Tangible Interactive Product Development: Movie Theater Cutout Concept
This project was completed alongside a partner for Cal Poly’s Tangible Interactive Product Development course. Teams of two were tasked to brainstorm, design, and prototype a marketable product which contains at least one sensor and two actions to create an interactive user experience. The following project outlines our ideation, conceptual, prototyping, and technical implementation stages, followed by a proposal for higher fidelity prototyping and manufacturing options.
Software: Adobe Photoshop, TinkerCAD, Arduino Uno Rev3, Circuitry
Key words: product development, interaction design, coding, schematics
Ideation
Our first task was to reflect on our experiences with products that we felt could be improved from responsive design. In other words, where are the gaps in the markets we readily interact with?
A reusable baby bottle which would have a timer and a temperature sensor to indicate formula safety. Since formula should be consumed at about 98°F and within 2 hours since preparation, the caretaker would easily know by a green or red LED whether the prepared bottle meets both conditions or not, respectively.
A product that would monitor the internal temperature of a parked car, targeting the safety of pets or children who are left without supervision. This product would attach to the back of a seat and use a temperature sensor to determine whether the vehicle is within the safe range set. If not, an LED light and sound alarm would indicate to passerbys that help is needed.
An interactive album wall which light ups and plays music when a magnet device is connected to it, effectively closing the circuit and triggering the actions.
Chosen Concept
The concept we pursued aims to elevate the experience of the life-sized corrugate cutouts patrons view in movie theater lobbies. These cutouts serve as marketing collateral for films, but unlike posters, they encourage patrons to take photos with them. This provides opportunities to post on social media and further advertising reach.
Our product would use an ultrasonic sensor to trigger movement and dialogue. This would engage passerbyers more than posters and static cutouts while cutting on the costs required for interactive cosplayers. We would market our product to film festivals, comic cons, premieres, theaters, etc. Currently, there are no products like this on the market.
Conceptual Design
Our conceptual design involved 3 interaction cases using an ultrasonic sensor and pressure sensor, a speaker, and a motor.
An ultrasonic sensor detects a person 5 feet away, triggering Audio 1: “Come closer!”
An ultrasonic sensor detects a person 1 foot away, triggering Audio 2: “Give me five!” and Motion: hand swings up.
A pressure sensor on the hand detects the person’s high-five and responds with Audio 3: “Thanks, dude! Hope you enjoy our movie!”
We based this prototype on the recently released Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 movie.
Sourcing Code
We began our technical prototyping on TinkerCAD, a browser-supported 3D software that simulates electronics. Our most viable option was to explore open source circuit designs that already possessed working sensors and functions.
It took plenty of searching and tinkering, until finally I was able to source Control Servo Using Ultrasonic Sensor posted by Shreya Patel in May 2020.
Tinkering
Patel’s schematic provided a working foundation for an ultrasonic sensor triggering the servo motor. From this starting point, I only had to include the piezo buzzer and nest if-then statements to create different experiences from 5ft away versus 1ft away.
Iteration
At this stage in the project, we decided to condense our scope to only the first two interactions in order to limit the challenges anticipated from including another sensor. While we do believe the inclusion of two different sensors would broaden the product capabilities and enhance the user experience, it was more valuable to us to ensure the first two interactions worked than to compromise the entire experience.
Technical Implementation
We wired the components identically to what was created on TinkerCAD, and it worked! The only adjustment required at this stage was changing the distances in the code which would trigger the functions. We moved around in front of the sensor to see what distance felt appropriate for each interaction.
Final Prototype
We completed the final prototype by printing and cutting out an image of the Guardians of the Galaxy that could be used for a theater display. A separate cutout of Groot’s arm is attached to the servo motor and moves when Interaction 2 is triggered. The circuitry is hidden behind the display while the ultrasonic sensor is the only visible component on the prototype—also tucked away in the corner.
Next steps
Designing for higher fidelity prototypes would first involve more accurate substrate selection, higher quality printing, circuitry that may be larger in surface areas but shorter in height. Currently, our Audio interactions are held in place with a piezo buzzer that simply beeps; this would be replaced with an accurate MP3 recording. Offering other film features with their own unique interactions besides a high-five would also help broaden the market potential for the product.
Manufacturing a product like so would involve a relatively cheap method of manufacturing the sensor, speaker, motor, and circuitry at a much larger dimension. Printed electronics can serve as a cost- and size-effective method to complete the circuitry.
Brewer Science is a leader in the semiconductor materials business with a wide range of technology capabilities. They design, manufacture, and test flexible-hybrid electronics hardware for a variety of markets, including commercial applications such as the one we’ve proposed.
Extel Technologies has been operating in the product development and electronic engineering industry for 30 years and is a leading provider of specialist electronic product design, manufacturing and repair services. While they emphasize high-complexity and large-scale projects, their capabilities appear to suit the needs of our proposed product.
PEL is a UK company focused on integration, development and commercialization of processes and systems for fabrication of electronic circuits, structures and devices using digital, additive and inkjet methods. Their expertise in printed electronics serves as a promising option for commercial manufacturing of this product.
Project Reflection
Logo development advanced my skills in Adobe Illustrator, applying new tools to create vector graphics and type. I’ve become comfortable with the pen tool. Additionally, research throughout this project demonstrated the importance of scalable logo design, which I’ve valued and incorporated in my logos since.
This project demonstrated my dedication toward brand development and logo design, having assigned myself the role of “designer” on my team. While I was granted plenty of creative liberties, working simply from key words and ideas provided from our Son Care representative and the respective websites, this project introduced me to regular client check-ins and limitations. This included limited color and design choices, stricter timelines, and managing remote communications.