Product Design
Through this branch of the project, it was decided to introduce the aesthetics of nature into the design of a product as a way to assist reconnecting humanity with nature in an urban environment in everyday life with a glance or study of an object that can be carried or be utilitarian incorporating the use of found objects from such natural environments into the design to do so. This requirement combined with the overall medical engineering aspect of the design led to the decision of a range of stimulation (also known as stimming) jewellery for sufferers of attentive, sensory or anxiety disorders (such as ADHD, autism or sensory processing disorder (SPD)). This was chosen because of the research conducted into the variety of stimming toys and jewellery being made available showcased that often a large variety were childish and cumbersome in design (especially the necklaces), alongside difficult to incorporate into a workplace uniform or to keep subtle as many articles noted alongside the overwhelming amount of hatred for the social faux pas of the natural activity – which creates an intriguing contrast into exhibit nature of the stimming toy design but the wish of those to have it hidden due to social fears or personal preference. Furthermore, people who need such items should be allowed a variety in their choice of assistance in style and subtlety, to display themselves as they please or disrespected because of the childish appearance of such accessories that they need for something they cannot help and yet may hold them back in society unfairly.
Research point 1: Prosthetics
Initially, research was into the realm of prosthetics inspired by the aesthetics of nature and the use of found objects. With this I was inspired by the “Klippa” a prosthetic made with armed forces veterans in mind to provide accessibility to the outdoors through the use of a mountain goat leg inspired design which allows for great balance, grip and stability for mountain climbing and hiking, imitating the creature.
My approach to this was to create unique prosthetic using naturally occurring materials found around the patient or of a specific place, this would provide interesting and intriguing designs that are person-specific making it different from the standard prothesis and making it feel as one with the patient whilst creating a literal connection between humans and nature. However, by using naturally sourced found materials issues may arise with breakage due to the general wear and tear most limbs go through in everyday urban environments which may be difficult to fix due to the uniqueness of the design. Furthermore the main aspect of this project is to reconnect with nature (to oppose the Nature Disconnect) therefore the idea of using the specific designs within the natural environment occurs but as shown by the “Klippa” standard prosthesis designs are not designed to withstand such activities as exploring the environment which would require a redesign which may not be optimum for the patient who would need to relearn how to use the limb itself and only create usage for it in specific circumstances, limiting the outreach of the market for the message even more.
Research point 2: Stims
Secondly, I discovered the utilisation of stimming devices for those with mental illnesses first brought to public attention through the infamous fidget spinner and fidget cube which at the time many thought to be a standard fad toy and not an assistant in the medical field to a degree. I was originally inspired by the group Stimtastic for their information and variety of stim toys and specifically jewellery allowing for the aforementioned subtly with stimming that many companies avoid possibly due to expenses (many companies specifying in such a market are small scaled, utilising found materials such as bike chains or even brushes to construct items) or the idea of most sufferers have a lower state of development which is a discredit to many. Through such research it was discovered that there are four main stims: repetitive movement, visual, sounds and words with all but the latter pertaining well to the jewellery concept as charms, texture and colour. Furthermore, the use of subtle stimming jewellery also allows for the integration of the larger market as fashion pieces similar to the positive public response to the fidget spinner and cube, allowing for a greater community to reconnect with nature.
Furthermore, the use of jewellery should only pertain to the hand and neck, this allows the objects to be in sight to reduce anxiety and be at hand in times of need but can also be hidden in times of over stimulation (this is a form of emotional breakdown and can be caused by sights, smells, sounds and textures) jewellery such as bracelets cannot be hidden as easily unless under a sleeve and despite that may continuously make noise
Interior Design
The task of “The Nature Disconnect” from the subject of Interior Environmental Design involved conceptualising a mobile structure with possibility of having a literal or metaphorical footprint on its surrounding environment. As a way of integrating both the integral mobile aspect of the design into my own interest of biomedical engineering research was conducted into nature escapes, how they are constructed, how they work and who they specifically target in their demographic; intriguingly, most retreats are focused on the higher class business demographic (this can be observed through the extensively high prices averaging at £284.40 a night for a basic rate with no medical assistance or natural remedies) with a focus on relaxation, general wellbeing and weight loss rather than a variety of medical conditions and often conducted within a hotel or staged hut structure based in a maintained natural environment, this is for cleanliness and the safety of the customers, however. For most patients however this is a far cry reality due to the price, extensive travel and their own health issues and therefore inspired the concept of a social camp-like system of a building(s) (based on the sizes and dimensions of traditional follies and pavilions to provide stable, large, unique structures with the transportable and robust nature of a tent) which is mobile; focused on collating people with similar issues (e.g. mental handicaps, illnesses, weakness) to socialise and communicate in a safe but wild environment to introduce them to biodiverse locations (which has been noted to be a positive influence on the development of the immune system and a positive neurological impact on cognitive development and stress resilience which in turn promotes a positive outlook and healing) with a possible use of group activities to provide a positive footprint on the environment around themselves at the time.
Research point 1: Social Hub
The main aspect of the design itself is the central social hub, a mainly tent-based structure which acts as the main socialising point for the patients who attend. From here a selection chosen activities can take place with the area being designed with relaxation in mind. By having a tent-like structure the poles used to stabilise the surrounding material can be moved and altered easily in a selection of ways, due to the movable joints, to allow anyone to utilise the facility. A material cladded structure is also a more environmentally couscous design: by using less weighted materials the design remains lightweight reducing the carbon footprint for travel, by not having a permanent placement the structure reduces damages to the natural eco-system due to extensive involvement also. Research into a cladding material resulted in the founding of a biodegradable building fibre known as Biofloss: an insulating, wool-like material made from the by-products of vegetables such as potatoes making the structure self-sufficient as well and requiring assisting the environment to create more material for more buildings or repairs (as more vegetables must be planted to remove the by-products which in itself assists in the turning of the land and introducing nutrients amongst other processes). To exit the use of ramps covered by a hexagonal ‘plant bridge’ was also planned. These structures would provide activity through gardening and integrate a the use of Chinese belief of forest baths being a healing force and good for personal growth through the light misting of collected rain water over the attendees.
Research point 2: Hut community
A secondary idea pertaining to the community aspect of the project was to incorporate hut-style cube structures which would allow the attendees to live on premises around the central social hub. These rooms would be fit to live in and wide enough to be fully accessible for wheelchair users but limited in their kitchen ware and electronics as a way of coercing the attendee to socialise and make optimum use of their new surroundings. This idea however is further limited by the possible variety of patients who utilise the service with the need for a variety of specialist equipment being required on call yet because of the remote locations of the central hub such deliveries may not be able to take place whilst for others, the provided shelter may not be suitable due to their issues creating a possible feeling of isolation due to not being truly involved. Furthermore, the transportation of equipment for building the huts (if provided as an activity), the food, activities and human pollution may place a negative footprint on the environment which cannot be outweighs through the use of renewable energy and supplies, biodegradable materials and positive nature activities (such as planting) causing a great detriment to the environment than needs be.
Digital Interacrtion
As a formality it was enquired that the Digital Interaction design include a camera(s) or an aspect of broadcasting to allow an experience of nature to reconnect humanity with the great outdoors through visuals or in a way they may have never interpreted it before.
Intrigued by the broadcasting aspect of the brief, research was conducted into the use of broadcasting videos live and furthermore the recent innovation of broadcasting 3D video; this is completed through the use of a spherical camera which continuously records, this video can then be explored through the use of a portable device such as a phone which can then be moved around to view certain aspects or through the use of a virtual reality (VR) headset, of which the latter intrigued me the most. By aligning this with the overarching medicinal topic and focusing on the aspects of broadcasting and unique interpretation, a camera-based system of a headset and separately controlled Drone to allow users to the feel the freedom of a bird in flight specifically for bed bound patients or those with accessibility issues, the feeling of freedom having a separate meaning to them compared to those without such issues.
Research point 1: VR with patients
As a point of research, it was decided to look into the existing use of VR within the sector of patient usage, especially with the elderly due to the relatively new nature of VR with the fear being that it would perhaps have an adverse effect however, inspiration and reassurance was found in the Rendever group, a company that utilises VR to allow the elderly to explore areas of the world they may know or may have been told about as a way to reduce loneliness and isolation through socialising due to the reliving of stories by revisiting areas virtually and by inspiring patients with new experiences, creating a better sense of self-worth and a new found enjoyment for life. From this general concept a wish is to capture and communicate this idea of community and social activity through the bird drone design by allowing users to pick an area of interest and speak to their neighbours or carers about what they see or why they picked such an area which may ignite other people’s own memories and begin the creation of social bonds needed at the late stage of life or in the midst of a crisis. This is to combat the epidemic of loneliness and depression whilst preserving many positive benefits such as independence and developed cognitive function (both of which are essential in the battle against dementia). Furthermore, by introducing VR to an elderly audience or perhaps that of a life-altered patient could provide a new hobby or interest to such people who feel defined by their situation or may have lost a life long passion due to one reason or another once again creating a positive mentality and in this case specifically, introducing a new demographic to a new age of technology.
Research point 2: Drone
In conjunction with the VR headset design, a Bird styled drone must be paired in order to create the truly freeing experience of feeling free. During the concept stage, the use of a 360 degree video in conjunction with the headset was also considered, saving on time, money and resources and creating a similar effect however I viewed this as removing the control the patients utilising this concept to trying to free themselves and just restricting them once more and not utilising the concept to its full potential. The drone itself was originally thought to be unique in structure and design until the discovery of the feast seagull drone, remote controlled (RC) and created to perfectly imitate the movements of a sea gull similar to their other ventures into RC bats, penguins and sharks.This further reinstated the bird drone ideology and spurred investigation into types of birds and the aerodynamic design of birds which lead to the final concept of a Peregrine falcon styled drone due to its overall fast paced and agile design, perfect for those wanting a sense of freedom through the eyes of a bird. The controls for the drone itself was an interesting challenge because due to the disabled nature of the demographic, extensive arm and hand movement cannot always be expected to allow for standard controllers and instead a hand motion controller was designed which allows for the simple tilt of a hand to control the direct of the drone with the use of a tilt sensitivity meter to create a more accessible design for a range of abilities with the possible addition of eye tracking systems for those experience complete paralysis creating a truly accessible product allow all to reconnect with nature.
References: https://learningspaces.dundee.ac.uk/soc-dig18-amaduncan/2019/04/19/references/