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FILMING OUR VIDEO PRESENTATION

Before beginning our filming process Arthur and Maya made a shot list, so we would know what shots we needed and therefore didn't waste time not know what angles to shoot from. This was helpful as we went into our shooting day with a plan and were able to get lots of footage for each scene/stage of our clip. 

We used a macro lens, camera, and tripod. Having a tripod was important as it kept the footage steady and allowed us to do sweeps along the design. The macro lens was useful for closeup shots, capturing the details of the electronics and 3D print lines in an interesting way.

We took footage of us playing the Gradi-On, as well as angled shots of the form. Our aim was to display the form in a beautiful and elegant way, and to communicate the user interaction, function, and purpose of our design. 

Adjusting the lighting to get different results was interesting, from our test shots we found that the lighting on the camera was very yellow even if it didn't seem that way when we were in the room. We spent a lot of time adjusting the lighting in the ergonomics studio, as well as the camera settings. 

We discussed the best way to capture the music of the Gradi-On. We wanted it to sound clean and clear and not pick up any external sounds. We considered recording the music externally or through the camera but decided to directly record it through Arthurs laptop as this meant no other sounds were included, just the music. We then layered this noise over the footage. 

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TAKING THE ELECTRONICS INTO THE FORM

We soldered the electrical elements together so they would be secured and we wouldn’t have to worry about anything becoming disconnected. Because we had carefully measured everything out, the electronics slotted into the form perfectly.

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PRESENTATION / CREATING OUR MOVIE

After finishing the form, we began working on our movie. We started by rendering some clips of our CAD model in Keyshot. This allowed us to get beautiful lighting and angles and present our model digitally. We want to bring these clips into our video to accompany the footage and show elements of the form that come across differently on the camera. 

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SPRAY PAINTING FORM

After getting the surface really smooth through plastering and sanding, we were ready to spray paint the form. The spray paint we got gave it a beautiful matte finish that looks sleek and refined, we have it a few coats between drying to get the best results. 

We are really happy with the results and pleased that the form and function have come together in the way that we planned for. 

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LASER CUTTING BASE LAYER 

We were originally going to just have the 3D printed base pieces as the bottom layer, and slot them into the main body. But we decided that adding another material element to our design was a great aesthetic choice that adds depth to our design. We used a quality New Zealand hardwood, Rosewood, for these bases. The wood is a beautiful colour and the grain is really interesting. 

To make these bases we cut a 5mm strip off of a bigger piece of wood. From here we took the measurements of the base from the original Fusion file into an Adobe Illustrator file so everything would be accurate. Maya then took these measurements and got the pieces laser cut out of the wooden strips. They fit perfectly and the layered edges of the wood look great contrasted against the white of the form. 

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As you can see in the image above, the plaster looks quite bumpy and gritty after the first layer is applied. This is why it needs to be sanded well and reapplied to get it to a smooth finish (as pictured in the below images).

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APPLYING FIRST LAYER OF FILLER

After sanding down our form, we went on to cover the model with the first layer of filler. Arthur took a trip to Bunnings and got ‘Multifill’, a plaster that dries fast and can be painted. We initially did tests on our first prototype to see how it turned out (as pictured above), we found that if we did a really thin layer and sanded it down we could get it quite smooth. 

For our final model we applied a layer of multifill, sanded it, and then repeated the process until it was smooth. It was important that we got all the bumps off of the surface because it was really obvious when we spray painted over it. 

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SANDING THE MODEL

After printing out our final form we began the process of finishing it and getting the surface finish to a point where it looked really sleek and beautiful. To do this we used our prototype print to test out different finishes, this was really helpful as it meant we had something to practice on before applying anything to our final form. 

We began by spending a lot of time sanding the surface of the form with sandpaper of varying grit levels. The aim of this was to get rid of the 3D print lines, sanding these down meant then when we apply anything on top it won't be as obvious as the material will sit on top of the lines instead of sinking into the crevices. This process took a while as we sanded both the prototype and final form. 

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We have started thinking about our video, these are a few tests exploring how we might communicate how our product works. Obviously there is no sound etc as the model isn't finished or wired up, but we are considering the background, environment and lighting. 

In our final clip, we are thinking of using the white back drop of the ergonomics studio, with a table that has a sheet / big piece of paper over it to give a crisp and clean look. We want the lighting to be bright and white, and the model (Arthur) to be wearing a neutral colour / something that contrasts against the bright white. 

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USER INTERACTION EXPLORATION

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USER INTERACTION EXPLORATION

Having redeveloped and printed our form using the PLA 3D print filament on the UpBox printers, we now have a resolved form for our model. We went through a iterative process of measurement adjustment and user interaction consideration, changing the curves of our form to make it look organic and aesthetically pleasing. 

We are happy with the print, and have done some ergonomics tests to see how a user would engage with the Gradi-On.

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FORM REDEVELOPMENT 

MAYA

Considering elements such as the fluid aesthetic of the design, as well the ergonomics and electrical structure, we have been iterating and improving our form. After doing our first 3D print prototype on the UpBox printers using PLA, we have made a series of adjustments. Such as:

- Making the curve on the underside of the form more organic and fluid, shaping it so it feeds into the curved front of the design. We felt that the symmetrical horseshoe shape that we had in the initial design wasn’t a good design feature. We are hoping that with our next prototype print we will have a better understanding of how the curve can work with the users body (does it sit on their wrist, hand, knee...) as the last shape didn’t work in this way. 

- Thinking about how the electronics will slot into the form, how we will seal this and secure them inside. As shown in the wireframe CAD model, we have created a rectangle that matches the dimensions of the Arduino Leonardo to make sure the component fits within the form. We have also thought about how the 3mm thickness of the walls work with the sizing. 

Something else I considered but isn’t shown in the model above is the sizing of the distance sensors, I imported a CAD model of an actual Ultrasonic Distance Sensor to see how it fits within the form, and cut out the shape of the circles at the top of the sensor. 

- Adding fillets to the edges to make the form smoother and more organic. 

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FIRST TEST PRINT / PROTOTYPE

MAYA

In our form development process, we knew that it was important to have a print to scale so we could think about how to incorporate the electronics, as well as the ergonomics of the form and how the user will interact with it. We iterated various different styles and forms using Blender and Fusion 360 and decided this kind of model would work well with the purpose of the Gradi-On. There is one sensor pointing upwards (potentially for volume control) and one sensor pointing out diagonally (potentially for note changes). 

Having a form that is not symmetrical and gives an inherent indication of how it works is important. We don't want our form to be purely focused on aesthetics, as form follows function. We acknowledge this through having the sensors built into the form, they have to be visible in order to function. We think that having the sensor will add to the form as it gives the user and indication of where there hands must be to use the device. 

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MAYA

Organic CAD models created on Fusion360

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FORM DEVELOPMENT

MAYA

We have been discussing and create sketches / CAD models of potential forms. We are thinking that we will create our form using the UpBox printers, then sanding and finishing it using different methods. Another option that could work well is carving out an organic form using gold foam, and then vacuum sealing a layer of white/black plastic. 

We are having a team meeting this evening so will finalise what system we will use when we meet. From here we will decide on a form and start executing this. 

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Range

Here we are working out the range of the Gradi-On, and making adjustments to what the sensor can receive. We are considering what range is best for the user and the sizing of the instrument. 

Todays progress:

- Started using Reaper

- Removed the use of the button so it is fully distance controlled

- The two sensors has been activated for different responses, one of these is note changing and one of these will be volume. We have yet to set up the code for the volume but that is a next step.