I’m not too sure what I want to do for my final project, but I have a few ideas:
- An ergonomic bottle opener
- A folding chair (or series of folding chairs)
- Something I can make to house and interactive device with Arduino for another class
The bottle opener is an idea I had to improve upon the standard lever bottle opener. The idea is that you could grab the top and rip the cap off in a more natural way than just lining up the lever and pulling it. The design would probably feature guards that go around your fingers, and so this could be an area to add in some aesthetic. I’m thinking I could try and make it out of metal, and given the motion is very “grabby”, I think it might be interesting to make it look like tiger claws (or a tiger head). I’m thinking early American tattoo style.
I got inspired by our in class research on round and pointy furniture, and I am considering designing a chair. I don’t think I have room in my house to fit another chair, but a folding chair would probably fit well. It might be cool to make it fold flat so it could also be a decorative piece. I could then paint something on the back which would serve well as a painting or just general decoration. Overall I think the chair would be fairly complex in nature and would pose a challenge for me. If it weren’t enough, maybe I could make multiple chairs with different designs to make a series.
The last idea isn’t very actionable currently but I think it would pair well with another class I’m in. I’m in ATLS 3300 Object where we are working on sensor inputs and outputs using an Arduino microcontroller. I think it would be cool to make some sort of unique housing for my final project in that class that would interface with the electronics. The only setback to this idea is that we haven’t yet started work on our final project in that class (we probably wont for another few weeks). While I think it would be cool, I don’t know how feasible it would be.
Those are my three ideas (really two). I feel bad that I cant really think of anything substantial, but that’s where I’m at. I’m open to suggestions for new ideas, or even suggestions to add onto or improve my current ideas. I have access to a 3D printer and have a lot of scrap wood that I could utilize.
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Thumbnail: QuestionMark – Blazing Swan
Millwood Pines Burnett Folding Teak Patio Dining Chair | Wayfair
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Josh, I think all three of these ideas would be really cool to see turned into a final project! I think having a 3D printer would be a big asset for the first idea, as you could pretty easily make prototypes and test out ideas. I would be very interested to see how this would end up being made out of metal and also look like a tiger. As far as your Arduino idea, I completely understand why it’s difficult to think of an application as they have so many. I would keep in mind all the different sensors that are available to you. I always thought it would be cool to utilize a distance sensor to make some kind of alert, such as having a sound play when a door opens or closes, or something like that. Do you have a material that you would prefer to work with? I definitely would utilize the 3D printer for prototypes if possible. Good luck and I’m excited to see what you will do!
Hey Thomas, Thanks for the insight. I think the third idea is gonna have to be scrapped just due to the overall timeline (we don’t start that one in my other class for another couple of weeks). The first one also would be cool to prototype but the final product would be an off shoot of a different idea, and the metal casting might prove to be a challenge, so in the end, I don’t think its gonna work out. I do think I’m gonna make a foldable chair that will fold flat to reveal a mural in the same early American tattoo style. The 3D printer will probably help me with this, and I definitely think I will use it.
Hi Josh, all three of these seem like great choices for a project. I would really like to see how the tiger aesthetic for the bottle opener turn out with the metal. Which project do you think getting the materials for would be easiest? I bet it’s the third option since the materials are a part of the class, but what about between the first two options?
Hey Bryce,
I think the first is too much of a mystery to me right now and given our timeline, I think I’m gonna scrap that Idea. Out of the other two, the chair would definitely be the easier of the two, The bottle opener would most likely consist of metal (maybe even with sand or wax casting), and so it is also probably out of reach (although I do know a guy). Since I’ve had time to think, I’m liking the idea of making a folding chair that folds flat (see https://www.behance.net/robertvanembricqs). I’m thinking I would pair that with the tattoo aesthetic from before, so I would have a cool mural when not in use, and a chair when in use.