meow – Natflix

November 2, 2020November 3, 2020

IM Devices Speculative Design Sketch

Provotype is a design artefact — digital or physical — whose main goal is to provoke discussion among different types of users and stakeholders. Here’s the fun part: it is not supposed to be realistic, but ridiculous, funny, obscure, artistic — or even downright annoying instead. (wikipedia).

Speculative design tries to imagine what it would be like to design without the current limitations of technology, culture, and politics in mind.

According to Dunne and Raby, designers shouldn’t just address issues of today, but also take a look into the future and ask, “How can we address future challenges with design?”

Where typical design takes a look at small issues, speculative design broadens the scope and tries to tackle the biggest issues in society. It seeks to answer questions like:

How should design impact the entire world?
How can we design for a healthier ecosystem?
What can we do to influence future cultures?
How can future technologies impact our products and services—and vice versa?
What don’t we want to see from the future?

Different ways to approach speculative design

Using it in a slightly different context, but for the same purpose
Applying it in a different scenario and usage
Developing the form and functions of the device
- Increasing the scale to environment/system
- Decreasing scale to micro level

Chosen DOW for speculative design: Portal, Telemedicine Headset

Portal is a wearable home telemedicine system that assists remote online communication with a doctor by providing basic body vital data. Data is collected via a detachable camera and stethoscope. The device is a headset that provides functional familiarity and audio privacy.There are a lot of perks to having such a device, maybe especially in our current times.

For minor consultations, we can reduce time and travel expenses
Easy access to medical consultations
- For rural/remote places
- For home-bound/disabled, etc
Reduced risk of exposure and spreading of diseases via medical staff or fellow patients
- Like for now, during covid period having this device would be good. Everyone can easily consult a doctor to monitor themselves, or if they should go to the clinic/hospital to test for covid. Instead of having some symptoms but not covid, but getting exposed to it during their medical visit…..
Consultation from the comforts and privacy of your own home, might help patients who suffer from illnesses like anxiety
Multi-modal in the sense that you could have a consult from home while keeping watch of things there (ie. can’t leave young kids or elderly home alone)
Algorithm to collect and analyse data from the device could be programmed

In my post, I actually had points of extension for this device. One would be for governments to utilize the headsets, not just citizen households. I felt that the device could have increased opportunities for doctors to provide assistance for consultations, regardless of time and place. Governments throughout the world can use this as local or even overseas disaster relief aids/ humanitarian services.

China, US wrap up joint humanitarian aid, disaster relief drill

The Portal headset could be designed into the helmets of soldiers/medics. Instead of using the sensors on themselves, the sensors could be detachable so as to be used on the people they rescue. This data can then be relayed to doctors across the world. The microphone and earpiece should still be for the user wearing the headset, for ease of relay of information. The headset could also have additional medical equipment that are necessities such as an AED device.

In my original post, I speculated adding additional sensors to collect even more data for a more in depth l of consultation and diagnosis. This can be taken to a whole new level by incorporating the rest of the medical process into the headset. Instead of just stopping at consultations, what if this device could diagnose uncommon/more complicated illnesses, then be able to carry out treatment for whatever was diagnosed?

This idea of having a medical headset can be further speculated by expanding the functional capabilities of the headset, or by developing this device into a whole system that is integrated into our daily lives.

What if this device could be implemented into our basic housing units? Like a system whereby each house has a common room- similar to how HDBs currently have a bomb shelter.

Or what if the form of this device was not a headset, but something that would allow for body scans like a full-body scanner that can be found in airports. Or instead of something bigger, we can take this to a micro level and have micro devices injected into our blood stream to monitor our health.

In the article, they mentioned that “Head-worn computers (or headsets) are the future.” I think its interesting that things like VR are commonly used for gaming, but are now advancing into other fields like medicine to put it to full potential.

I think a field that has not really explored yet is education? Especially in our current covid situation, could VR/digital headsets replace online teaching and laptops? A computer on everybody’s head, will we need our phones in the future? From a device on our heads, surely it will evolve to a device in our heads?

Some things that you need physicality/3d space to really learn
- ie. Most adm studio mods:”D

October 10, 2020October 31, 2020

IM Devices – Distant Bodies

Project done by: Emma, Wei Lin, Natalie, Wan Hui

Our work for the Final Semester Project is called [untitled]. This project aims to convey sensations beyond the visual of telematic tools, and to bring awareness to distant bodies.

Our work is two identical bedrooms that will each be set up in separate museums across the world. In each bedroom, there will be two slippers. Participants will be invited to wear one of the pairs, whilst the other will always remain unused. Data from the slippers participants are walking around with will be transmitted to the unused slippers in the other bedroom across the world. The unused slipper is fully autonomous, and will receive the data sent to recreate the steps taken by the participant in the other room.

[ still in progress]

CONCEPT

Shoes to symbolize both absence and presence of another person
Bedroom is an intimate setting
Feel comforted by the hint of another persons presence, or be creeped out by their presence despite them being absent
Distant body without visuals

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

Projection mapping ?
Room location – living room?

HARDWARE

Motors
Wheels
Arduino Uno
Wifi Shield

SOFTWARE

Arduino IDE
Adafruit IO

SETUP

PROBLEMS

October 10, 2020October 31, 2020

IM Devices – Distant Bodies Ideation Update

October 6, 2020October 31, 2020

IM DoW #2 – Ramifire

My IOT device of the week is the Ramifire Smart extinguisher and the Heart, the 5G navigation mask. I chose two because they are both simple devices that can both be used in case of a fire, however, they use IOT in different ways.

The Ramifire is a smart home fire extinguisher. It features a sleek but ergonomic design meant for intuitive use. Ramifire uses IOT by pairing wirelessly to smart phones for a few functions. Firstly, each extinguisher comes with their own QR code that can be scanned with the accompanying phone app to track data of the particular extinguisher. Data like pressure and guarantee period/ expiry date is available via the app. Ramifire also comes with an in-built fire detector. When it detects fire, or when the extinguisher is expired, alarms will be automatically sent to the house-owners phone for notification via wifi.

ramifire_cover

ramifire_20

Images from: The Intelligent Extinguisher

The second IOT device is Heart, a 5G navigation fire mask. Unlike Ramifire that uses wifi to alert home owners in times of fire, Heart uses 5G network to guide users to safety. Upon pulling a mask out of its housing, it will automatically connect to the internet and obtain building data about the location of the fire. When the mask is worn to your face, the other end will function as a projector, emitting a flashing light that not only lights up the ground ahead of you, but also projects the direction and distance you should walk towards. The smart mask will direct you to the nearest exit.

Images from: Futuristic mask uses 5G to guide you to nearest exit!

The pros of the Ramifire are that it is a straight forward device that makes use of simple IOT. The system is easy for home owners to connect to. It also helps users track factors like expiry dates which are important for fire extinguishes but often neglected. The design of the device itself is sleek and ergonomic, unlike traditional fire extinguishes which are bulky and

I find that for the 5G mask, it is smart to tap onto the 5G network so that the mask can function as a GPS to help give directions during times when people would be the most disoriented. Additionally, I think that it is very effective to combine a mask and torchlight as well as a GPS into a single device. By blending so many functions into one, this shows that the designers have a clear understanding of their target audience and context of use, and what is needed during that time.

As for cons, I feel that the Ramifire does have some setbacks. Because the fire detection sensor is inbuilt into the Ramifire, if the fire does not start in the same room as it, then it would take some time before the device detects the fire and notifies the user. It might be too late then. I think that the Ramifire could develop on its IOT system, perhaps like pairing the fire extinguisher up with a ceiling smoke detection system or sprinkler system.

For the 5G mask, it shares a similar problem with the Ramifire. Both devices are hooked onto the buildings/house network to get information on the internet. But what if the buildings physical network system gets compromised, then the internet would be down. I’m not very sure how network connections function but maybe a harder but more reliable solution would be to connect to the internet outside of the buildings? Like perhaps a satellite connection?

October 6, 2020October 31, 2020

IM DoW #3 – Sense 5 Walking Stick

My device of the week for senses is the Sense Five walking stick.

The stick’s angled design allows its user to instinctively hold it the right way. The handle is held horizontally, and the stick naturally leans forward, allowing the user to tap their surroundings as they navigate through spaces. A camera on the front actively captures images, recognizing objects and obstacles, while a simple switch allows you to toggle a torch to use the stick at night. When the camera identifies something worth alerting the user about, it communicates with the user through the handle.

The integrated ultrasonic sensor detects obstacles within a distance of 5 meters and is specially designed for waist-high obstacles that cannot be detected with conventional canes. It also recognizes fast-moving objects such as cars that normally pose a danger to visually impaired people. The environment information is processed in real-time and passed on to the user as surface changes to the handle. Using different rhythms and intensities, a differentiated and pleasant communication is possible, which uses the human sense of touch and thus frees the remaining senses.

The pros of Sense Five are not only its main functions but also its thoughtful details. For example, the Sense Five indicates the battery level by surface change. If the battery level is low, the user can simply charge while on the move with power banks, or via public power outlets. At home, it is charged on a wall mount which also functions as a recognizable and easily accessible location. Additionally, the Sense Five doesn’t just aid its owner. It can help communicate the user’s presence to others around them with its front torchlight and red taillight, making the user more obvious in low-light settings.

As for main functions, I thought that it was really interesting that the camera on the walking stick is smart and able to recognize objects. This adds so much more value to the function of the walking stick by making it a smart device. Now, blind users can truly depend on the walking stick as their eyes, instead of simply being an extension of their arms like the traditional walking sticks. Additionally, I think that another pros is the haptic touch of the walking stick. The use of haptic touch reminds me of our multi-modal sketch. Hence, I think that a pro of the Sense Five is that it is un-intrusive.

I think one of the cons of this device is that it relies heavily on only touch to inform the user. I think that the walking stick can detect quite few things and different scenarios, but the fixed design of the handle does not allow for much change in the haptic feedback. Things like intensity and rhythm can signal different meanings, but the difference might be too subtle or noninstinctive for certain users such as children or the elderly. I think this walking stick has the potential to be developed further, and become an IOT device. Perhaps it could be connected to something like an earpiece or a headset that could tell the user additional information to complement the haptic touch. However, their choice of tactile response is good because audio feedback could be missed in noisy environment. I think that the stick could also be connected to a GPS, so that it can also give the user directions on where to go.

Image source: This smart walking-stick uses real-time image-recognition to help the visually impaired ‘see’

September 8, 2020October 31, 2020

IM DoW #1 – Portal Telemedicine Headset

My healthcare device of the week is the Portal Telemedicine Headset. The device is a headset that functions as a medical diagnostic tool. With the help of this device, patients are able to have online conferences with doctors, eliminating the need to go to the hospital or medical clinic.

The doctor simply uses an ordinary digital device (laptop, phone, etc) to communicate with the patient, while the patient wears the headset and has a separate display screen for video communication. The headset has a movable camera that allows doctors individually check each of the patients eyes with clarity. It also has a detachable digital stethoscope that will automatically broadcast readings to the doctors screen when used. Like a normal headset, the Portal Telemedicine Headset also comes with inbuilt speakers and a microphone for ease of communication. The headset is also designed with many user friendly considerations. For example, the ear muffs at the side are adjustable so that people with smaller heads, such as children are able to use the same device. The earbuds are also interchangeable for health and hygiene reasons. The adjustability of this device means that one device can be used and shared among the whole household, instead of everyone needing their own personal one.

portal_headgear_2 portal_headgear_3 portal_headgear_5 portal_headgear_6

Images from: ER meets VR

I think the main pros of this device is its remote function that can be utilized in various scenarios. The headset is suitable for people who live in remote locations, but in need of (basic) healthcare or occasional checkups. The headset is also suitable for people who prefer the privacy and comfort of their own homes, as they are able to consult a doctor without stepping out of the house. It could really be used to help people who suffer from mental illnesses like social anxiety. I also think that this headset would be really useful for when people feel like they are on the verge of getting sick, or are already slightly sick, but either not sick enough to warrant a doctors visit and/or are too busy to do so. The convenience of a teleconference medical visit could save a lot of time.

Another pros of this device is its adjustability. I find it really smart that this device was designed so that it would fit people of different head sizes and ages/sex. It makes the device more universal, and more buyable. Additionally, I think that the changeable earpiece covers are a nice touch, something to add on to the share-ability of this device whilst maintaining hygiene.

Besides being used in a family household context, I think that this device has the potential to be used by hospitals or clinics as well for quick and simple diagnostics. It can also be used by governments, especially during times of disaster. For example, say a natural disaster like an earthquake or tsunami appeared, and a large number of people are injured. Having a device like this would be able to greatly help rescue efforts, especially when (human) resources are limited. These headsets can be used on the field, so that other countries can “send” their doctors to help the country in need, without having to physically fly their doctors over to the disaster area. With an increase in medical help and diagnostics, it would be much easier to further treat the patients once the aid/treatment they need is identified faster.

However, this device also has a few cons. Although this device has potential in the medical industry, I think that it still has some places to improve on. Firstly, the healthcare functions of this device might be a bit too basic right now. It is a good step for teleconference diagnostics, but still too simple. If a patient has a more serious or uncommon illness, then this device would not be able to help medically, and the patient would most probably still need to go see a doctor physically. Other functionalities could include blood glucose level, ear camera, sample analysis? The area of diagnosis for the headset is also very centered on the head, and kind of neglects the rest of the body. Perhaps a handheld diagnostic device would work better, or could compliment the headset.

Secondly, would be factors like price, I’m not sure of a device like this would be too costly for some of its target audience (like people living in remote locations). And although this device is a good idea, it is not confirmed whether or not doctors/hospitals/ medical systems will be willing to take this on and integrate it into their healthcare system. And as they are major stakeholders in this device, the success or failure of this device will depend heavily on them. A teleconference medical diagnosis without a doctor on the other end would render this device useless. Perhaps this device could also incorporate the use of AIs to help with diagnosis, though that’s a whole nother open door itself.

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020

Sketch #2 – Distance Device

Slides available here.

August 22, 2020November 15, 2020

Sketch #1 – LED Room

Final Prototype- Shapes:

Watch it work here (:

Using Idea #4- Using Wekinator to identify shapes drawn on the screen recognized by Zigsim. This information is then sent to Arduino to change the colors of the LED strip!

Ideas:

Sketching up gestural changes of a phone to control the lighting in a room. Group work done with Ho Qin Kai and Amanda Lee.

#1-

Control the lights with your friends through a chatroom
Send different messages to control the color (rgb, or color name)
Send different messages to control the light form (spotlight, light wash, strobe, etc)
Specific words trigger specific effects too!

#2-

Shake your phone to change the lights
For when you’re listening to music and jamming to the tempo/beats
Color of the lights randomly change everytime your phone moves
But how long each light holds depends on if you shake your phone or not#3-

#3-

#4-

Change the saturation of the colored light with the height of the phone
The higher it is from the ground, the more saturated the color; the lower the phone, the more washed out it is#4-

Use your phone to draw out specific shapes or certain gestures to generate different lights!
Presave the gestures and their resultant lights
Eg: Drawing a star would fill the room with a twinkling yellow light

Amanda and I decided to work on ideas #1 and #3! However, I realized that I would first need to change our ideas slightly. Firstly for idea #1, I realized that typing is not a gesture oops, but we still want to keep the essence of changing the lights with the help of your friend. So instead of texts, the triggers for idea #1 will be phone taps on two separate devices. Tapping your finger at a specific area on one screen will change the saturation, and tapping a specific number of points on the other will change the color. However, my phone had some problems with touch controls on zigsim, so I was unable to do this as well… so I decided to do idea #4, which was the most concrete idea. Android phone doesnt work with wekinator so I had to borrow an Ipad to work with!

Concept: Draw shapes on your phone screen to change the color of the LED strip

http://drive.google.com/file/d/19RzBr0rNQNohMeIaOPfE-K2GWH5u62PF/view?usp=sharing

File links here

August 21, 2020September 5, 2020

Product Design III #1

BRIEF:

Connected products (fitness trackers, smart speakers) connect physical objects with the internet and each other, and are enabling new ways for people to interact with the environment and world around them. Conventional product integration with digital technologies, UI/UX design and services.

Possible connected products:

Water bottle
Air quality tracker
Weighing scale
Thermometer
Object/Person/Pet location tracker
Rain sensor
Product of your choice

Design:

Product form
Product Interaction
Smartphone/ Web browser app
Consistent visual design and UIUX (btwn phone & prod)
One sensor + one/two functions

IDEAS:

Speaker that can detach to form an earpiece? eh…….
Smart wardrobe + hanger system. Tells you which pieces of clothing you wear more often than others -> For people with a lot of clothes in their closets, to help realise that maybe they dont actually need so many clothes, or that they dont need the clothes they hardly use. Then, they can buy less clothes or give the unused ones away. Reduce, reuse. Or the wardrobe can collect data of which colors the user wears more, and recommend other colors that the user can get to match along?
Smart hangers that monitors the weight of the items on it. Used to hang wet clothing. When the weight of the clothing stops decreasing, this means that the clothing is dry. An alert will be sent to you via a phone app. Could also track the amount of time it took for the article to dry, so that the user can use this information next time. Or if the system is smart enough, it could generate a list of timings like how long this particular fabric will take to dry today based on humidity and weather reports it collects (internet of things).
Smart makeup storage that tracks how long you have had this product. Product information can be accessed through phone app, and alerts you if you’ve had the product for too long. Prevent you from using expired makeup? Or if for people with a lot of makeup, could be a similar idea like the wardrobe, tracks which products the user uses more; highlighting what products they perhaps dont really need…
Smart watering can + moisture detector. Moisture detector can be docked into the watering can to download the data, or can be synced to the phone. Based on information collected by moisture detector, watering can will measure out the appropriate amount of water needed and indicate to user when they are filling it up with water; or user just fills up the whole can, then watering can will signal when to stop when water is enough. Phone app tracks the moisture detector records (and watering can data?). Phone app will also remind you if you have not watered your plants. If its a really smart system, it can also take into account the humidity and temperature to work with the moisture detector to recommend the amount of water.
Smart sunlight detector. Placed in your plant pot or nearby, to track the amount of sunlight your plant receives, cause some plants need more light then others, and some months is brighter than thee rest. Solar panels track how much uv light absorbed. this electricity can be used as signal? Alternatively can be used for people who like to cleanse their crystals under the sun lollll, cause you cant leave it out for too long.
Smart harness that looks like a sloth hugging the dog. Used to track the location of the dog, or could be a camera device (like the sloth eyes are cameras). Phone app will give you the location of the dog.
Hanger idea for masks: track the number of times youve used washed the mask

CHOSEN IDEAS TO DEVELOP: Hanger for masks + smart pot

RESEARCH :

SMART HANGER

BASIS:

Because we are currently living in a pandemic outbreak, it has become the social norm to now wear masks out wherever we go. Some people use disposable masks that are instantly thrown away when they get home, but others use reusable masks that require washing every day or every few days at least. Generally, fabric masks can be rewashed many many times, but there are certain reusable masks that can only be washed a specific number of times before they are no longer recommended to be used. These washable masks with limited lifespan are often fabric masks with filtration layers. To ensure that the filters are still usable and able to protect us, we should really pay attention to the number of times the mask has been washed and follow the advisory.

  
Forever Family mask can only be washed 30 times

CURRENT PRODUCTS:

Hanger with built in dry cleaning functions. Volatilized air air-washes off unpleasant smells and kills clothing germs and molds without causing any damage to clothes. Ideal for suits, dresses, uniforms or outdoor jackets that are difficult to wash at home, Smart Hanger offers an instant cleaning option.

  
Smart Hanger by Beom-Seok Lee, Dong-Il Kim, Wan-Il So & Ki-Won Song

Smart hanger that recommends clothes based on the weather forecast and doubles up as a clock. The flipboard, aside from displaying the time, also shows you the temperature outside, and when you’re about to step out, will recommend clothes that best compliment the weather outside. The flipboard has a pretty detailed catalog. The level of detail given to forecast representation is pretty neat too, for example, the Take-Off can tell you if it’s raining, about to rain, or if there’s a storm outside, just by showing you an open umbrella, a closed umbrella, or an overturned umbrella. The device works over Wi-Fi to stay on top of things, while also connecting with your phone to know when you usually step out, so that it can recommend apparel to you just as you’re getting ready to step out!

   

Take-Off Hanger by Take-Off

New product using the Thread mesh protocol and the Nordic nRF52840 SoC is helping an upmarket Parisian clothing store improve its customer experience. Clothing hangers aare each equipped with a Nordic nRF52840, an RFID reader and a small display. When a customer picks up an item, they can select a size from the display and a member of staff will bring it to them, wherever they are in the fitting room or elsewhere in the store. The concept means less items need to be out on display, improving the selection on display and/or reducing clutter. Thanks to sensors inside the hanger, it knows what item of clothing is attached. The device records how many times per day the item has been touched and the number of times the hanger has been removed from the rack. This data is sent to the store system once per day. Over time, such data gives Galeries Lafayette a lot of useful information on the in-store experience, allowing them to draw their own conclusions about the popularity of certain items and trends.

Unistudio – Galeries Lafayette – Cintre connecté

  
Galeries Lafayette Hanger by Galeries Lafayette and BLUEGRioT

TWO SYSTEMS:

#1 Hanger/ wall hook device

#2 Table top stand

Functions:
Tracks the number of times you wash + remind you to wear one when you go out as its not really habitual to some of us yet (cough me cough)

SMART PLANTER

BASIS:

Various conditions are essential factors which have to be provided for a house plants survival, including water, humidity, a suitable growing medium, correct temperatures and of course “light”. I feel like people always pay a lot of attention to the amount of water they give their plants, and tend to neglect the other factors like light. All plants require sunlight to grow, but differ in the amount and intensity of light needed to prosper. Knowing how much light a plant needs to thrive seems like a relatively simple issue, but can sometimes be perplexing. In my opinion, there are many smart products in the market that allow you to water your plants with an appropriate amount of water based on the moisture in the soil, etc; but a lack in products that help you track how much light your plant is getting.

Although some people manually map the sunlight in their gardens/homes, I think its rather troublesome as the sun changes position in the sky throughout the year, so an area that is mostly shade in spring and fall may get more intense sunlight in the summer when the sun is higher in the sky (and hotter). This means that they would have to map multiple times through the year. There are even more unpredictable factors that could always be affecting the sunlight mapping, such as the coverage of leaves due to growth -> manually mapping out the sunlight yourself is not efficient and accurate as it is not a guaranteed constant. A smart device would be of much more help.

DETAILS:

Plant labels identify the amount of sun a plant requires as full sun, part sun, part shade or full shade as defined:

Full sun – Plants need at least 6 hours of direct sun daily
Part sun – Plants thrive with between 3 and 6 hours of direct sun per day
Part shade – Plants require between 3 and 6 hours of sun per day, but need protection from intense mid-day sun
Full shade – Plants require less than 3 hours of direct sun per day

   
terminology of light required and their meanings

If a plant is not receiving enough light or too much direct sunlight there are tell tale signs to look out for-

Not Enough:

Flowers not blooming
Weak, slow and spindly growth.
Yellowing leaves which eventually fall.
New leaves remain smaller than usual.

Too Much:

Flowers shrivel up and die quickly.
Leaves shriveling up and drying.
Leaves fade in colour.
Drooping leaves.

CURRENT PRODUCTS:

SunCalc
It is a sunlight calculator you stick in the soil. Designed to measure the amount of solar energy available during the growing season, it ideally helps you put your plants where they want to be. When turned on, the meter measures the amount of light for 12 hours and determines how much sun you have. This product sounds like it works, but after reading about it on gardening forums, I realized how flawed it was. Firstly, because the device is not smart, you have to manually turn it on for it to start recording the light-> this means that if you turn it on after sunup (say at like noon instead of dawn), then it will measure the light only for a part of the day and provide the wrong readings. Secondly, although its ad claims that “This meter measures the duration and intensity of sunlight falling at a given spot over a 12-hour period”, it does not report them. It only reports sun, part sun, part shade or shade. You get neither duration nor intensity readings-> user doesnt really gain much insight from this product. Hence, this product is not useful because it doesnt allow users to gain more information, nor does it really provide an action after -> equivalent to the user just mapping out the sun exposure himself

Sunlight Calculator, a product you don't need

Xiaomi Smart Flower potThe Xiaomi Smart Flower Pot is a medium size plastic pot, with the built-in wireless connection (Bluetooth 4.1 BLE), and several other sensors. Also, it comes with with a unique application that allows you to control the pot. The pot can communicate with any smartphone via Bluetooth, to send information from the sensors. The Sensors monitor the moisture and salt content of the soil. If the plant is lacking something like water , then the Xiaomi pot will “remind” you through the application, that it is time to water the plant.
You have to add the Xiaomi Smart Flower Pot to the application for use. You can choose from huge database of flowers. From the application menu, you can check the battery charge level, check reports (log). If you own more than one pots there are summary reports. The general menu with indications displays the properties and description of the plant.
LUMEEquipped with sensors for water, light and soil levels, the specialized pot ensures that the plant is well-cared for at all times. Information is relayed wirelessly to the user’s smartphone, giving them real-time updates on the plant’s health and the best way to tend to it.

lume_06 lume_11

NestSensors detect the levels of Ethylene, so when the fruit, vegetable or herb is ripe or ready to eat, notifications are sent to your Nest app so you can harvest and enjoy the freshest home-grown food! The Nest app develops an accurate user profile the more you use it by taking your dietary preferences to suggest personalized recipes using the freshest ingredients from your hanging garden. The recipes you select are then fed back into the Nest database to generate better recipe suggestions and recommendations for the hanging garden. As an added bonus, the hanging garden also work with your Nest thermostat to circulate air in your kitchen with bladeless fan technology. It also illuminates your worktop with built-in LED lights.
Bloomengine
A completely self-contained, self-sustaining planter, the Bloomengine can grow and monitor your plant while guiding you through the process, informing you of the plant’s progress and needs. the planter sends you plant-health related data to your phone, allowing you to keep tabs on the plant’s growth. There’s also a Full-HD camera mounted on the top that can take time-lapses of your plant growing. You can easily customize environmental conditions for your plants via the Bloomengine application available for Android and iOS devices. Watering and lighting times can be scheduled and even time-lapse can be set according to your plants and preferences.
Uplift Planter
The Uplift Planter is an elevated plant stand with an app-enabled grow light designed to seamlessly integrate living green into any space. The Uplift Planter has built-in brains, meaning you can pair it with the app over WiFi for granular control over light intensity, cycles and schedule, from a few feet to miles away. Includes recommended presets for partial shade, partial sun and full sun plants.
Koubachi Wi-Fi Sensor
Koubachi have a connected plant sensor to go along with the app. They measure moisture, light, and temperature from the soil near your plant, and use that information along with the compiled knowledge of their Plant Care Engine to tell you exactly how to make your garden flourish. If you have no idea what kind of plant you’re dealing with, this is the most user-friendly plant identification software I’ve come across. Plant Finder will offer options about the shape of the leaves, the position of the stem, even the location of purchase, and you can pick from the provided pictures whenever you see a match or skip the question when you’re stumped. The database will use any responses you give it to make a guess at your plant type, and will show you pictures to help you decide if it has the right one. If not, you can keep right on going through the questions.This handy feature lets you see immediate readings for moisture, sunlight, and temperature.
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koubachi website and app
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Growing up
Interesting design: Adjustable pot design!
Plant Window
Interesting location: planter right at the window
iGrow
Interesting design: Holds a weeks supply of water, while avoiding stagnant water or any water spill
Ma-ce-ta series
Interesting design: Mix and match with different shapes + height
MOJU planter
Interesting design: sleek and modern. nice aesthetics
ToThum
Interesting design: each modular part has a unique shape that organically blends with the others. Also has its own manual irrigation system that allows the water to reach the plants on all the levels at the same time

Smart Mountain
Interesting function: follows sunlight

TWO SYSTEMS:

flower pot itself
– if gets too hot, pot moves itself? hmm
– might be better than designing something to just stick in soil -> seems like waste of materials
device to stick into the flower pot or beside it
– can be some cute decoration piece?
– if too hot the umbrella deploys to shade plant??

Keep in mind that the sun changes places in the sky depending on time of day and season, affecting how much light your plant will get. Monitor how the light changes throughout the year and adjust your plants position accordingly.

Links:

https://www.houseplantsexpert.com/indoor-plants-lighting-guide.html
https://southernlivingplants.com/planting-care/a-gardeners-guide-to-sun-exposure/
http://theindependent.sg/ng-eng-hen-gets-into-national-day-mood-and-poses-with-a-face-mask-from-the-fun-pack/
https://www.foreverfamily.com.sg/
https://www.gardenmyths.com/sunlight-calculator-useless-product/

August 12, 2020August 20, 2020

Studies in Form #1

6 WORDS:

Verb: Exhumed, Bifurcated
Adjective: Parasite, Tripod
Noun: Stalactite, Hive

Permutations:

Exhumed parasite Stalactite
Exhumed parasite Hive
Exhumed tripod Stalactite
Exhumed tripod Hive
Exhumed stalactite Parasite
Exhumed hive Parasite
Exhumed stalactite Tripod
Exhumed hive Tripod
Bifurcated parasite Stalactite
Bifurcated parasite Hive
Bifurcated tripod Stalactite
Bifurcated tripod Hive
Bifurcated stalactite Parasite
Bifurcated stalactite Hive
Bifurcated hive Parasite
Bifurcated hive Tripod

The subtle nuances the positioning of words can carry!
Bifurcated parasite Stalactite -> parasitic Stalactite that is forked
Bifurcated stalactite Parasite -> Parasite (found on Stalactites/made out of them) that is forked
Parasite(ic) bifurcated stalactite -> similar to bifurcated parasite stalactite
Stalactite bifurcated parasite -> similar to bifurcated stalactite parasite

Exhumed parasite Hive -> parasitic Hive/parasites Hive that’s been dug up
Exhumed hive Parasite -> a Parasite (to hives) that’s been dug up
Parasite(ic) exhumed Hive -> a dug up Hive that is parasitic
Hive exhumed Parasite -> doesn’t really make sense? Hmmm……

BUT how much difference do these nuances make when translated into imagery? Affects the noun/subject which in turn is the dominant form (“main body” of the form)? And the other two words are descriptive subdominant and subordinate forms- > whose forms are built upon that of the dominant?

PS. am I thinking too much hmm……………………

DEFINITIONS:

Parasite

noun: parasite

1. an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense.
2. (Derogatory) a person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return.
adjective: parasitic

1. (of an organism) living as a parasite.

2. (Derogatory) habitually relying on or exploiting others.

Exhumed

1. dig out (something buried, especially a corpse) from the ground.

2. (Geology) expose (a land surface) that was formerly buried.
2. to revive or restore after neglect or a period of forgetting; bring to light.

Bifurcated

1. divide into two branches or forks.

Stalactite

1. a tapering structure hanging like an icicle from the roof of a cave, formed of calcium salts deposited by dripping water.

Hive

noun: hive

1. a shelter constructed for housing a colony of honeybees

2. a place swarming with busy occupants:
verb: hived, hiving

1. to enter a hive.
MENTAL SCHEMA:

I personally feel that to approach these words, there are a few ways I can kind of sort the imagery that the words invoke- Macro picture (overall structure) vs Micro picture (details), Realistic vs Abstracted, maybe even Man-made vs Natural? The best example in my set of words to illustrate this is ‘Hive’.

Macro vs Micro:

Realistic vs Abstracted:
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Man-made vs Natural:
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IMAGERY/MOTIF BOARDS:
Just some links:

STALACTITES:
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/different-types-of-stalactite-formations.html

HIVE:

http://www.heartlandoutdoors.com/scattershooting/story/heres_a_truly_unique_bee_hive/
https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/lifestyle/5-intriguing-structures-inspired-bees

PARASITE:

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/ss/slideshow-pictures-of-parasites

TRIPOD:

https://www.6sqft.com/poorexs-tripod-furniture-makes-a-statement-on-three-legs/