In a growing digital world, there is less and less interactivity with tangible objects, a desire to combine both the tangible and the digital experiences into one seamless interaction. Based on related research designs, there is a possibility to bring tangibility back to the smartwatch experience by incorporating sensors into a set of embedded beads that correlate with the direction and selection process of the watch’s screen.
Role
Researcher, designer, developer.
Collaborated with a team of 4.
Method
•External research
•Sketching, ideation
•Java Script, CSS/html, 3D printing
Sensabead
Problem Statement
"Sometimes I feel it is a pain to interact on the smart watch screen when I’m in walking or jogging.”
Is there something else to interact with instead of the glass?
Outcome
•We proposed the concept of Sensabead, a tangible bead which is an add-on component for the smart watch and allows user to interact with the bead instead of the screen.
•An Abstract paper showcasing our design process.
Sensabead
I and another teammate created a simulation of a display using a locally hosted website using html/CSS and Javascript. The bead was made from 3D printed components and Arduino electronic components being used as the sensors below the beads. A photon particle was used to control the sensors and talk with a website over Wi-Fi.
Reflection
It was a great learning experience, I got to know how to prototype for tangibles, although we faced a lot of difficulties during the time.
The development of Sensabead encountered many technical and skill-based limitations. Most of our team had little to no previous experience with electronics and Internet of Things, so there was a steep learning curve involved for this project. In addition, much of the team had little 3d printing experience. The electrical components also posed a limitation, as the Particle Photon’s Wi-Fi capabilities proved challenging as did the finicky nature of the sensors ability to detect light.
But it was so much fun, hope to learn more about IoT and tangible interactions.