Designing body awareness & protection gear for Solarpunk cyborg society.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hNeBJkAFKwU1AL0T0QkJPfgsysZJz6R1/view?usp=sharing
We undertook a comprehensive literature review focusing on Solarpunk society and futuristic designs in order to understand deeper through the given design brief - in short, designing for the cyborg in the solarpunk society. The examination illuminated a critical finding: the impending high demand for human-powered labor, a consequence of the scarcity of fossil energies. Recognizing this, we identified body awareness and protection as necessary aspects of the future society. To deepen our understanding, we extended our desk research, looking into ongoing technologies and research dedicated to advancing body awareness and protection. This investigative phase aimed to glean valuable insights that could inform and contribute to the development of a resilient and sustainable Solarpunk society.
Our ideation process started with the application of the soma interaction design method. Initiating this method, we embraced the first step of body storming, also known as Embodied Sketching, capturing these sessions via video documentation. Concurrently, for visual exploration, we curated a moodboard to stimulate creative thinking. This dual approach supported to scope concepts related to body awareness and protection, with a particular focus on the back bone as a pivotal element, which will emerge as the most labor-intensive body part in the solarpunk society.
For low fidelity prototyping, we used cardboards to conceptualize the overall form. The validation of our prototype ensued through the first-person perspective method, where our team members engaged with the design, meticulously documenting their experiential feedback. This iterative journey spotlighted the pivotal role of material selection in our design. Extensive exploration continued through numerous paper sketches, refining and reshaping the form. Moreover, we diversified our experimentation by incorporating various sensors, ranging from simple tension sensors to ESG muscle sensors, and rigorously tested an array of motors, encompassing both DC motors and gear motors. This multifaceted approach enriched our prototyping process, contributing to the evolution of a more refined and effective solution.
After extensive exploration through low-fidelity prototyping, validation, and iterative refinement, we have arrived at the final design. This conclusive stage was marked by the creation of a high-fidelity prototype and video.