Alarm Clock Project
Self-righting product concept
Self-righting product concept
For this project, the brief required the design and construction of an innovative alarm clock that used rapid prototyping technology to be made. The First ideas were a rectangular shaped clock that would have the ability to be wall mounted. These took inspiration from such products as the apple’s ipod and alessi’s out time watch.
The combination of analogue and digital formats were very interesting as each posesses an aesthetical quality such as the clarity of a digital display, along with the visual quality of a rotating clock face.The ideas developed into a self righting design that was both ergonomic to hold and simple to use and also provided a playful experience of interaction for a range of ages.
The user starts the process by navigating the on/off switch for the alarm at the bottom of the clock. When this is turned on a blue LED is illuminated to indicate the function being active. Secondly, the user sets the clock time by pressing and holding the ‘set clock time’ button. Moving further up, the buzzer holes are located and separates the two ‘set’ buttons. Next, the ‘set alarm time’ button is used by the user to set when they wish to be woken up. Lastly, the user wakes up to locate the bottom on top that is larger in size. When this is pressed down the alarm stops. Alternatively, the tilt switch inside allows the user to push the clock more than 15 degrees to cancel the alarm, easing the process in the early hours of the morning.
The combination of analogue and digital formats were very interesting as each posesses an aesthetical quality such as the clarity of a digital display, along with the visual quality of a rotating clock face.The ideas developed into a self righting design that was both ergonomic to hold and simple to use and also provided a playful experience of interaction for a range of ages.
The user starts the process by navigating the on/off switch for the alarm at the bottom of the clock. When this is turned on a blue LED is illuminated to indicate the function being active. Secondly, the user sets the clock time by pressing and holding the ‘set clock time’ button. Moving further up, the buzzer holes are located and separates the two ‘set’ buttons. Next, the ‘set alarm time’ button is used by the user to set when they wish to be woken up. Lastly, the user wakes up to locate the bottom on top that is larger in size. When this is pressed down the alarm stops. Alternatively, the tilt switch inside allows the user to push the clock more than 15 degrees to cancel the alarm, easing the process in the early hours of the morning.
Initial concepts for the clock started off with a rectangular shaped body that could be wall mounted and wireless to look clean and simple against the wall. As the ideas developed, the idea of a more complicated yet successful shape that is fully injection mouldable came to fruition.
As the shape developed the self-righting clock became defined, altering in size, where the components were positioned and the material and colour choice were also selected.
This exploded view illustrates the major of the components required to operate the clock and where they fit relative to each other. As it would be very difficult to precisely measure the components masses to calculate the shape and material of the self-righting weight, it is not displayed in the render above.
