The Display Ring

Lauren Yung and Henry Blackburn
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Lauren:
A ring designed as a superhero prop to help Giles Li, executive director of BCNC (Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center), share his ideas with others sooner rather than later.

The Display Ring is a multi-finger ring with an LED box on top with a slit that allows slides to be inserted so that the LED lights can project the words or images onto a flat surface. The idea of this project was inspired by the ring of Green Lantern, Giles's favorite superhero, the ring enables Giles to save and later project slides of his thoughts or ideas, making it easier to share them with others.

The purpose of this project was not only to assist Giles in sharing his ideas but also to assist with his work, which involves helping immigrant families smoothly transition into society and become self-sustaining, in addition to combatting gentrification and preserving Chinatown. He has established himself as a soft-spoken, family-oriented man with deep connections to Chinatown and is passionate about helping its citizens. Since he has trouble sharing his ideas, he can use the ring during meetings to help with this challenge. Giles has already done so much and with this ring, he could help the Chinatown community further.

Henry:
A multi-finger projector ring that serves as a superhero prop, allowing the wearer to collect and share their thoughts and ideas in a compact and easy way.

The Display Ring is a multi-finger ring with a box on top that has a slit to admit slides and contains LEDs to project an image. Designed as a "superhero prop," to address the challenges faced by a real-world superhero in a local neighborhood, the ring allows the wearer to insert pre-made slides into the ring to display his ideas quickly and easily. While current technology constraints limit the full potential of the ring,  a user of the more advanced, futuristic version would record their thoughts onto the ring with futuristic electroencephalogram (EEG) technology and then display them. This ideal Display Ring would be able to read, record, share, and project thoughts and ideas.

The ring was designed specifically for Giles Li, the executive director of Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC). BCNC fights gentrification in Chinatown and helps Chinese immigrants adapt and integrate into society with the goal of becoming self-sustaining.