Second Skin

Vitural Environment ENVS 10008

Yan Zhang

MODULE ONE

Contents Table

Module 1 Ideation Second Skin

●Inflate Material System - Parafoil Kite - Sketching and measure drawing - Digital modelling ● Personal Space

●Design Ideas - Shoulder Armor - Additional Arms - Hat

●Sketches of the chosen design idea

Module 1 Ideation

Second skin is a wearable volume or surface, where the body is its site.

This module incorporates exploration of properties, functions and potential of particular materials and also investigate how body and our design interact with and influence deisgn process and the final result.

Here I choose inflatable material for the deisgn and as the start ponint to begin with.

Second Skin

1

Inflate Material System

2

Parafoil Kite

Being dependent solely on constant source of air to keep flying and maintain its form, a paramoil kite does not need any supporting bone structure. This is a special and important feature derived from its material system.

Inflate Material SystemParafoil Kite

3

Photo of Parafoil Kite, bought from Thomas Ganna Store (Sony W730)

As can be seen from the photo, the kite inherently has four trigonal cells that allow air to flow in and inflate the kite.

Parafoil is an award-winning invention by kite designer Domina Jalbert, a patent was granted as early as in 1966.

Once filled with air, the kite tran will complete its transformation and start to move if the air has a acceleration that can overcome air resistance and the kite's weight.

Inflate Material SystemParafoil Kite

A quick sketch showing how the kkite works.

Air fills the kite in the opposite direction of the players's movement direction.

4

Inflate Material SystemParafoil Kite

top plan

bottom plan

side elevation

5

A scale ruler is used for all the measurements.

To locate the wing tips. A network whose origin is the midpoint of the bottom 31.cm line is estabilshed before skethching and the herizontal and vertical distances of the tips are recorded.

It's quite easy to start measured drawing from any of the points in a rectancle and find the other intersections by making use of the perpendicularity between lines.

6

Front elevation Plan Side elevation

Perspective view

Aboeve are the orthographic views of a fully inflated kite.

The picture on the right is its perspective view.

(generated in Rhino)

Inflate Material SystemParafoil Kite

7

Personal SpacePersonal Domain

This is a diagram showing relationships between distance and forms of contacts with people.

From my experience

How much we perceive space as personal or public is often regulated by its visibility and accessibility.

8

Design Idea

9

Design IdeaShoulder Armor

A sketch of the shoulder armer based on IKEA Man Wooden Figure

This is an shouder armor that protect the user from unecessary contacts and threats by regulating his/her accessibility

10

Design IdeaAdditional Arms

A sketch of the shoulder armer based on IKEA Man Wooden Figure

These are additional arms designed for the user to claim surrounding space to be personal or private in the way he/she prefers as the arms can be revolved and point in any direction. Again, the accessibility is regulated.

11

Design IdeaHat

Contemporary woman's Hat

Ancient Chinese hats of officials and aristocrats

The brim of hat is a means to extend personal domain, and to some extend , it helps to hide the user's facial expressions and hence his or her thoughts and privacy.(by regulating the person's visibility)

These were the formal hats worn for officials and uperclasses around twelve centuries ago.

It's said that the wings are designed by an emperor to make confidential talks bwteen people impossible when the emperor and his subjects are having an meeting. (by regulating each person's accessibility to another)

12

Front view

Design Sketech (front)

The part that suits the user's head is much smaller than the entire volume of the hat.

In this way, the user's facial expressions, mental activities, are partly hiden.

Side view

Design Sketech (side)

13

14

Top view

Design Sketch (top)

If the inflatable ribbons were extended infinitely, it would form a circle.

This invisible circle is exactly an invdication of personal space

Top view