Ceres is een plantenbak die aangeeft wanneer je plantjes water nodig hebben. De bak draait steeds verder naarmate de plant droger wordt en keert na het water geven terug, gevolgd door een bewegende projectie.
INTRO
In this project we focus on human-product interaction
– or the way people understand, use and experience
digital products and situations.
IDEA
We began exploring how physical interactions could blend with on-screen projections, and shifted towards abstract concepts. We settled on creating a planter for microgreens, using plants to interact with projections. This idea, if executed well, promises to be both meaningful and visually appealing.
MOOD
SKETCH
CONCEPT
1.
2.
Our second concept was a hanging lamp that could open and close, providing access
to the plants for watering or harvesting. The lampshade would be made of frosted
glass/plastic, which would allow light to shine through. When the shade is closed, the
light projected from above would function as a growing light for the plants. When the
shade is lowered, the light shines on the countertop.
3.
This concept emphasizes the ritual of watering your plants. It will also visually remind you to water
your plants. To water the plants, you need to pour the water in the center of the product.
Whenever the water seeps through, a projection becomes visible on top of the product. This can
range from abstract waves to a time related projection.
DESIGN
After the exploratory phase and creation of our first concepts
we decided together with our professors to continue along the
lines of concept 1. It quickly underwent some changes such as
extending the ring around the planter and making it rotate to
create a bigger sense of movement than the little sphere. We
also scrapped the idea of using humidity domes since this
would most likely be very complicated.
We started with setting up a rough storyline. Then our first
cardboard prototype followed.
The product would notify its user that the microgreens were in
need of water by rotating slightly (+/- 30 degrees). Then water
could be added through one end of the ring. By pressing the other
end, the ring would move back to its original position.
The cardboard prototype was used as a
tool to start creating a 3D model of our
concept. We made sure that the
resulting 3D-printed model was already
functionally on point, since it would be a
challenge to turn our sketched ideas into
a working prototype.
The mechanism underwent some
changes throughout the rest of the
project, so this will be explained later.
After making a first prototype and deciding on the overall shape and
function, we had to go more into detail.
Our professors made the suggestion to increase the amount of rotation
of the outside ring to further accentuate its movement. This meant we
also had to rethink the design of the base, to accomodate for the
increase in mechanical parts.
Furthermore, we changed the layout of the planter itself, to better
integrate it into the design as a whole.
Additionally, the two ends of the ring had to be thought out more
carefully. Here it was of great importance to integrate the button and
the water intake in a subtle and sleek manner but still present enough
to be used intuitively. The current design was already good, it just had
to be in line with the projection on those surfaces.
Lastly, the decision was also made to design a custom watering can.
After making these
detailed design decisions,
another crucial part of the
design would be the colour
of the final prototype.
To create a clean and
temporary look we
eventually chose for a
complete black base and
white planter. This way, the
contrast between the
projection on the white
surface of the planter and
the black base would really
going to stand out.
BRAND
Roman godess of agriculture and motherlove
(the Greek godess Demeter)
FINAL
LED-strip & waterflow
The LED-strip on the inside of the ring lies in a slot, leaving
as much space as possible to properly diffuse its LEDs
when turned on. The cables that run from the end of the
strip to the Arduino leave the ring through a small hole that
will never be visible to the user. The base has been designed
in such a way that it is wide enough for the hole to stay
within the boundaries of the base when going from one
position of the ring to the other. Besides that, the cables
can move freely within the base during the rotation.
The water is stored behind the LED-strip, as well as on
either side of it in provided channels.
Gears
Gear teeth have been added to the outside of the ring on
either side of the LED-strip. This way the ring is able to
move in a more smooth and stable manner. To reduce the
visibility of the gear teeth in the ring, an additional set of
smaller spur gears were added. This opens up the
opportunity to show less teeth on the left side of the ring.
The smaller gears are connected to two bigger ones, that
undergo a rotation of 250 degrees using a servomotor.
This results in a 50 degrees rotation of the ring.
Regarding the projection part of the assignment, we primarily focused on projecting on top of the planter. Cracks will slowly appear over time
to indicate that the microgreens are running out of water. When the cracks reach maximum opacity, it is time to water the plants. As soon
as that happens, a pulsating light on one end of the ring will indicate where you need to pour in the water. This is followed by a pulsating light
on the other end of the ring to accentuate the push button. The cracks will slowly fill itself with water and disappear over time.
The projection is adjusted to the movement of the ring and the appearance of the LED-lights.
Greenery made simple, from seed to plate.
