Role
Design Engineer
Team
Me & Myself
Background Research
Global arts for children market size
$12,551.5
Mn
2019
$12,106.3
Mn
2020
$13,004.3
Mn
2021
$13,778.7
Mn
2022
$14,177.9
Mn
2023
Global arts for children market size
Preschool Children
sensory experiences
basic concepts
Elementary School Children
developing basic artistic skills
expressing creativity
Middle School Children
refining their skills
exploring different art forms
High School Children
advanced techniques,
preparing for admissions.
Competitor Analysis
Field Research
Art Teachers:
Conclusion
· Use bright, high-contrast colors to create a lively and inviting visual style that grabs attention.
· Keep illustrations simple and instructional, using clean lines and basic shapes.
Child's Parents
Conclusion
· Parents see artistic skills as important for their child’s creative growth.
· Many are willing to spend generously on quality art education.
· It’s important to balance traditional art learning with thoughtful digital integration.
Ideation
Goal
Help train preschool kids(3-6) the skills to depict various forms in traditional media, without limiting their imagination and creativity.
Inspiration - How to do it?
Concept
Including the elements above, I aim to construct a drawing table made of translucent materials (PT) featuring a robot beneath it that guides children using an LED light.
Render
Data Flow
How to translate gcode to commands to motors？
G-code breaks down lines into a series of consistent movement coordinates.
G01 X-54.17 Y19.00
G01 X-53.98 Y19.94
G01 X-53.79 Y20.88
G01 X-53.23 Y21.82
G01 X-52.29 Y22.19
G01 X-51.35 Y22.38
G01 X-50.41 Y22.76
G01 X-49.47 Y22.95
............
Algorithm
Based on the xy coordinates in Gcode, we can reverse calculate the L1 and L2,
Divide the lengths of L1 and L2 by the distance covered by the motor per step，
Command motors corresponding steps.
How to guide children with LED？
The LED light consistently moves by the dragging force of motors.
When the LED's path aligns with a specific drawing path(G01), the LED remains illuminated.
when the LED transitions between different drawing paths(G00), it turns off.
G01 X-37.43 Y-26.52
G00 Z1.00 (line discontinue)
G01 X-29.72 Y26.33
G00 Z0.00 (continue drawing)
G01 X-29.53 Y26.14
G00 Z1.00 (line discontinue)
G01 X-30.28 Y-32.73
G00 Z0.00 (continue painting)
Coding
Technical Constraints
1
Lack of downward forces
2
Uneven surface of LED module
The LED module requires a small casing on the outside, featuring a flat surface to secure magnets, along with thin strings and a rubber band, for a neater appearance of the entire module.
Visual Design
Logo
Brand Color
Font
Patterns
Implementation
I 3D printed my model with disassemblable/assemblable components for transportation and packaging convenience.
Attaching components onto the table
User Test
Conclusion
Yushi and Jinge both showed excitement and interest in the smart table. Yushi was a bit distracted by the blue LED, while Jinge was very concentrated on following the guide to finish drawing.
Parents hope there can be more flexibility with the table such as customize the drawing path, adjustable table height. They both want to remove the distracting circuit.
Future Improvement
