Lo-Fi Prototype makes for Craft Time!
Who doesn't like a good ol' Arts & Crafts Time; it's therapeutic, nostalgic, and a great time for team bonding.
This week we were assigned to fabricate 2 prototypes, but since we got caught up in the moment, we ended up creating 4 different prototypes. It's interesting to see how certain differences have a big impact on what a prototype emits, such as its personality, its function, and the atmosphere it emanates as well.
The Four Glorious Yumi Prototypes:
The following prototype was inspired by other Social Robot Companions we've encountered during our research. We liked the simplicity and minimalistic aspect of the design, a big round head with a black screen, a blue-centered eye, and body as a firm base.
Yumi's next prototype was as we originally envisioned her. The idea of the object being round and curvy, two circles stacked one on top of the other, with different sizes, snowman-like, appealed to us. We added on to the original vision, by adding two flappers to the side of the body, to represent her arms. Yumi appears in this prototype as a Snow-woman, flapper penguin. ☃️🐧
Creating the Lo-Fi Prototypes of Yumi, was a cool experience. It's interesting to start seeing and feeling what Yumi will be like. As she gains a 3-dimensional form, it is becoming easier to imagine her in the car, seated on the dashboard, and taking part in the established scenario. It's beginning to feel more real and tangible.