Concept
Prompt: Design and prototype an interactive object that addresses a personal pet peeve (PPP)
The pet peeve that this interactive object aimed to solve was providing private emotional support due to my dislike of publicly showing strong emotions like crying.
These were the sketches of my concept for the helmet, visually I knew that I wanted to create something that resembled a dandelion because dandelions grow in difficult conditions. They symbolize the ability to overcome challenges. I also knew that I wanted the nature theme to continue inside the helmet by incorporating a starry night and ambient music (rain + meditation)
Electronics
The first thing I started testing and working on were the interior electronics (lights and music). Professor Zack Weaver provided me components that were incredibly helpful because I was able to incorporate all of them (Lilypad LEDs, speaker and MP3-TF-16P) to produce the immersion I had envisioned. I followed an audio tutorial, and once I had the music playing, I decided to incorporate a photosensor that would signal the music to turn on when someone put on the helmet. The photosensor had a reading of 6-8 because of the interior lights and putting on the helmet would block the photosensor, resulting in a reading of 2-4 that would then play the sound. I also purchased conductive thread and Lilypad coin cell battery holders so I could practice sewing onto fabric with the Lilypad LEDs. I tested some of the LED colors and the amount of lights a cell battery could power.
Enclosure Fabrication
In my ideation, I knew I wanted to create a helmet but I wasn't sure what approach I was going to take. I brainstormed possible materials such as cardboard, foam, 3D printing. I still wasn't sure which material would work best but after looking online for inspiration I saw that paper mâché was a popular crafting technique for creating masks or helmets. I purchased a beach ball and used paper mâché (blue paper towels + glue and water) to create a helmet that was thin but still strong and sturdy.
To create the dandelion "fuzz", I purchased braided polypropylene rope that I cut into small pieces. I burnt one end with a lighter to prevent fraying and so it could be glued down easier. I then brushed the other end of the rope so the fibers could resemble the fluffiness of a dandelion.
Final Product
The last thing I did was glue in the cloth that had the 12 sewn LED lights, this did take some time because it was difficult to warp and see where the fabric needed to be placed and glued down inside the sphere. I also placed the audio circuit inside the sphere using velcro strips so it could be sturdy but still removed if necessary. The Arduino is powered with a 9V battery, the power supply connected to the wall was not ideal because it limited mobility.
Feedback & Demo Video
I was surprised at the amount of people that understood and felt the story that I wanted to convey with my interactive object. I knew that wearing it myself wouldn't make much sense to a viewer, but once someone put on the helmet, they quickly got it. I was prepared for the music to be difficult to hear in the talkative room, but I was also surprised to hear that the helmet was pretty soundproof. I did have some issues with the photosensor because it needed to be completely blocked for the music to play so it needed to be tweaked at times. I decided to temporarily remove the sensor just to ensure that the music was always playing. Some feedback I received was that the helmet was relaxing, it's like sensory deprivation, that it took them to another world and that I should make more and place them around campus. Some other helpful feedback I received was about the lights and ways I could incorporate movement or dimming. Something that I would do differently with the lights would be connecting them to an Arduino board so they could flicker, potentially change color and overall offer more interactivity. Also, if I wanted to incorporate more components or space inside the helmet I would also aim to make a bigger helmet and add the fan that I initially thought about during my ideation.