Making Toys

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  Yury Gitman 3:21 pm on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  What unexpected things happened when you created your design files? 

  When I started designing my puffin robot I realized that there is no innovation or real purpose to a little bird running around on the top of a table. So, I thought of something that I would be useful for me. I live in a basement apartment, with one window that gets light. So, when it is time to wake up, it could be 3 am or 3 pm and the light in the room would be the same. So, I figured it would be nice to have the sun shine in from the window and light up the room. This is where my new concept evolved from. I would like to make an alarm clock that opens the blinds so that you can wake up easier. I could not figure out how to incorporate a clock into the contraption on the blinds. And then I thought of having a plush alarm clock that you could hit in the head to snooze and hold its head to turn it off. The plush toy would be the controller for the blinds and would send out the signal to open and close them. Moving his arms up and down would allow the user to open and close the blinds manually. He would display the time through his teeth.

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  Yury Gitman 3:20 pm on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Unexpected things that happened when creating my design files 

  After creating my design files, I began to get a clear idea of the concept that I am trying to execute.

  The physical form of the whole piece was first changed after doing basic sketches and realizing that I could easily make the project customizable by adding a removable faceplate for it. This inspired me to create 2 layouts, one for a faceplate and one for the main body of the project.

  Laying out the controls was also very interesting. I was able to quickly figure out where things should logically go, as well as refine and change the way in which different elements would be interacted with. By thinking of the types of switches that would fit the design, I was also able to do some technical research for both physical items and costs which helped me to realize if my ideas were feasible.

  Now that I have created a basic design for the product, I hope to be able to use this for some simple user testing and refine the layout, mainly of my buttons, before moving on to creating a fully realized product. I also need to test out several form factors that fit within the dimensions that I have laid out in my document and adjust them accordingly until they make sense as far as fitting the speakers in relation to the overall size of the product.

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  Yury Gitman 2:15 pm on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  “Mometer” Sketches 

  

  

  

  

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  Yury Gitman 1:59 pm on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Morning Monster 

  

  This little guy acts as an alarm clock. The time is displayed through his teeth. When the alarm goes off, he vibrates and an annoying buzzer sounds. This guy also controls your blinds, so like 20 mins before it goes off, it starts opening your blinds and after 20 mins, your blinds are fully open and the buzzer sounds. You can manually open and close the blinds by moving his left arm up and down. There is a capacitance snooze button that is the top of his head and to turn off the alarm, you must hold his head for like 3 seconds.

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  Yury Gitman 1:55 pm on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Stress Doll 

  
  

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  Yury Gitman 10:58 am on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  :::Blue print for Colony::: 

  

  Colony is made out  of 3 nicos. In their natural environment, Nicos glow softly in different colors and make little sound to communicate with each other. When a user picks up a Nico from its environments at they get annoyed and make high pitch sounds and their light flickers. If the user is friendly and gently with Nico, Nico will become his/her friend and return to its peaceful state.

  Materials

  encasing:

  1.brushed cotton white for the face and other color for body

  2.thread for detail for face

  Electronics

  1.Piezo sensor

  2. Reed Switch

  3. 3-color LED

  4. Speakers

  5. ATMega 168

  6. 16Mhz crystal

  7. capacitor

  8. resistors

  9. 7805 voltage regulator

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  Yury Gitman 8:18 am on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Blueprint: Constellation Skirt 

  The following are some of the design sketches for a proposed constellation skirt. The constellation skirt comprises three layers:
  1. outer skirt (dark matte silk, velcro)
  2. electronic underskirt (stiff cotton muslin, conductive thread, sewable LEDs, velcro, arduino)
  3. lining (acetate, sewn to outer skirt)

  

  The overskirt is attached permanently to the lining, but the electrical layer is removable anchored to the outer skirt with velcro, for ease of cleaning if necessary.

   

  None of the electronic/conductive components are meant to be attached to the middle layer, the electronic layer. I thought something like this disk could serve as a good star element as a button.

  

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  Yury Gitman 5:12 am on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  detail sketch phase 2 – Nester Baby Lockness 

  Nester the baby lockness monster will be made of:

  1. felt material top side
  2. foam bottom side
  3. servo motor [or hacked bunny guts]
  4. wired button
  5. blue/purple led pwm
  6. photo sensor
  7. cotton ballz
  8. threading
  9. undecided beads for eyes
  
  
  “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back lockness ribs”

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  Yury Gitman 3:11 am on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  SOBEaR 

  SOBEaR is the perfect product for anyone who has trouble knowing their limits while consuming spirits and liquors.  The user approaches the bear, and places their cup in between SOBEaR's legs. This activates the alcohol sensor which is located at his nose (an LED indicates this).  The user then blows into SOBEaR's nose (as if blowing him a kiss, because he's that cute) and the Meter below displays the user's current consumption status.  SOBEaR then calculates how much the user should continue to drink. If he determines that you are as sober as he is, he will pour a stiff drink (a healthy ratio of alcohol to non-alcohol). If SOBEaR decides you are well over your limit, he will perhaps be pouring you a glass of tonic water (or OJ, cranberry, soda, your choice). 

  

  2 servo motors pour drinks.  a simple button/softswitch/short range IR to detect the cup. 6 LEDs for drunk-meter.  PERHAPS a DC gearmotor to STIR the beverage after pouring…. need to think on this.

  Essentially a biofeedback machine, SOBEaR uses real-time biometric data to control/determine the user's experience to which they are entrusting SOBEaR. 

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  Nick Hardeman is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Nick Hardeman 1:51 pm on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply

    Those are some sick illustrator skills!

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  Yury Gitman 3:03 am on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  :: The Shy Turtle :: (part 2) 

  Second round of blog submissions for My First Robot:
  Apartment Therapy
  Boing Boing
  Colette

  
  

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  (I'm not sure yet what I'll use for the plastic neck and entrance for the body.)
  

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  Yury Gitman 11:51 pm on April 16, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Plush Beats 

  The concept that I am going with for the final project is the plush beat box. This project will take what I have accomplished with our short sound project and push it further, both code-wise and in form factor.

  The main unit will contain all the the electronics (speakers, circuitry, buttons) but will not be designed. It will contain two magnetic strips under the fabric which will allow users to swap out fabric "faceplates" or create their own from any material, continuing the theme of inexpensive customization.

  The toy will feature 4 speakers (2 large, 2 small) which will be either used together (in alternating form to make beats) or used seperately to play back beats. The controls will consist of mainly soft push buttons, hopefully with either LED feedback or sound feedback. The beat selection will use either  a "hot pot" slide potentiometer (linked below) or a homemade slide capacitance sensor. I would *love* to do the homemade capacitance sensor since it would cut down cost BIG TIME but I think for sake of time and prototyping I may be better off going wtih the slide potentiometer or an available capacitance slide.

  View the Potentiometer

  Here is a basic schematic for what I want to accomplish. Colors aren't there just shape layout, it still needs to be designed but I'm more concerned with getting the usability down first. I'd also like to possibly do at least 2 different faceplates for it, using inkjet fabric prints as a stand in for silk screening…

  

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  joe is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    joe 2:57 am on April 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply

    steve look at this! http://nnnnnnnn.org/080625.html

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  Yury Gitman 5:53 pm on April 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  homework assigned 4/14 

  1.  submit to 3 or more blogs if you haven't yet
  2. readings
  3. design document/blueprint/specs/description

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  Yury Gitman 4:21 pm on April 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Plush Concepts 

   1. Thermometer:

  
  2. Memories Collectors:

  

  3. Plush E-Card:

  
  4. Long Distance Hugs:

  

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  Yury Gitman 3:12 pm on April 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Plush Project Concepts 

  Check out my concepts!

  
  

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  Yury Gitman 3:09 pm on April 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  alchohol sensor presentation 

  here's the link

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  Yury Gitman 2:41 pm on April 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Concept Proposals for Final Project ~ Plush Toy 

  For my final project, I'd like to create a plush toy with an "under water" theme.  See details below…

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  Yury Gitman 1:07 pm on April 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Concept proposals for electro-plush experience 

  Concept 1:

  a collection of soft switches in extremities of this headpiece turn LEDs encased in the headpiece in different sequences. the object on the right indicates the basal structure

  

  Concept 2:

  this dress is padded with buttons all over the back which control LEDs lighting the various panels. this piece invites touch in a medium where it is generally considered socially taboo to touch.

  

  Concept 3:

  flex sensors embedded in neoprene encasements at elbows and knees generate digital beats from small speakers.

   

  Concept 4:

  rug-like object with plush buttons. played like an instrument such that the user walks on it, in the style of DDR, to create music.

  

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  Yury Gitman 12:03 pm on April 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  :::Push Toy concepts::: 

   

  Concept 1:::learning anatomy

  The second plush idea is to create a human like blob that has words sewn on the fabric that covers its body. The words are the name of different body parts. As a word is pressed, the area of the body that the word corresponds to lights up.

  Concept 2:::colony:::

  The first concept is to create a colony of little creature. Their
  behavior can be really simple for now, but I am particularly interest
  how they can change each others behavior by been close to each other or
  sending a signal in some way.  I am not quite sure what shape these
  guys are going to take they can be little blobs with sweet eyes. They
  will grow hungry when you take them away from their environment making
  loud noise and vibrating violently while vibrate smoothly, more like a
  purr when they are back with their friend and make melodic sounds.

  Concept 3:::Sometime you need a little slap

  The last concept is a plush that slaps you more or less according to how drunk you are. It uses the mechanism of two motors similar to  Easter bunny ears  that saw during the autopsy to slap you based on the reading that it gets from the  alcohol sensor mounted on his head.

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