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Gadgets with a caring touch
By Zhu Shenshen |
May 26, 2013, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AN instant camera for the blind; chopsticks that tell you how many calories are contained in the food you're eating and if it's a healthy level; and a communicator to help pet owners and their four-legged friends share their feelings.
These quirky prototype gadgets are among the winning works of 17 students from Tongji University in the latest Sony Student Design Workshop, a non-profit initiative by the electronics giant.
With sponsorship and technological support from Sony, students worked on the theme "Care," with emphasis on more vulnerable groups, including the elderly and the visually impaired.
Many of the prototype devices could be in production within five years.
Other winning examples include the Panorama Video Phone - which includes a panorama camera and display for communication between children and their parents, and the Crutch Navigator, a device with sensors which monitor the health of users, such as blood pressure, and issues a warning when something is wrong.
"These works represent a high standard of industrial design, create new experiences and are just the kind of things we want to see," said Josh Song, a senior product designer of Sony China, who is in charge of the workshop.
The latest technology is used in the demos - in fields such as wireless communications, remote monitoring and surveillance, 3D printing and mobile applications.
And while most new gadgets are designed with potential advertisers or clear business model for venture capitalists in mind, the output of the Sony Student Design Workshop instead places the emphasis on caring for others.
They are intended to contribute to improve people's daily life in China, with its growing aged population, a new baby boom and surging demand for new lifestyles.
Camera for the blind
Designers: Cao Chengang, Jiang Xixi
The camera for the blind looks like a standard Polaroid-type camera but is designed for visually impaired users.
Thanks to the 3D lens, users can print out special pictures - one side is a standard instant picture and the other is the image composed of raised contours, which blind people can run their fingers along in order to "see."
With user-friendly design, with just one button for shutter, it is easy to master.
What the designers say:
"We hope that with this camera blind people can emerge from darkness and feel the world in a new way. We will be delighted if they can communicate and share their experiences with other photography fans."
Pet communicator
Designers: Li Jin, Zhu Yinghua, Long Yunfei
The complete Pet Communicator consists of two parts: wristbands for the owner and a collar with speaker and microphone functions for their pet. The collar also features a thermometer and vibration sensing system, monitoring the pet's body temperature and whether it is shivering, to provide the owner with real-time information on their four-legged friend.
With training, owners can communicate with their pets through the communicator by sending signals at frequencies only audible to dogs, so as not to disturb people nearby, the designers explained.
And to ensure that your pet looks extra smart, the communicator will be available in different colors to match your pet's color.
At present, a spotted version and one in Labrador yellow are available.
What the designers say:
"Pets are usually close friends to their owners. So we're happy if they are able to communicate with each other, even when they are apart."
Meal recorder
Designers: Wang Yongsheng, Du Jun, Wu Di
This gadget consists of electronic chopsticks and a chopsticks container. The sensors and gyroscope on the chopsticks can measure the user's food intake and the weight of a meal. The camera in the container can recognize the kind of food through image recognition technology for food intake analysis.
Through this combination of technologies, the device can record what foods the user has eaten in a period of time, and provide suggestions to improve to user's health and to keep fit.
With an accompanying mobile application, it helps update the data and interact with friends to share personal healthy eating experiences.
What the designers say:
"Now I know when I shall stop in the restaurant."
These quirky prototype gadgets are among the winning works of 17 students from Tongji University in the latest Sony Student Design Workshop, a non-profit initiative by the electronics giant.
With sponsorship and technological support from Sony, students worked on the theme "Care," with emphasis on more vulnerable groups, including the elderly and the visually impaired.
Many of the prototype devices could be in production within five years.
Other winning examples include the Panorama Video Phone - which includes a panorama camera and display for communication between children and their parents, and the Crutch Navigator, a device with sensors which monitor the health of users, such as blood pressure, and issues a warning when something is wrong.
"These works represent a high standard of industrial design, create new experiences and are just the kind of things we want to see," said Josh Song, a senior product designer of Sony China, who is in charge of the workshop.
The latest technology is used in the demos - in fields such as wireless communications, remote monitoring and surveillance, 3D printing and mobile applications.
And while most new gadgets are designed with potential advertisers or clear business model for venture capitalists in mind, the output of the Sony Student Design Workshop instead places the emphasis on caring for others.
They are intended to contribute to improve people's daily life in China, with its growing aged population, a new baby boom and surging demand for new lifestyles.
Camera for the blind
Designers: Cao Chengang, Jiang Xixi
The camera for the blind looks like a standard Polaroid-type camera but is designed for visually impaired users.
Thanks to the 3D lens, users can print out special pictures - one side is a standard instant picture and the other is the image composed of raised contours, which blind people can run their fingers along in order to "see."
With user-friendly design, with just one button for shutter, it is easy to master.
What the designers say:
"We hope that with this camera blind people can emerge from darkness and feel the world in a new way. We will be delighted if they can communicate and share their experiences with other photography fans."
Pet communicator
Designers: Li Jin, Zhu Yinghua, Long Yunfei
The complete Pet Communicator consists of two parts: wristbands for the owner and a collar with speaker and microphone functions for their pet. The collar also features a thermometer and vibration sensing system, monitoring the pet's body temperature and whether it is shivering, to provide the owner with real-time information on their four-legged friend.
With training, owners can communicate with their pets through the communicator by sending signals at frequencies only audible to dogs, so as not to disturb people nearby, the designers explained.
And to ensure that your pet looks extra smart, the communicator will be available in different colors to match your pet's color.
At present, a spotted version and one in Labrador yellow are available.
What the designers say:
"Pets are usually close friends to their owners. So we're happy if they are able to communicate with each other, even when they are apart."
Meal recorder
Designers: Wang Yongsheng, Du Jun, Wu Di
This gadget consists of electronic chopsticks and a chopsticks container. The sensors and gyroscope on the chopsticks can measure the user's food intake and the weight of a meal. The camera in the container can recognize the kind of food through image recognition technology for food intake analysis.
Through this combination of technologies, the device can record what foods the user has eaten in a period of time, and provide suggestions to improve to user's health and to keep fit.
With an accompanying mobile application, it helps update the data and interact with friends to share personal healthy eating experiences.
What the designers say:
"Now I know when I shall stop in the restaurant."
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