Dexiblocks is intended for educators to be able to aid students who have a difficult time learning to read. Dyslexia affects 20% of the population. Furthermore, 80% of students who do not learn how to read drop out of school, which is not good for their future as a reader and learner. This product is designed for kids with dyslexia ages 6 and over. Kids that are born with dyslexia are very sensory and visual learners from the beginning. At age 6, they have developed enough visual learning ability to to start learning routinely. Dexiblocks aims to help dyslexic kids who don't have any motivation to learn and assist kids who struggle with reading in a fun, engaging way. Because kids with dyslexia think in 3D, interacting with a 3D toy such as Dexiblocks would make the learning process easier and more visual for them. Overall Dexiblocks aims to solve the reading struggle that dyslexic kids have at a young and comprehensible age.

Thesis

Precedents

First Coat of Stain

Experimenting With Stain layers

More stain experimentation

Staining Real Blocks

Final on table

FINAL DESIGNS

FINAL PHOTOS

Positive Insight is designed to help people with accepting who they are, and cut out negative and counterproductive thoughts such as “I am not good enough” or “I am not important”. With this installation, we hope to create an engaging experience that encourages viewers to accept and feel better about themselves. The intended audience for this art piece is the students and staff of the Nuvu School of Design. Grounded in the concept of self-reflection, our installation invites individuals to embrace alternative perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of themselves.

Thesis

Anamorphic art

Bernard Pras

Michael Murphy

Felice Varini

Prototype 1

Prototype 2

Guiding

Questions

1. What shapes make you happy?
2. What is the ideal distance to stand from the mirror
3. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat?

Storyboard (Optional)

Technical Diagram

*Must include at least 1 diagram (Technical or Use Diagram)

Use Diagram

*Must include at least 1 diagram (Technical or Use Diagram)

Thesis Statement

ACT-cessories is an accessories company that is based around and supports reproductive rights in America. We designed a range of items; necklaces, bracelets, handbags, and pins for reproductive rights as well as an informational website for our users to shop and interact with. The products range from subtle to bold in their outright support of reproductive rights. The website has a plethora of resources from educational site, to donation links, to organization and volunteer opportunities. Our passion for this project came from the leaked draft opinion and eventual overturning of Supreme Court Roe V. Wade. This egregious disregard of human rights inspired a need for education and action. Our user base is targeted towards teenagers and young adults with uteruses who want to support nationwide organizations for reproductive justice.

Precedents

"Grow a pair of ovaries enamel pin" by RadicalButtons1 on Etsy

"Untitled" by glossy

"My body my choice earrings" by WildRedFlamingo on Etsy

Precedents

"Various Layered Necklaces" by All The Brilliants

"IUD Pendant Necklace" by WitzJewelryDesignLLC

"My Body My Choice" Earrings

Pinterest Artist

Sketches

Prototypes

Storyboard

Technical Diagram

Next Steps

• Painted Bags
• Birth Control Ring

Guiding

Questions

1. What would stop you in the street to ask someone about their accessories?
2. What are some effective ways you have been taught about reproductive rights and all that they entail? Contraceptives, bodily autonomy, Roe V. Wade?
3. What feelings arise when you see the different products? Why do you think that is?

Thesis Statement

The ASL robot makes communication with deaf people easier and more accessible. This robot is an autonomous option that can act similarly to an interpreter when one isn't available. It can be used at last-minute events, in a classroom, and in smaller gatherings. The ASL robot is a physical device, rather than a virtual one so it can be interacted with in real life, and shares the physical space of the people who are using it. It picks up the nearest voice, converts, and outputs the audio to the ASL alphabet. Motors at different joints on the fingers, thumb, and wrist allow the robot to sign each letter of the ASL alphabet.

Precedents



Precedent 1



Precedent 2



Precedent 3

Sketches

Prototypes

Prototypes

Technical Diagram - Current

*Must include at least 1 diagram (Technical or Use Diagram)

Use Diagram - Aspirational

*Must include at least 1 diagram (Technical or Use Diagram)

Roadmap

*Must include at least 1 diagram (Technical or Use Diagram)

Prototype #1

Prototype #2

Midreview

Prototype #3

Revise & Sketch

Hi-Fi prototype #1

Hi-Fi prototype #2

Work on coding

Guiding

Questions

1. With the time left we aren't sure if we will be able to add the automatic functionality- so should we focus on making a working robotic hand prototype, or more on the audio converting?
2. Does the idea make sense?
3. Other comments?

I: Preliminary Research

Idea/Topic:

ASL Robot

Some questions:

1. Does something like this already exist?

2. Should there be one hand or two?

3. Will the robot be able to keep up with a standard speaking speed

Links:

https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/18/this-3d-printed-robotic-arm-is-built-for-sign-language/

https://people.howstuffworks.com/sign-language.htm

https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/fingerspelling/fingerspelling.htm

II. Thesis Statement

The ASL robot makes communication with deaf people easier and more accessible. This robot is an autonomous option that can act similarly to an interpreter when one isn't available. It can be used at last-minute events, in a classroom, and in smaller gatherings. The ASL robot is a physical device, rather than a virtual one so it can be interacted with in real life, and shares the physical space of the people who are using it. It picks up the nearest voice, converts, and outputs the audio to the ASL alphabet. Motors at different joints on the fingers, thumb, and wrist allow the robot to sign each letter of the ASL alphabet.

1. Cosimo Della Santina, Soft Hand 2
2. "Like other robot hands out there, the SoftHand uses “tendons,” aka cables, to tug on the fingers. Instead of a bunch of cables running to individual fingers, it uses just one cable that snakes through pulleys in each finger. "
3. This is a very similar concept to what we expect our final design to be.
4. The dexterity and movement of our project will be similar to this one
5. Our design will be similar in how it will have a base it sits on similar to this picture

Soft Hand 2

Cosimo Della Santina

• Guy Fierens, Stijn Huys and Jasper SlaetsIt’s a robotic hand and forearm that can perform sign language letters and numbers. It was designed from scratch and built from 25 3D-printed parts, with 16 servos controlled by an Arduino board
• It is a robot that performs a very similar operation as ours would.
• Aim towards the robot hand standing in for an interpreter
• Making it also twist at the forearm

ASLAN

Guy Fierens, Stijn Huys and Jasper Slaets

1. Christian De Weck, Prosthetic Hand
2. "Christian wants disabled classmates to have an affordable option. Christian started with some sketches of a hand that would use a motor and strings to get fingers to grip."
3. While the purpose of this project is different from ours the shape and movement are very similar
4. We both share the objective of helping people
5. We hope to have a similar mechanism for moving the fingers of our robot

Prosthetic Hand

Christian De Weck

Hand Talk

Hand Talk Servicos Ltda

1. This app uses AI to translate text and audio in ASL and Brazilian Sign Language through 3D translates that can be viewed in the app.
2. We both are working in the same field here and trying to make ASL translation easier
3. Our project will conceptually be very similar with the main difference being that ours will actually exist in 3D space

Notes:

• Pay extra attention to the Thumb
• Stay away from 3D printing takes to long
• think about safety and settings
• research hand muscles and joints
• word order is different in ASL
• Why do people use interpurters instead of captionign devices

1. What is missing that I still need to consider?



2. What worked well / made sense?

3. What elements do I need support or help on?

• Safety precautions
• How the speech to text string will work

• The idea 🤠👍

• Converting speech to a text string w/ a sensor