Since the completion of my technical report first draft, I have been focusing on developing my concept designs for my product design project. I have acquired a set of laser pointers which I intend to test to create an arc shape in front of the bike. I have also developed some CAD prototypes of my four main concept ideas. The laser bubble was also quite successful, though I am unsure about the legality of the use of such lasers on the road.

Today I had another tutorial session with Bethan and my group. I began by talking through the designs I had created by following the natural fear response of increasing the profile of an animal to make it seem more of a dangerous threat. I explained how my newer designs were focusing on increasing the profile of the cyclists to make them a more visible road user and in turn lead to drivers paying more attention to driving safely when in close proximity to a cyclist. I then began to explain the 10 concept designs I had created from my initial sketches. As I explained each design, my fellow tutorial group members were able to give feedback on what they felt about each design. Once I had laid out each design, I presented my decision matrix to the group. I feel it was clear to see that some of my designs […]

My weekends work on a decision matrix has been fruitful in my opinion. After refining my concepts, I created an online survey which I used to find my target market’s opinion of my designs in relation to a datum product – an average set of bike lights. I had hoped to have as many responses as my previous surveys, but I fear the length and detail of this survey may have stopped some people from bothering, though I do still have a fair amount of responses and certainly enough to work out my concept design decision matrix. Overall, I am quite happy with how my project is going and the responses I got to some of my designs were excellent and those that were not, are a great help for finding what the does and doesn’t market want!

The past few days, I have been working on trying to be more creative in my thinking and sketching. Whilst Bethan has been advising that we look at nature for our designs, I have only started properly looking at this idea recently… When I thought about it, it was quite simple, when something in the natural world feels threatened, it puffs itself out or makes itself bigger in some way. This made me think, what if a product could do this for a cyclist? In response to this I have sketched a variety of ideas of how a product could use this to allow a cyclist to be seen. From parachutes to paniers, I feel that my concept sketches are actually coming along relatively well, I hope… I need only now finish refining these concepts and then create a decision matrix which I work through with my target market!

Today we had our tutorial with Bethan, where I showed of my various electronic designs. Whilst my group did seem relatively impressed with the arduino circuit, overall I did feel like my designs were not particularly interesting… Bethan pointed out that my designs all seemed to be rather predictable, which I do agree with, but at the same time feel disappointed. Bethan has advised that I get more creative with my designs today and tommorow, but after that, we need to be coming up with definitive concepts. By next week, Bethan expects us to create a matrix evaluation with user feedback. I really hope that I will be able to do this, but I do feel like since my tutorial I have created a few more creative and random ideas such as a passive aggressive jacket which has writing which tells drivers they are getting too close.

This weekend I have been working on a test circuit for one of my designs amongst other things. I bought an ultrasound distance sensor and some RGB LEDS to create a test circuit for my flashing light design, just to see if the idea would in fact work. Though it took quite a bit of tweaking and time to get it working, I have actually got it working, with the LEDs glowing green if there is nothing within 2.5 metres, then yellow if there is something between 2.5 and 1.5 metres away then flashing red if there is something closer than 1.5 metres away from the sensor. I have also attached two RGB LEDs to my cycle helmet’s sun-visor, eye width apart, glowing green. I have done this as a test to see how the public reacts to glowing eyes on a cyclist, especially at night where they act in […]

So over the past days, I have been sketching some more, fleshing out some ideas that I have had whilst reading through my PDS. I have had quite a few ideas relating to lighting, though I have had some that I feel are a bit unique such as a light which flashes more rapidly as cars get closer using the arduino and a distance sensor. I have also had an idea to have a device in a car as opposed to on the bike, which would work to help drivers avoid all hazards including cyclists. I have also used the idea that drivers act far more cautiously when a cyclist has an action camera, by including cameras in multiple designs. I have also tried to work on the human form as I hope that by seeing a human form, drivers might better realise the fragility of cyclists.

Today I have began the sketching and ideas phase of my cycle safety project. With my brief and PDS, I feel confident that I have a definitive basis for beginning my project properly. I have started by sketching out a few ideas that I had originally thought of during the research phase, mainly as a starter point for further work, though I do feel that some of the ideas are still applicable solutions to my brief’s problem. I have been trying to identify fully what all of the points in my PDS mean to my design and then creating ideas which I feel could potentially create a real solution to the problems. This week, I intend to work solely on sketching and ideas, with a little bit of further research to continue to understand the market.