Overview
The topic of this week was Invention, Intellectual Property, and Income. Instead of learning a new fabrication process, this assignment asked me to think about what happens after a project is made. A final project should not only be a technical prototype. It should also have a clear plan for dissemination, protection, continuation, and possible future value.
My final project is Loco Pik, a small emotional desktop companion robot. It is designed for people who work or study alone. It reacts through light, sound, movement, and simple interaction. The project combines product design, digital fabrication, embedded programming, interface design, electronics, and system integration.
For Week 18, I used Loco Pik as the case study. I considered how to share the project as Fab Academy documentation, how to protect the character identity, how to release technical learning materials, and how the project may continue as a product, kit, workshop, or research prototype.
Assignment
The assignment was to develop a plan for dissemination of the final project and complete the final project while tracking progress. The documentation should answer the following questions:
- How will the final project be disseminated?
- What tasks have been completed?
- What tasks remain?
- What is working?
- What is not working?
- What questions need to be resolved?
- What will happen when?
- What have I learned?
This week also introduced invention, patents, copyright, trademarks, licensing, income models, funding, business types, and different ways a project can develop after the prototype stage.
Project Recap
Loco Pik is a tiny emotional companion for the desktop. It has a rounded shell, small legs, a simple face opening, and a soft character-like presence. It does not use a screen-based face. Instead, it expresses emotion through physical feedback.
| Project part | Description |
|---|---|
| Project name | Loco Pik |
| Project type | Emotional desktop companion robot |
| Main interaction | Light, sound, movement, voice, and webpage control |
| Main users | People who work or study alone for long periods of time |
| Design goal | To create a small fabricated object that feels present, gentle, and emotionally responsive. |
Dissemination Plan
My dissemination plan has several layers. The Fab Academy version of Loco Pik will be shared mainly as an educational and documentation project. The project can also become part of my design portfolio, school exhibition, FabLab demonstration, and future research or workshop material.
| Channel | How I will disseminate Loco Pik |
|---|---|
| Fab Academy website | I will publish the full process, including concept development, design files, fabrication steps, electronics, programming, integration, testing, problems, and final reflection. |
| Final presentation | I will present the final object, a summary slide, and a one-minute video showing the conception, construction, and operation of Loco Pik. |
| Portfolio | I will use Loco Pik as a portfolio project to show my ability in interaction design, digital fabrication, product design, and system integration. |
| FabLab BNU / Litchee Lab | The project can be shown as a demonstration of how fabrication, electronics, and interaction design can be combined into a small emotional robot. |
| Workshop or teaching | A simplified version of the project can be developed into a workshop kit for students to learn 3D printing, embedded programming, LEDs, motors, and interface control. |
| Research and design development | The project may continue as a research prototype for emotional interaction, companion robots, and non-screen-based affective feedback. |
What Will Be Shared?
I do not think every part of Loco Pik should be shared in the same way. Some parts are useful for learning and can be opened. Some parts, especially the character identity and future product language, should remain protected.
| Material | Sharing plan | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation | Open for educational reference | The Fab Academy website should explain the process clearly and help others learn from the project. |
| System diagrams | Open | The system architecture is useful for understanding how the robot works. |
| Basic code structure | Open for learning | The code can help others understand LED feedback, HTTP commands, and interaction logic. |
| Private keys and Wi-Fi information | Not shared | Private configuration should not be published for safety and privacy reasons. |
| Character name and visual identity | Protected | Loco Pik is a personal character design and may become a future product or brand. |
| Final commercial product files | Not fully open at this stage | If the project becomes commercial, the final refined structure, CMF, and brand identity should be developed separately. |
Intellectual Property Strategy
Loco Pik contains several different types of intellectual property: the name, the character appearance, the shell form, the mechanical structure, the webpage interface, the embedded code, the PCB design, the documentation, and the final visual language. A mixed strategy is more suitable than treating the whole project as one single thing.
| Part | Possible protection | My current plan |
|---|---|---|
| Loco Pik name | Trademark | Keep it as a recognizable project name. If the project becomes a commercial product, I may consider trademark registration. |
| Character appearance | Copyright / design patent / authorship record | Keep clear dated records of sketches, 3D models, images, and documentation. The final appearance should remain my own design identity. |
| Outer shell and form | Design patent or open documentation | The Fab Academy prototype will be documented. A future commercial version may need a refined design before protection. |
| Mechanical structure | Utility patent or open hardware documentation | At this stage, I will document the mechanism for learning. If a new and useful mechanical solution is developed later, I may consider protection. |
| Web interface | Copyright / open-source license | The basic interface logic can be shared, but the specific Loco Pik visual style should remain connected to the project identity. |
| Embedded code | Software copyright / open-source license | Learning code can be published with a clear license. Private configuration, Wi-Fi information, and API keys should be removed. |
| Documentation | Copyright / Creative Commons | The documentation can be shared for educational use with attribution. |
My current decision is to keep the Fab Academy version open for education and documentation, while keeping the Loco Pik name, character identity, CMF direction, and future commercial product language protected.
License Plan
For the current academic prototype, I would like to use an educational open documentation approach. People can learn from the process, reference the structure, and build their own version, but they should give credit and should not directly use the Loco Pik brand identity for commercial products.
| Layer | License direction | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Educational documentation | Open with attribution | Others can read, reference, and learn from the process if they credit the original work. |
| Technical learning files | Open for non-commercial learning | Basic code, diagrams, and testing logic can be shared for educational use. |
| Loco Pik brand identity | All rights reserved | The name, character, final appearance, and visual identity should not be copied directly for commercial use. |
| Future commercial version | To be decided | If Loco Pik becomes a product, the license and protection strategy should be reconsidered. |
In simple terms, the learning process can be open, but the Loco Pik character and product identity should remain protected.
Income Possibilities
Loco Pik is still a prototype, so this is not a complete business plan. However, Week 18 helped me think about how the project could create value in the future. The most realistic first step is not mass production, but small-batch design, educational kits, workshops, or research development.
| Income direction | Possibility | Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Loco Pik could become a small desktop emotional companion for students, designers, office workers, or people who work alone. | It would need stable manufacturing, battery safety, reliability, packaging, and user support. |
| Educational kit | A simplified version could be sold as a FabLab or school workshop kit. | The structure must be easier to assemble and the teaching material must be clear. |
| Workshop | Loco Pik can support workshops about digital fabrication, physical computing, character design, and interaction design. | The project must be simplified into a reliable workshop format. |
| Customization | Different skins, textures, colors, and personalities could be designed, such as Lychee Pik, Sandstone Pik, and Clay Pik. | Customization requires a stable base structure and clear design rules. |
| Research prototype | Loco Pik can be used for emotional interaction, companion robot, and non-screen-based feedback research. | It would need clearer research questions, testing protocol, and user evaluation. |
| Character IP | The character could expand into stories, visual content, accessories, or collectible objects. | It needs long-term world-building and consistent visual language. |
Possible Business Direction
If I continue Loco Pik after Fab Academy, I would not immediately try to make it a mass-produced consumer robot. The better direction is to continue improving it as a small-batch design object, educational project, or research prototype.
| Stage | Direction | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Fab Academy prototype | Finish one working version that demonstrates light, sound, movement, interface, and system integration. |
| Stage 2 | Portfolio and exhibition version | Improve the appearance, photography, video, and storytelling so the project can be shown clearly. |
| Stage 3 | Workshop kit version | Simplify the structure and code so other students can build their own emotional companion object. |
| Stage 4 | Research or product exploration | Test emotional interaction with users and decide whether it should continue as a research prototype, product, or character IP. |
Progress Tracking
At this stage, the final project is close to completion, but the most difficult part is system integration. Each module can work separately, but combining all of them into a small body requires careful packaging, wiring, power planning, and repeated testing.
Completed Tasks
- Defined the final project concept and emotional interaction goal.
- Designed the Loco Pik character direction and visual identity.
- Modeled the main body, shell, and leg structure.
- Explored different CMF directions, including Lychee Pik, Sandstone Pik, and Clay Pik.
- Tested ESP32-based network communication.
- Built the PikPik Care webpage interface for emotional commands.
- Tested HTTP commands between the webpage and ESP32.
- Tested WS2812B LED emotional light feedback.
- Tested sound output with a small speaker and amplifier module.
- Tested servo-based movement with four small legs.
- Defined the system logic between webpage, microcontroller, LED, sound, and movement.
- Prepared the final project presentation structure.
- Started preparing the one-minute video and final project documentation.
Remaining Tasks
- Finish final assembly and internal packaging.
- Organize wiring inside the small body.
- Test stable power for servo motors, LED, speaker, and microcontroller.
- Adjust movement so the robot feels alive but does not become unstable.
- Improve the timing between light, sound, and movement feedback.
- Finish the final outer shell surface treatment.
- Record the final demo video.
- Complete the final project webpage with photos, diagrams, code, and reflections.
- Prepare for the final presentation and live demonstration.
What Is Working?
| Part | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Web interface | Working | The PikPik Care webpage can send emotional commands such as Love, Play, Feed, Sleep, and Unhappy. |
| HTTP communication | Working | The webpage can communicate with the ESP32 over local Wi-Fi. |
| LED feedback | Working | The WS2812B LED can show different emotional colors and effects. |
| Sound feedback | Working in test | The speaker and amplifier can output sound, but final integration still needs tuning. |
| Servo movement | Working in test | The leg servos can move, but the final motion needs to be adjusted for stability and character. |
| Final form | Mostly defined | The outer character direction is clear, but the final assembly and finishing still need work. |
What Is Not Working Yet?
The main problem is not one single module. The difficult part is making everything work together inside a very small body. The robot needs enough internal space for the board, wires, speaker, battery, sensors, and motors, while still keeping the outside form clean and cute.
| Problem | Reason | Possible solution |
|---|---|---|
| Internal space is tight | The body is small, but it needs to contain many electronic and mechanical parts. | Simplify the wiring, adjust the internal layout, and reduce unnecessary connectors. |
| Power stability needs testing | Servos, LEDs, speaker, and microcontroller may draw current at the same time. | Test separated power for servo motors and logic control, and check voltage stability. |
| Movement still needs character tuning | Functional movement is not enough. The motion should feel gentle and emotional. | Adjust servo angles, speed, delay, and motion rhythm. |
| Light, sound, and movement synchronization | Each output works, but emotional feedback needs to feel like one complete behavior. | Create fixed behavior sequences for Love, Play, Sleep, Feed, and Unhappy. |
| Final demo reliability | A final presentation needs a stable and repeatable demo. | Prepare a reliable demo mode and test it many times before the presentation. |
Questions to Resolve
| Question | Why it matters | How I will resolve it |
|---|---|---|
| Can all systems fit inside the final shell? | The final object must be compact, but also possible to assemble and repair. | Test the final internal layout with physical assembly. |
| Can the battery power the whole system safely? | Power problems can make the final demo unstable. | Test the LED, servos, speaker, and ESP32 together under real use. |
| How much movement is enough? | Loco Pik should feel alive, but not too mechanical or unstable. | Compare different servo motion sequences and choose the most expressive one. |
| How can users understand emotion without a screen? | The project relies on light, sound, and body behavior instead of a face display. | Test whether users can recognize Love, Play, Sleep, Feed, and Unhappy states. |
| What is the safest final demo mode? | The final presentation should show the project clearly without depending on unstable features. | Prepare one stable sequence that shows the core interaction. |
What Will Happen When?
The remaining work will focus on making the prototype stable enough for the final presentation. I need to prioritize the core interaction instead of trying to add too many new features.
| Time | Task | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Before final assembly | Confirm the internal layout, wiring, and power arrangement | Make sure the electronics can fit and connect inside the body. |
| Before video shooting | Choose the most stable demo behavior | Record a clear one-minute video showing conception, construction, and operation. |
| Before final presentation | Test the full interaction repeatedly | Make sure Loco Pik can show light, sound, movement, and webpage control reliably. |
| Before documentation deadline | Upload photos, diagrams, code explanation, BOM, and reflection | Complete the final project documentation and weekly assignment pages. |
| After Fab Academy | Continue improving the form, motion, and emotional interaction | Decide whether Loco Pik should continue as a product, kit, workshop, or research prototype. |