Concept
On this week our duty has been to integrate technology in our object, creating an interaction with the textiles. At the same time we decided that we wanted to improve the original shape, creating an organic bubble that fits perfectly onto the body.
We wanted to continue with the idea of an object that embraces the person allowing the creation of a personal world in which he/she can relax. To intensify this feeling we’ve decided to use light inside of it that reacts to the light at the outside, creating a blur.
Experiments
Firstly we went to Valldaura, where, by using daily tools, we added effects to the prototype we were working on last week and we decided which ones we wanted to work with in our object.
The second day we started working with the technology that Martin brought and we chose those devices we wanted to work with. We investigated with LEDs and Optic Fiber, trying to create different kinds of blur that could move inside of the shape. We also tried many kinds of fabric, basing our opinion in the atmosphere we were looking for: soft an cosy, and on the blur we where looking for at the inside.
We spent the third day in ESDI and we used it to create the new shape based on our previous ideas. We designed the ball by combining different kinds of textiles achieving a padded effect. We did the base by knitting and we investigated combining optic fibre in different ways to decide which one would work better in our object.
On thursday we integrated the optic fiber into the prototype and prepared it to put all the electronic system at the same time we developed the circuit an the LED programming, helped by Eva.
At the end we programmed the light sensor and placed the circuit inside of the structure.
Final Prototype
It’s a ball made of 8 pieces of combined fabrics sewed between them. One of them is joined with the others by zippers, this is the one that goes to the front. The leaf with the zippers and the one at its right have 3 groups of optic fiber integrated inside, between the 4 fabric layers. They have a plastic tube at the bottom that connects them with the 3 LEDs. The ball is connected to the knitted part at the neck, creating the peace that supports the structure. Two sensors are settled at the shoulders an they detect the light, provoking a wake of light at the front. When you are wearing it you don’t see the LED, you see the end of the different optic fiber wires, you can just see some dots.
Reflexions
We’d like to improve some things next week: instead of having 3 LEDsxleaf and 2 leafs we’d like to have 2 LEDxleaf and 3 leafs working. At the same time we want to improve the shape adapting it better to the body to make it more comfortable.
Reference
http://www.frti.ch
http://www.philohome.com
