CO-Z
C&A
T&R
In short
Within the course of Creative Electronics I received the opportunity to showcase my developed skills in working with electronics early in the bachelor of Industrial Design. I took this opportunity to not only test my knowledge of electronics and their programming but also go through other stages of a design cycle with a special focus on balancing aesthetics with the purpose of a developed concept.
grade
course
9.5
Creative Electronics
co-z
CO-Z is an adaptable time-light that adapts its light colour to the surrounding lighting conditions while automatically giving a day/night-time indication. Through research it has been proven that warmer light contributes to relaxation whereas cooler light contributes to alertness. Therefore, the CO-Z light emits warmer shades as the environment lighting conditions get darker and cooler shades as the environment lighting conditions get brighter. Therefore, it supports the biological clock as it is time to start relaxing as soon as the sun starts to set whereas it helps to stay focused due to the cooler light during day-times. Moreover, the non-specific time indication helps the user to remain calm throughout the day and not get overwhelmed by checking the time in detail every now and then.
Specifications & electronics
In order to build CO-Z, an Arduino-controlled circuit has been built. It contains 2 sensors: a button and an LDR, and 2 actuators: a Servo motor (180 degrees) and RGB LED. To control the desired output of the actuators based on the input of the sensors, a code has been created with Arduino software and uploaded to the Arduino Uno R3. The Arduino code makes sure that the LDR values are translated into desired RGB LED colours and mapped to Servo positions. Moreover, it makes sure that the light can be switched off with the button if preferred.
Results
The model has been created by using foamboard in order to achieve a clean design. This serves as a beautiful example of utilizing and manipulating basic materials for enhanced communication of a concept, being the purpose of minimal viable products. Furthermore, regarding the electronics and programming, the desired result has been achieved by making sure that the RGB LED only has pre-set colours based on LDR intervals, whereas the non-specific time indication can take any value between 0 and 180 degrees to maintain a smooth design. Room for further improvement is the regular 'toggling' between LDR values which is caused by switching between high and low values due to the rotation of the upper part of the model which might create an alternating shadow hovering over the LDR.
Learning points
In this course, I have engaged with various electronics topics such as opamps, N-FETs, transistors, and capacitors through assignments and measurements, gaining a thorough understanding of these topics. In addition to acquiring electronics knowledge, I have developed skills in measuring, breadboarding, creating schematics, and gained confidence in working with electronics.
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I have progressed from using given breadboard layouts to interpreting schematics and creating my own structured breadboard layouts. This newfound ability allows me to translate my own ideas into schematics and breadboard layouts independently.
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My confidence in working with electronics has grown through pre-power connection measurements to ensure correct circuit connections and
powered circuit measurements to gain insights and troubleshoot issues effectively. Overcoming the fear of working with electronics helps improve my programming skills with Arduino software and reinforces the importance of creating functioning prototypes to visualize design concepts clearly.
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The ability to create prototypes using electronic knowledge enhances communication of design concepts and prevents misinterpretation. It also expands my involvement in the prototyping process, broadening my knowledge and possibilities for user experience design. Understanding electronics technologies facilitates the identification and realization of innovative product features, contributing to a broader brainstorming ability and an open-minded approach to available technologies.