Making Toys 5

vMind!

vMind: The customizable vitamin reminder

Do you often forget to take your vitamins? We all know they are good for you but its so easy to forget! Using both light and customizable sound, vMind will encourage and remind you to take your daily vitamins.

vMind uses both light and sound to ensure you remember your daily vitamin. You can customize vMind with your own encouraging message, favorite song,  or silly phrase! When you pick up your vitamin bottle you will hear your own personal recording and the light will turn bright green. As you set the bottle down the light will fade from green to red over a 24 hour period. The next day, when its red, you will remember that you need to take your vitamins!

vMind final from Jessica Floeh on Vimeo.

Project by: Jessica Floeh ([email protected])

vMind physical prototype!

vMind Physical Prototype from Jessica Floeh on Vimeo.

These are the parts of the vMind prototype! It consists of a mat switch - connected to a toggle switch -- that activates an mp3 player/recorder. The device can be recorded onto and custom messages will be played. The vitamin bottle goes on top of this device, when the matswitch is depressed, no sound comes from it (because of the toggle switch). However, when nothing is on it, the music/sounds will play! This encourages people to pick up the vitamin bottle and take their vitamins so they can hear the jams! There is also an LED interface, controlled by a proximity sensor. The lights blink when you are near it, to bring your attention to it.

Problems: The mat-switch is not that reliable. I need to get a capacitive touch sensor I believe, this will make it more secure. Also, there are some snags in the LED interface, still working on making that function properly. I need to try to get it to be just one battery or simplify the interface...are the LEDs necessary?

See below for more photos!

reVitamind image/B.0.M

reVitamind timeline

reVitamind:

design
-how does it exist
    + is it a bottle ?
    + is it a band ?
-form
-material

technology
-LEDs
-sensor(s)
    + proximity ?
    + photo-resistor (detects light)
    + switch lid
-Arduino
-batteries
-chip corder circuit (wires, chipcorder, speakers)

TimeLine:
11/18 Have solid concept, form in mind. i.e. Where does it live? How does it work? Specifics. Have parts to work with. i.e. lid switch, IR sensor(s), hooked up to chip corder. Figure out size of object to hold parts securely.
11/25 no class (Start working on a base interface -- LEDs/recordable/ could be something kids would really like. Look into waterproof casing) Musical interface?
12/2 Have a functioning prototype/object Start user testing
12/9 Fully functioning circuit and solidified form/function. Design and aesthetics troubleshooting.
12/16 Have documentation, fully functioning object. Final presentation prepared.

reVitamind

reVitamind from Jessica Floeh on Vimeo.

IR sensor + Winbond

Sweet, I still need to mess with the code a bit. Got me thinking about integrating it into a chair that will say things like 'DON'T SIT ON ME' or 'WHY AREN'T YOU SITTING' or 'TAKE A SEAT.' Making inanimate objects communicate. Maybe an egg slicer that says 'NOOOO DON'T KILL ME!' when the slicer gets through the egg.

IR sensor + Winbond from Jessica Floeh on Vimeo.

See following link for code (slightly altered from Katrina's 3-leds code):

Working Winbond Chip! Finally

Sorry this took so long!

WAHOO

Winbond Chip Corder from Jessica Floeh on Vimeo.

3 LEDS + IR Sensor

3 LEDs + IR sensor from Jessica Floeh on Vimeo.

Code in following link:

Audio Recorder

Here is the push buttons and LED lights:

Here is the speaker cover/with plastic tube beneath to amplify the sound

Midterm Concepts

1) Omnipod Installation -- I have type 1 diabetes, on an insulin pump, etc. Recently I have been looking into this newer pump called the 'Omnipod.' Basically each pod is a microcontroller, a couple gears, batteries, a needle, plastic catheter, and reservoir of insulin. You get 10 of them a month, they are controlled wirelessly by a PDM device that tells the pod how many times to move its gear to get insulin out, basically. So I was thinking of hacking into a couple pods. I was given some free ones by the sales-rep...and have already taken one apart. I'm so geeky. Anyway, I was thinking of trying to re-control it, without the PDM. Perhaps making the gear move/some kind of liquid coming out. I think I could also attach a speaker to it and make it say things like "0.5 units" or whatever. I want to bring it alive! Maybe there could be three or four on a wall, with proximity sensors, lit up by LEDS, and when someone gets close they will drip liquid.

See my other project ideas at the following link

IR Sensor + Multi-LED

Multicolor LED + IR sensor from Jessica Floeh on Vimeo.

Click below for the code:

Potentiometer with fading LEDs

Potentiometer and fading LEDs from Jessica Floeh on Vimeo.

Click below for the code:

Piggie Smalls to Cyborg

Fur-Real Friends come in many sizes, they are made by Hasbro. The one I bought for this project is one of the least expensive ones...but they have huge horses and dogs with more complex robotic processes. Check out the website here (they have videos for each animal, I highly suggest you watch the commercial for the horse, Butterscotch)

IS U FUR'REAL??

Title: Is U Fur-Real?

Description: I purchased this 'Furreal Friend' newborn piglet (creepy) from K-Mart, he is a little cutie pie and actually I found myself becoming quite attached to him after playing for a little while. I even named him Piggie Smalls.

Read More:

Hello my name is:

Hi Everyone, I'm Jessica Floeh (its pronounced 'flay' -- I know, its complicated)

& this is a photo of me playing Scrabble (I love Scrabble):

Read more: