PHASE 2: SKETCH MODELS

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We pivoted from our original ideas based of our feedback, and we came up with one new idea. Using our resources, we created prototypes on a to establish our most critical knowledge on all designs, looking to see if this our ideas were feasible, profitable, and needed. I was in charge of managing our expandable shoe team. We conducted user research to scope out the market for each of our potential products, going out into the real world and connecting with every day potential users. We learned a great deal from this step that helped inform what our next turning point was to be. We also studied, researched, and tested preliminary forms of auxetic structures to test expansion amount and durability.

EXPANDABLE SHOE

Our second idea being considered was the expandable shoes. The expandable shoes targeted an audience of mothers with children under the ages of 10, whose shoe size continues to grow at a faster rate. We were looking to use auxetic structures with a polyester filling, and looked to the existing market for any innovations others might have created to solve this pain point.
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Auxetic structures are structures that expand and contract using the same amount of material. It usually requires the product to increase in thickness, and is commonly seen with origami shapes and in 3D fabrication projects. . This would allow for the show to already be "built in" with the larger size, but start off at the smallest size needed.
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I worked in researching and 3d printing the various auxetic structures, as well as testing force, durability, and quality for shoe making. I also helped with the illustrations, using Illustrator.

SEA TURTLE INCUBATOR

The premise of the design is to create a water jacket with a heat exchanger that would keep the temperature around the nest stable. Because of the stable temperature of the sand, we were looking to create a more insulated system for the eggs to sit in. We modeled this using a cooler to maintain the temperature of the sand container, with a water pump and heat sink developed within the water basin. We were able to cool the temperature of the sand by 4°C within the first 40 minutes of testing.

There were some limitations. The heat radiating from the sand could vary, and would be harder to cool when increased in scale; as on a beach. Many of the questions we had about field feasibility and safety for the turtle eggs were answered based on interviews conducted with conservationists contacted.

Other concerns included the need for a power source, the careful handling of eggs, and the tight turnaround to move the eggs, as there was around a 12-hour window after the eggs were hatched to be able to move them before they need to be untouched. We started to tackle these issues during the next phase of development.

BEACH CLEANER

Beach cleaner was a new concept we introduced after our ideation phase. The idea standing that much waste, especially microplastics, gets hidden and dug into the sand, and becomes impossible to fish out. Most of the time, these debris ends up stuck there, with modern machines usually removing larger debris. The smaller debris still causes a lot of harm to our ecosystems and aquatic animals.

The majority of articles found were cigarette butts, rope scraps, and plastic wrappers. We came up with two designs (as seen on the left), one of which involved a vibrating sifter, and the other had a rotating sifter that would push the debris onto a straining platform.

Although this problem is imminent, one large issue we found was how to manufacture a product that would effectively and efficiently clean up all the debris from the beaches. While there was immense support from many conservation programs, we later on decided to discontinue this design.

HOME RECYCLER

Our home recycler, expanded from FlipCup, looked to target the 12% of plastic waste in the US, as well as the 24% of LDPE specific plastic waste of all types of plastic produced in the US. The majority LDPE plastics come from plastic bottle caps, containers, pallet wrap, shrink wrap, and plastic bags. We were looking to be able to create this into filament for recreational use by shredding and melting down the plastic. It could come in a variety of forms; the melted plastic would either be extruded to create some sort of filament or yarn, or it could be made into pellets to be molded into other toys.

We ran into complications with the risk of fumes that may be omitted when melting the plastic, which could be harmful to the environment, and more importantly to the households that this home recycler would be stationed.

Due to time constraints, we were not able to create an appropriate working model and so created a looks like of where the basic components would go. This product was quickly discarded due to many complications in the safety of households and release of fumes.

PHASE 3: MOCKUPS

Mockups was the next stage in our product development process. The mockups included more thorough planning and development of our ideas, and after this we would pick our final product, ASHORE. We narrowed to three products for mockups.
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A pallet dampener, the sea turtle incubator, and the expendable shoes. We researched into the pallet dampener as we saw a need in the market for a stabilizing mechanism to prevent packages from getting damaged, especially during long haul trips. The other two ideas (home recycler and beach cleaner) were discontinued due to complications in the safety of the of the mechanism in terms of fumes and maintenance, profitable outputs, and the existence of similar products out on the market already.

PALLET DAMPENER

The design concept of our pallet dampener is a portable shock absorber set for large item deliveries on pallets to minimi´the amount of damaged items. Over a fifth of people have reported having a large item they purchased arrive damaged. This device would use shock absorbers as a dampening mechanism. it would clamp down to the wooden planks on the underside of the pallet.
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I worked on the product contract, communications, and design of the mechanism to see the design come to fruition. Some of the concerns we had we the ease of use of this product. Since the parts are modular and they could be detached from the pallet, we assumed that it would be successful being easily integrated into the shipment process.
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Some of the limitations surrounding this concept would be the simultaneous use with a forklift, and if it would impede or obstruct the use of one. Another limitation would be the efficiency and timeliness, or if it delayed the shipment process more than it was useful. We are also worried about the consistency of pallet sizes and thickness that would result this expandable to a variety of pallet sizes.

EXPANDABLE SHOES

We expanded research on our expandable shoe, we looked into different models of auxetic structures (as pictured above) to help narrow down the feasibility of our product and also address some of the concerns that came out of our sketch model phase.
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We realized the aspect ratio of our product could be brought to somewhere between 17%-30% of its most expanded, resulting in multiple sizes that could be encompassed within the shoe. We were looking to get the pieces molded instead 3d printed for a more economical shoe. Our remaining concerns were maintaining the durability while keeping the amount of holes low to not compromise on comfort and long term wear as the user grows in foot size.

I helped in creating feasible auxetic structures for the shoe as well as the user testing and ground user research to see if there is a market need. The major concerns were durability and cost. Realistically, we were looking for the shoe to be around the cost of 3 standard pairs of shoes, considering the amount of shoes that are bought within a year and how often they need to be replaced. We thought this a reasonable, if not an economic cost for the shoes. Also, after interviewing parents, we learned that parents are willing to spend money on shoes and products that they believe to be beneficial for their children and if they consider it a "good purchase".

SEA TURTLE INCUBATOR (ASHORE)

During our Mockups, we focused on the installation of our project, and mode of use from the conservationists' perspective. Since we now knew that we could significantly lower the temperature for the enclosed system where the eggs are to sit, we worked on how to do this without disturbing the eggs fatally, and ideally keep them in the sand, in their nests.
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We spoke with multiple conservationists about their common practices when handling the eggs, and the resources that they had available. Understanding the common routine of the conservationists would help the design mold to already existing practices, which would in turn make the product more successful. We looked into passive (the use of shade) and active (a heat reducing mechanism requiring power) to lower the temperature of the enclosed sand system. Our mockup design would utilize a screw structure that would help drive the product into the sand, modeling a large screw-in beach umbrella.

Some of the obstacles that we encountered in this phase of the design is that it became significantly harder to "screw" the product into the sand, as well as the dangerously tight enclosure (the turtles' nests were wider in diameter than the device). Our other main concern would be the power supply, as this device would have to be multiple days in the sand, and it could erode in the sand or easily overheat. We tackle these problems later.

PHASE 4: ASSEMBLY

Ashore finally starts to take its final form. We narrowed it down to the final product, and had begun our design process. We had spoken with many conservationists and had redone the design and implementation for our product. Currently, we updated our design to be wider, as to accommodate the width of the egg turtle nests. Since the nests are able to be moved within the incubation period, which is within the first 12 hour window that the nests are hatched, we are able to remove the eggs, insert the product, and replace the eggs inside the incubator, without disturbing their environment too much. This works with the conservationists as they usually wake up early every day to monitor new nests during nesting season.

We had discarded our first design of the screw system around the eggs, out of fear of damaging the eggs and the excessive forced needed to be able to turn it all the way to the depth of the sea turtle nests (around 3 feet). The system would involve an insulated "bucket" that would be comprised of an aluminum vinyl, with an EPE foam to insulate the coils and the sand inside. The coils would be comprised of copper, as we wanted a material with high thermal conductivity.

While looking through active cooling systems, we realized this may not be durable, feasible, or safe for the environment. From the rust and degradation of lithium batteries due to the humidity and hostile atmosphere, to the need for chemicals for pumping systems, as well as the decrease in intuitive use for the machine made this an unattractive option. From here, we decide to use more passive cooling methods.

For this project, I helped with the ideation of the cooling coils, as well as material research for the outside fabric of the insulator.

PHASE 5: TECHNICAL REVIEW

By now, we have made a few design specs to upgrade the sea turtle incubator. We have changed the outer layer to something more insulating, modular, and lightweight. We optimized for durability, sustainability, and cost-efficient, and started to factor a cost-benefit analysis on all the materials. This resulted in a change in the overall silhouette and structure of the product. We have also removed the pump system, as we realized that the battery and other materials and liquids needed or a Peltier cooler would've costly and more importantly harmful to the environment.

As mentioned, we removed the pump system, opting for gravity and a weekly water change, and using mechanical thermoscopes to gauge the temperature of the water. The size of the water cooler was 5 gallons, suiting the needs and space of conservationists.

The fabric and outer insulation, which is what I worked on, was changed to polystyrene foam, which is easily accessible and replaceable, durable, and modular. The pieces were cut into trapezoids to make a hexagonal shape, which would help encompass the coils the best. The polystyrene sits in a cover of permeable fabric so water and air could move freely through the egg nest.

ASHORE

PHASE 1: IDEATION