RSA Project (Student Design Awards)
Brief
So when dealing with this project I was tased to make a product that would help someone but using twearable technology in the process. Unfortunately this was also a textiles brief therefore textiles was also incorporated.
Primary Research
I decided to base my project on epilepsy and creating something that would alert the carers incase an epileptic fit occurred. So I began to research and look at how to spot epilepsy which is using a ECG head scan and looking at modern "portable" tech so identify things like heart rate which could be one way to identify a panic attack which may trigger a seizure.
Designing
The inspiration for these shapes were the nodules in lungs called Capilarie. I lied the look of the shape so I decided to go with this. Next I wanted to lookout different materials and textures. Using smart materials like glow in the dark thread and thermachromic paint which I found I then began to experiment with sublimation printing and because it changed colour with heated hands and I find the more heated your hand were the more it would change colour so this was a nice feature.
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I also used sublimation printing of my own drawing onto fabric and attempted to use my shape from the phone to 3d print on the computer as I wanted a solid shape.
Here is examples of 3d printed concepts the first example was very chunky and big so I decided to squish down which seemed more successful. I liked the idea of having a locket and something inside it perhaps it would be a heart monitor kept in it.
Prototyping
In the end I created a necklace pod and using a heart monitor inside and different scents I put it into these pillows and holding these pillows would vibrate if your heart rate was going up. each scent was lavender , lemon and eucholiptis this was in correlation with day, night an morning. The night time one would change colour with its glow in the dark threat so it would be noticeable at night. However, I felt that this wasn't enough warning.
Concept boards
The final idea was in correlation with an app that measured heart rate activity there was also features that aloud an automatic call to 999 to call and amulance.
