Pile of Chip

Prototype Design / Fabrication

Look through the scope with one eye, then at the stars with the other, and the image inside will overlap with the actual stars in the sky- making constellations appear as though they're outlined and labeled (low-tech augmented reality).

Click here to see
a few detailed pictures
from t he project

The goal was to revamp an existing prototype from the ground up while making it feel more kid-friendly and look more like a real product (and then make a short run of multiples). In the end, I designed and crafted the 6 fully functional prototypes shown to the right.

more info coming soon

Experiments with Light and Reflection

interpretation of light experiments

a 3 dimensional interpretation of some experiments done with light and reflection.

Thumper

In a room filled with ambient noise, this mutation of a homework assignment sits quietly, waiting to strike. The moment it detects an absence of sound, it lets out a series of loud pulsing thumps until the background noise resumes- works really well during critiques where nobody has anything to say.

More to come

Digital Spheres

Centuries ago, the Chinese developed relaxation practices in which one would manipulate iron balls in their hand. As time went on, the design and fabrication of these balls became more intricate, by incorporating bells within these iron forms. Their pleasant jingle was intended to enhance the user’s state of relaxation.

The concept behind the “Digital Spheres” is to take the interaction and feedback of the traditional iron balls even further. Within each ball, and the base on which they sit, there are nodes that wirelessly track the location of the balls in reference to each other and to the base. The base sends this data to a computer, which receives it through a wireless receiver plugged into the USB port

Special “relaxation software” on the computer can determine how the balls are moving, and use this input to control a virtual environment.

Digital Mural

this project has not yet been fully executed, but here's the core idea: combine a mechanism similar to that of a may line along with the brain and axles of a hacked PC moue to, then write some code to make the travel distance of the mouse correspond to the mayline's movement. The mouse would then be a "digital paint brush," which can be used to write messages to be seen on the other side of the wall.

Other possibilities:

same interface on both sides of the wall, so people on each side can communicate with the other.
Messages errode and leave faint ghosts of themselves, in the end contributing to an abstraction of text
this might be a nice interface for changing colors / effects

Belly Bump Bot

This is a working prototype of a programmable robot toy.

For demonstration purposes, it has been programmed with an algorithm for bypassing obstructions, such as walls and corners, though sometimes it chooses to crash repeatedly into an obstacle until it hears the voice command "stop that!" or "boogie-boogie," which will make him dance.

Interactive Wall

what one does on one side of the wall effects what another sees on the other side of the wall.

Uses projectors, video cameras, Macromedia flash, and about 60 switches (the sphere shaped parts floating within the wall)

Each of the blocks shown above is pushed against one of 2 sets of prongs when the sphere it's connected to is pushed from one side or the other. A circuit is closed once the block comes in contact with the prongs. This sends information to a computer saying that a specific key has been pressed, and depending on what that key is, the wall will respond accordingly- unmasking a specific area.

Empathy Link

This is a “Blue Sky” concept of an Idea that allows for nonverbal communication between two people.

This stems from the same technology that can interpret human emotion and physical sensations as an electric signal that is very specific to situation at hand. With two, or more people using similar devices, one could transmit these signals to the appropriate sector of the recipient's brain, allowing them to “understand” the state of the other person; know what they're trying to say without ever having to say it.

"I feel what you feel... I feel what you think"

Heart Chair

sit in the chair, and the movie on the TV infront of you advances one frame each time your heart beats.

[image above is a filler for actual art piece/ video]

Design Remix

Basic redesign assignment: take an existing product and re-design it's exterio based on it's internal components, while trying to enhance the user experience. This was a redesign original Nintendo Zapper.

Keyboard Hacking

busting open the keyboard and altering the way it interfaces with the computer.

For example, imagine you're in a room illuminated by projector hooked up to a computer, and when you type "Y" key, the color of the room changes from red to blue… now. If you were to replace the "y" key with a motion sensor, that means you could have a room change color simply by walking through the door.

Why? - product and interface simulations, interactive environments
and artistic installations, etc.

Bulb Light

when turned on, the light bulb projects an image of itself on the wall. This is another product of my experimentation with light, lenses, and reflection.

Watch Project with Timex and Evo Design.

This series concept is intended for a moderately tech-savvy demographic . A simple, yet feature-rich tech piece of jewelry which allows for easy upgrades, quick component swapping, and an artistic license for personalized stylization.

MUCH more info, detail, etc. to come :)

Finger Joints

An experiment cuttng into a finger-jointed block

Animated Projection Lamp

Projects an entrancing animated light show on any surface…
you can think of it as a screen saver for your walls or ceiling.

This was the final product of my experiments with light and reflection.

Boja: R.T.A. Table

really, really big kaleidoscope

So... I was really bored one day, and decided to create a kaleidoscope big enough to fit your head into. The image shown is a stand-in for the real thing, which has to be re-created.

Here's how it works: 3 mylar-covered panels create the reflective chamber and large flat panel display at the end. An RC car with a tiny wireless camera runs around while sending video to the display, which creates the kaleidoscopic effect.

Video Feedback-bot

While playing with a mini wireless video camera, I discovered a mesmerizing phenomena that I later found out was called video feedback, or video fractals. as part of the "interactive spaces" course, I created a robot that works with this art form.

Video coming soon!

The following image has been borrowed from other sites just to illustrate the idea of this project's focus:

Project with M.I.T. - Portable Coffee Maker

Looks-like model of a portable coffee maker developed as part of a product development course at MIT.

Semester long interdisciplinary team project. Efforts were focused on user studies, concept development/ ideation, product design, generation of a functional alpha prototype, and working business model.

More to come (group work, process, etc.)

Uses "K-Cups" - neat little units

which house coffee grounds and a filter.

From left to right:

A scale mockup of the Alpha prototype, AKA "The Super-safe, let's not blow ourselves up-engineering version." note how it's about as big as the head of the person holding it.

The looks-like model was created to show how potentially sleek the design could be using manufacturing processes and resources not available during the course.

a representation of all the backfilling/ re-documentation to be done with this project

Bent Lamination

Large Scale Pong Game

I've been working on a large, physically interactive version of the game "Pong." In this, the game is projected downward onto a large surface (about 10'x15'). Each player moves a slider from left to right, which coresponds to the motion of the paddle in the game. in the end, the effect will be almost like a cross between air hockey and pong on a larger than normal playing field.

- Keyboard / mouse hacking
- Macromedia Flash
- Video Projector

entertainment wrist plug (rough model)

rough model of a grim entertainment device concept from the future (ouch!)

a couple of things done with Solidworks (CAD)

Exhibit design exercise

assignment: team of 3 people have 1 week to build an exhibit out of cardboard representing either a designer or an era.

my team chose the 8-bit video game era

"Phisi-Kits"

I helped to design and develop a couple of testable prototypes and conceptual "looks-like" models for a set of demonstration tools for use during physics classes in secondary schools.

More info, details, video, etc. to come!

Slipcasting

A couple of slipcast pieces

A concept rendering for a memorial garden dedicated to DR. Martin Luther King and his wife which is to be placed in a relatively "unused" plot of land in Montclair, NJ .

Click Image to enlarge

Personal Project (Desk)

The desk I made for myself as a personal project (making use of as many scrap pieces laying around the shop as possible).

Links with more on this project: