Virtual EnvironmentsSecond Skin Design

Week 3-5 Semester 2, 2013

Jason Vuong, Bow Vacharussiriyuth and Lesson Li

Our task was to create a second skin design in which the 3 selected systems are successfully merged together. The 3 systems that we have studied in Module 1 are 'panel and fold', 'skin and bone' and 'inflatable'. The end product must create either spatial or emotional effect in regard to 'personal space'.

This task was very challenging. Together in a group of 3, we brain-stormed our ideas and tried to answer questions such as, how are the 3 systems merged, what is the effect that the second skin design will produce in terms of personal space and how is the end product influenced by the abstract concept?

In a Group:

Inflatable: Jason Skin and Bone: Leeson Panel and Fold: Bow

Initial Ideas

This is our initial final design from Module 1. The two systems, 'panel and fold' and inflatable are included. However, the design lacked a concept, failed to perform a spatial or emotional effect in regard to personal space and also did not successfully merge the two systems together.

We simply just connected parts of inflatable and panel & fold designs together, which was wrong. The design did not have any kind of function or create an effect. Moreover, we got lost into making our design looking fashionable and too human form. Hence, we decided to chuck the whole design and start fresh.

Overall Abstract Concept

When our personal space is invaded or threatened by strangers, we would feel intimidated. Then when fear comes knocking, the innate 'flight or flight' response is triggered. As a result of that, our heart rates are increased and our breathing become faster.

We chose to focus on how emotions act on the heart rate. When a person feels intimidated, his heartbeat races and when he feels at peace, his heartbeat is at its normal pace. Then we focused on the speed of fast and slow. We thought deeply about how to visualise or illustrate speed which is an intangible thing. We finally came up with an idea of relating 'speed' to 'temperature' of a human body that can rise or fall in-accordance to our heart rate and emotions. Then we decided to use the concept of ' heat map' to visualise the body temperature. However, we did not want to use colours to indicate temperatures. Therefore, we numbered the colour instead; red= the hottest temperature and so the highest in number, blue is the coolest temperature on the heat map and so represents the lowest number and lastly green represents the medium temperature on the heat map and so is numbered 3.

We used those numbers to form a scale from 0-5 on a human body and then construct 10 ovals around it. The largest circle being the hottest area and the smallest oval representing the coolest area. We managed to create 2 abstract forms on Rhino. One shows when the person's heart rate is very fast; the temperature is highest around the chest and head. The other form shows when the person's heart rate is normal; the ovals representing the 'heat aura' are smaller in size than the left one.

Abstract Form: Heat Aura

Hot/ Fast/ Heartbeat races

Cool/ Slow/ Normal heart rate

Indicating 10 lines in different size according to the temperature.

Human body for scale

Methods: Merging 3 Systems

Secluding an individual from the surrounding environment is the spatial effect hat the second skin design will produce in regard to personal space. This design product acts like another skin which protects an individual's original skin from being present to the outside world.

Once the open inflatable system is inflated, the tube will push the rest of the skin and bone joints outwards and the miura folding will expand. This creates an enlarged spatial effect. It acts like a shield which defends an individual's personal space.

Inflated Deflated

Deflated Inflated

Inflated Deflated

Deflated

Inflated

Prototype Models:

When the model is functioning: joints and miura foldings are expanded:

From the lecture we learnt that prototype models are different from models for display. They are like for trials and errors. As discussed in the lecture, prototype means first or preliminary version of a device or vehicle from which other forms are developed. Proto means first and typos is an impression.

When the inflatable system is deflated. The joints are contracted:

Sources

● Lecture 5, week 5: Function of Prototypes. Presented by Loh, Paul, Walsh, Annie. August 26 th 2013. ● Sommer, R. (1969). Personal space : the behavioural basis of design / Robert Sommer. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Prentice-

Hall, c1969.● Albery F. AX, M.D., 1952, Psychosomatic Medicine Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, 1953 American Psychosomatic

Society. Reaccessed: 3/09/2013. Source: http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/15/5/433.abstract