Fantasy Machine for Ker- A Full Sensational VR Device with Excercise Program!
It really was a challenge for me to get used to developing quick ideation and prototyping process in just a few minutes, and within this short time frame, we did user-interview, ideations, feedbacks, and iterations…Sounds impossible, right? But we made it! It was definitely a fascinating experience to learn how quick prototyping is so important in the design process: quicker to get the feedbacks, they are worth everything.
So our task was to design a fantasy machine for our partner, and my partner, Ker, her fantasy machine began in a very conceptual way with full of ideas and expectations. She wanted something that could enable her:
- do not need to go out while still accomplish everything
- avoid human touching but still get the sense of outside including the touching, feeling, visual sensations
- no human contacts, no virus spread
I continued to ask why she was having these ideas and needs. Ker explained to me that she has immune system health issues so that she is more vulnerable when dealing with the COVID, also she has been receiving too many COVID exposure alerts that really make her panic. At this point, I think I understood her points and began my quick ideations, and here they come:
The first ideation is a Bubble Protector. It is like an astronaut suit that covers all over your body while still give oxygen to breathe. So this way, Ker could still enjoy her time going outside without actually get physical contact with the outside world, therefore, no virus is getting to her.
Ker’s feedback to this idea was like this:
“No, that would be really uncomfortable!”
Okay, then I moved on to my second ideation: A Full Sensational VR Device. I know nowadays talking about a VR device as a design solution is a cliché, but I think VR just fits this current situation of COVID very well and cannot skip talking about it. So my prototype includes VR glasses that enable visual sensations, and gloves as well as socks that enable the touching and moving sensations.
And Ker’s feedback was like:
“Okay, but this won’t be actual moving, I would gain weight! That would not be healthy.”
That is very true and fair enough. So I decided to develop upon the VR ideation since it at least won an “Okay” comment. I made some iterations, and they look like this:
I added another new feature to this device, which is the Exercise Program (yay! everyone loves exercise right?). So in order to use this VR device, Ker has to get connected to some exercise device, which could be her treadmill, her bicycle, or maybe just her Apple Watch, and by that she would earn the VR points when doing exercises, and the VR points can be used to exchange for the travel distance in the VR device. In this way, Ker could still get all her outdoor experience and sensations without actually going outside, and still receive enough exercise to keep her fit, strong and healthy.
Walla! Completely fulfills her needs (I hope)! I would like to get one of these devices (for real)!
