Product Design - Group Project
4 Weeks
Fall 2024
Aria is a wearable, extremity-free instrument that produces sound based on the movement of your head and jaw. The prototype was built with an Arduino Uno, various sensors, wire, tape, and rubber bands. The final design was modeled and rendered in Cinema4D.
Work in teams to design a product interface that can be navigated and controlled entirely through head tracking and facial gestures. This project is both product- and business-focused, challenging conventional input methods and pushing the boundaries of UI/UX design to drive innovation.
Aria is a wearable, extremity-free instrument that produces sound based on the movement of your head and jaw. The prototype was built with an Arduino Uno, various sensors, wire, tape, and rubber bands. The final design was modeled and rendered in Cinema4D.
Most of my responsibilities revolved around the physical componenets of the arduino and the programming of it. Though i took a more technocal role in this project, I assisted with overall design discussions and tasks, though most my focus was on these techinal aspects. I wrote a C++ script to scale and return the readings from the Arduino, which is then returned TouchDesigner inside of a Serial Dat. A DAT Execute then monitors this node which executes a python script that parses the data into usable numbers. The file then takes these inputs and plays sound with corresponding volume and pitch. It also displays reactive abstract motion graphics.
Using a combination of a spring-loaded lever and a rack and pinion mechanism, we successfully moved the rotary encoder by translating jaw movements into rotational motion. We found that the main tension point had to be positioned between the jaw and gear, with a sturdy yet flexible structure to withstand this tension while allowing enough jaw movement and adaptability to different face shapes.