Project Development
My goal for Fab Academy was to develop the interface - to learn designing and producing circuits that would enable interaction and actuation, building upon the research I had done at Fabricademy. The next future step is to integrate the findings from both courses and, later on, further develop the prototype to incorporate a wider range of sensations that could be generated with the soft robots.
The project planning and management were not exactly well done on my side. I freestyled quite a lot. I followed Neil's idea of "spiral development" - though unknowingly in the beginning. During the past months, I had to make decisions narrowing the project down in order to be able to have some kind of a prototype.
Luckily, beyond Fab Academy, I was also enrolled in three Digital Fabrication courses at Aalto University. They had deadlines set to submit the assignments in the system. This enforced me to document and publish the documentation in a timely manner. It was not exactly "document as you go," but close enough to be able to remember information and keep track. Splitting the documentation into smaller parts with shorter deadlines and calendar reminders helped a lot to not get lost and overwhelmed. As much as I hated it then, I appreciate it now. You won, Kris...
I think I started off well, but as time progressed and deadlines were approaching, things were getting messier. I can clearly see that in my project archive. The later it got, the more unordered and chaotic my file management got. Everything got more chaotic. But I have just enough experience managing chaos to handle it.
I used Tello as a main tool for my project management thoroughout the whole duration of Fab Academy, as it provided visual and organized platform to track tasks, deadlines, and progress in the development process. I utilized Trello boards to create different lists for each phase of the project, such as research, design, fabrication, and integration, allowing me to prioritize and manage tasks effectively. Trello's checklist feature allowed me to break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable subtasks. This helped me maintain a clear overview of the project's progress and ensured that no essential steps were overlooked or forgotten.
Due to the evolving nature of this project, there were many revisions to the project plan and time management necessary. Some tasks were taking more time than anticipated, and that had to be reflected in the boards accordingly.
In addition to Trello, I also employed Google Calendar to schedule specific milestones and set reminders for important deadlines. This helped me stay on track and ensure timely completion of tasks.
What worked:
The device generally works. It is not perfect, but for now, it is just a proof of concept, and I believe it is enough given the short timeframe and my little experience in developing and managing projects involving electronics that go beyond simple exercises.
What did not:
I did not manage to complete the project fully. I underestimated the time some of the tasks would require. Especially the integration part suffered from the sudden arrival of the deadline and having to present the project that was not exactly in a presentable condition. Ad hoc improvised solutions with the neoprene band were not the greatest piece of design work. Unsorted wiring was pointed out by Neil. On the other hand, to work on integration, one needs something to integrate. Integration is the last step for a reason and doesn't influence if or how things work. However, it defines the overall audience perception of the project. Looks are important (note coming from a graphic designer...), especially if the prototype is not seen in person and is just a picture or a video shared online.
What I've learned:
Many of the steps necessary to get the prototype I was doing for the very first time, and as usual in such cases, time management proved difficult. It is challenging to plan the unknown. Learning to do things takes much more time than just doing things. Also, it is rapid prototyping at a makerspace, not a commercial, well-established manufacturing process. Some parts of this project were rather experimental. Experimentation, and more specifically, the results of it, are unplannable in advance.
With this kind of project, one should always expect some things to go wrong. Therefore, extra time should be assigned for problem-solving on the go, as problems pop up in the least expected moments.
Also, PCB milling is my personal battlefield. It never took less than 5 hours to get one done. I need to be mentally prepared to do it. And I'm still firmly convinced the milling machine has a camera or sensor detecting my presence to magically decalibrate itself.
To consider/reconsider and next steps:
The spiral development turn III awaits. The documentation and final video will be updated accordingly during autumn when Aalto Fablab opens again after summer break. And my own break.
Haptic feedback devices pose a certain problem when it comes to their presentation. Neither pictures nor videos properly showcase the experience or sensations provoked by them on the surface of the skin. Therefore, online documentation and written descriptions do not afford a proper demonstration of the haptic features. This is something to think about, as this is the essence of the project, and I need to be able to communicate it to the wider public somehow.
I may need to rethink the bracelet design in a way that would allow changing the actuator in the bracelet instead of casting them as one piece. This would be very helpful when it comes to further development of the project aiming towards sensation exploration.