of strawberries and flowers which should help to make it a bit more attractive to the average user/consumer. I thought about this after thinking about making the bangle itself asymmetrical.

Lastly, I thought about the possibility of having multiple users for example in one sharehouse or living environment. For this reason, I've decided to include a button for switching between users on the dock. This should be colour coded or a include a mini screen which will give some stats about this. By taking in all these changes I hope that I have been able to keep to a simplistic and easy to use design. I hope they turn out alright, but naturally I'm still refining more and more as I go!

Motomundo.

Refinement and such and such and such

With my refinement thus far, i have pretty much finalised the general form of both the bottle opener and the docking station. I have taken the route of the mullet, business in the front, party in the back. The bottle opener flows from an organic feel at the back, fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand as the edges are smoothed off and fairly curvaceous; whilst the front part where everything needs to happen has taken on a more geometrical form with sharp angles and functional purposes. The docking station follows a similar suit, with the front area being rounded off with a radius on the inside to appear similar to a bottle shape; the back area has been all cornered off using triangles and rectangles to fit them all together.

No photos this week as i do not own a camera.

but for now, I'm out scallywags

Jared Dettmann

Refinement

For this week's refinement, there hasn't been any major changes. I have made the centre part of my device slightly slimmer, so that the disks on the outside can wrap around the centre more without changing the overall size. I have also shorten the distance between the edge of the outer disks and the centre from 15mm to 10mm, which makes the whole device even rounder and more compact. After exploring different ways to form a grip for the sensor, I have decided to use silicon or rubber grip (like those grips you find on a pen or mechanical pencil), because this is one solution that doesn't affect the smooth roundness of the design. 

As a requirement of workshop, I had to add a button and a base to my design. I have made it just an on/off button, so it's easy and simple for users to use when they are out and on the go.

The base is rechargeable through induction charging and it is also made using the method of vacuum forming. 

I have recently been focusing mainly on the workshop aspects of my design and thus there are still a lot of work in progress..

- Hannie Choi

Heat Sensitive Product Refinement

I'm pretty happy with the form that the heat sensitive travel cup has
taken and have been focusing more on the form of the spoon. The first
photo indicates the direction I'm heading in with that and slight
refinement in terms of the end of the spoon. Prehaps have a
retractable feature with the angle cap detailing extending to create a
longer spoon. I even had a suggestion that the end of the spoon could
be feature a carabina style end which could hook onto the handle of
the cup or to a small hole through the right hand side since the right
most edge of the cup will be solid plastic.

I've also been doing further research into the type of material that
the products will be made out of and the possibility of pushing the
limits of this material for future uses. The next step is basically
getting into the workshop and refining sizes and dimensions as a
physical model will really help to establish this.

Still open to changes and suggestions so feel free to comment away!

Steph Tan

Task Light Refinement

As far as refinement is concerned I think I'm pretty much at the end of the road, maybe.

I've resolved the interaction between the cord and struts, settling with four aluminium tubing struts connecting to the internal but visible cord. All of the connections between these circular sections and the frame/base/head will be similar cylindrical forms, tying the cord and the struts together a little more.

A major problem I've now resolved was the size of my two knobs at the head of the light. These used to be sitting within the extremities of the frame, but now I've decided to enlarge them, exposing them (and the gears to match the form), making them much more ergonomic, whilst maintaining if not enforcing my light's functionalist aesthetic. 

All I really have left to resolve is the relationship between the light sensors on top and the LED's on the bottom of the lamp head. I'm suspecting at this stage I'll do 5 rows of LED's underneath the lamp, and potentially 3 rows of light sensors on top. 

Other than that all I can say is I'm not really looking forward to the next week of my life. Thanks for reading,

Nicholas Avery

Refinement

The only refinement i have made at this stage is modifying my designs form. I have made the whole thing slimmer and more rectangular instead of the cubic shape I originally had. I have also started to hollow out the inside of the model so there is room to hold the mechanisms and the other bits and pieces for the dials and buttons.
Stefan