Energy Harvesting Textile

The Modern Manta Jozy Klupar Fall 2012

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What’s a problem worth solving?

As a designer, we see flaws in design everyday, little things that bother us that we would design differently. The market is saturated with these products. They were created as a solution to solve a problem. But, what are the factors that decipher when a problem is worth solving? This is my exploration into finding a problem worth solving, then solving it to the best of my abilities.

Contents Problem finding

Top 5 problems

Final problem Research

Demographic

User needs

Market Reserch Ideation

3-D exploration Textile Research Focused Ideation

Mockups Final Concept Function Technical Specifics Exploded View BOM

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My initial thoughts I first started by identifying things that bug me.

But I soon came to the realization that these were first world problems. There was no urgent, life threatening need to solve any of these problems. The market is saturated with products that solve these various solutions and I did not want to be caught up in the mix.

kitchen clutter

The person on the go uses the small bud headphones. They come with every ipod and iphone. The problem with them is that they tangle. This wastes time, is frustrating, and creates a negative user experience. causes: material of cord, storage of headphones when not in use, outcome: bad experience, increased disposablility

Every home in the u.s. has a kitchen. Some are built with too little counter space, drawer space, or cabinet space. Whichever it is they all have a common problem, not enough space. This tends to make extra clutter. causes: lack of space outcome: unattractive, bad experience, wastes time, could be dangerous, could lose or break products

cord clutter

20 bugs 1. detangling headphones 2. flower pedal mess 3. toilet paper storage 4. electrical plug placement 5. cord clutter 6. no surface for moveable items 7. no surface for sunglasses 8. washing dishes 9. clothes falling off hangers 10. wrinkled air dried clothes 6

detangling headphones

there could be cord clutter in one’s living room, office, or bedroom. it can create confusion when one has to hook/unhook something. It looks unattractive, is difficult to decipher what cord goes to where, and can potentially be dangerous.. causes: lack of electrical plug sockets, too many appliances in one area, outcome: bad experience, unattractive, potentially dangerous

wrinkled air dried clothes

light pollution

constant disposal of containers

This could be leaving the lights on outside or inside for long periods of time, when noone is using the light. causes: leaving lights on outcome: wasted energy

ex. shampoo, conditioner, handsoap The majority of people in the u.s. use shampoo and handsoap. One of the problems with that is they come in containers that you are constantly throwing away.

Once the product is gone, out goes the container. This is extremely wasteful. causes: no current solution, outcome: landfill buildup

no surface for moveable items phone,keys,sunglasses,wallet When someone gets home, they immediately look for a place to put one’s things. Most women carry a purse and just put the purse down. This could be problematic for women who are constantly switching bags (school bag, purse). The main issue here is forgetting where one put an important item or not having enough surface space to put it down..

Causes: not enough space outcome: lost items, wastes time, looks unattractive

11. One lost sock 12. dead battery on phone 13. constant disposal of containers 14. transporting dirty dishes to washer 15. lost passwords 16. No space in kitchen 17. Clothing clutter 18. decrease in physical items(books,photos) 19. light pollution 20. throwing away magazines

people who don’t have a dryer or try and not to waste energy, air dry their clothes. The problems with air drying is you need a lot of space and the clothes have a somewhat crinkled look when they are dry. causes: lack of space, outcome: wrinkled clothes, but saved engergy

Toilet paper storage The majority of people in the u.s. use toilet paper. Those that have limited space lack attractive easily accessible storage. One does not realize they need more toilet paper until it is gone and if the next roll is not in a easily accessible place you have a problem. causes: lack of space, outcome: bad experience

problem solution scenearios

I dug a little deeper using problem-solution scenarios and a few things became clear.

I began discovering that I wanted to focus on impact. Whether that be impact on the most people or the size of the impact on an individual or the environment.

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top five problems

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I focused on contaminated drinking water, carrying heavy items, no access to electricity which causes lack of light, fire danger, and composting in an urban environment,.

What’s the problem?

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three problems, 5 possible solutions, 25 concepts I narrow my problem down with ideation and factoring in impact. The resulting problems were the affects on the body of carrying heavy items in the developing world, no access to electricity which causes lack of light, and the lack of integration of composting in an urban environment,.

I chose this problem because of the impact it has on the lives of 1.5 billion people, but also the toll it plays on the life of that individual.

solar panel

Device that you wear on your body that reduces stress and strain from the heavy load.

Device that you do not wear on your body and eliminates the stress and strain from carrying a heavy load on your body.

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Device that uses solar cells to produce light.

Device that encourages composting inside the house.

Device that uses renewable energy to produce light.

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What’s the problem?

1.5 billion people are living in darkness

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2 out of 5 people on the planet do not have access to Electricity

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Why’s this a problem?

This lack of light Causes...

decrease in wellbeing lack of productivity lack of community No visibility during Medical emergencies 16

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Light is need at all times during the day, not only just at night. It can be needed inside, to cook, or prepare food, knit, read, or even to journey out at night on a dirt path.

What’s the problem? paragraph

12 million people in

Peru

are living

without electricity Where is light needed?

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What’s the problem?

Peruvian

lifestyle

user needs Affordable Practical Versatile Durable Renewable Energy I observed this problem while doing an internship in the Altiplano of Peru. They had electricity but could only use it for 2 hours a night, for a variety of reasons. I had first hand experience witnessing the troubles they encountered by this problem It affects every part of their day, ultimately giving them less time to do things that need to be done.

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What’s currently out on the market?

While doing my research I soon began to notice there is a plethora of products that address this concern. They came in different forms. Solar sister, for example is explained as an entrepreneurial venture for those in the developing world. It not only gives solar light to those in need but gives a few people the opportunity to gain income. The Portable light is a kit (one led, a reflector, battery, solar cells) that the user integrates into their own textiles. Lifeline has many products but the one pictured is a plastic light with solar cells and windup capabilities to power the light.

Some major flaws I saw in all these systems was, they looked like they were designed by someone living in the first world. While the entrepreneurial venture seems great, the user must make a connection with the product first, and it is hard to do that with a hunk of material your not used to seeing/using/feeling. The Portable light is donation based, and the direct LED would shine in your face which would not be useful, also it assumes the user wants to integrate solar cells into their clothing. The Lifeline product has all of the problems above, and it looks like a child’s toy.

While all these designs have good intentions(mostly), there are many issues. For one, who services the products if they brake, who distributes them, and what if they get stolen while charging outside? They are donation based, so this assumes the person will take care of a product they received for free, and above all how can they make a connection with a material and technology they know nothing about?

What i discovered 22

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Ideation

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I began ideating. This phase was initial ideation, getting all the possible concepts out of my mind and onto paper. Some of them were taken further into 3-d explorations

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What’s the problem? paragraph

After I started my 2-d ideation I quickly moved to 3-d, experimenting with some of my concepts. I was interested in manipulating the material to best shine the light. I also played with solar cell placement.

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I dove right into lighting, experimenting with different materials finding out how the light reacts with that material. I tried to eliminate the hot spots created by the light.I also began thinking about the connection of the lighting, how it would turn on/off.

What’s the problem?

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What’s the problem? paragraph

Peruvian

texiles

I gravitated toward using textiles for a few reasons. The main deciding factor, was because of affordability. With textiles, there is no tooling cost and they can be made locally. Textiles are an integral part of Peruvian culture. The patterns are full of color and texture. Every Peruvian woman can be found wearing a manta at some point during her day.

Peru has the longest continuous textile record in the world, going back almost 10,000 years.

Invented long before pottery and just as humans started agriculture, Peruvian fiber manipulation began with simple spun fibers, moved on through cords and nets and by 500 C had developed into complex weaving, employing practically every technique known today.

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Deeper ideation I did further 2-d exploration which lead me to my final three concepts.

My final three concepts were -a light kit assembled by the user -light harvesting textile -one for one concept - someone in the first world buys the previous concept and a cheaper version goes to someone in the developing world.

My final concept was a combination of the three concepts. I wanted it to be affordable like the first concept, energy harvesting like the second, and aesthetically pleasing lke the third. I took these elements from each which made my final concept.

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More mockups

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This 3-d exploration focused only on using fabric. It allowed me to test 2-d concepts while find the appropriate form.

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modern technology + Traditional Textiles

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Solar cells = Peruvian Manta Peruvian Manta- a Peruvian garment that can be worn as a shawl, wrapping around the shoulders of women. It can also be used to transport babies or other items.

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paragraph

What’s the problem?

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Energy Harvesting Textile 4 solar cells

8 LED’s 1 battery

Affordable: $16.80 Practical: Charges on or off the body Versatile: Many ways to wear it Durable: Easy to clean Renewable Energy This energy harvesting textile needs 6 hours to fully charge the battery.

The battery then powers 4 LED’s for 8 hours or all 8 LED’s for 4 hours before it needs to be charged again. It is only $16.80 or 40 Peruvian Nuevo Sole which is somewhat affordable but gives reliable renewable light unlike the alternative, kerosene lanterns, candles or battery operated flashlights which are are insufficient, hazardous, and unhealthy. The battery can withstand 10,000 charge/discharge cycles which under normal conditions is 30 years.

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How does it work?

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how can it be used?

Giving those the opportunity to have light when and where they want it....

increases the wellbeing of individuals Allows for more time to be productive Gives more time to gather with the community Allows for other devices to be charged with the battery 43

What’s the problem?

paragraph

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How many ways can it be worn?

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What’s the problem?

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Specifics

One Lithium Iron polymer (LiFEPO4) battery is used. This battery has 3500 milliamperehour (mAh). This battery lasts 10,000 charge/ discharge cycles. This battery is 3.2 Volts.

USB connectors are used to allow for familiarity, and cheap adapters for cell phones, computers or whatever else needs to be charged. This also allows for the battery to be charged from the wall, if needed.

The LEDs used are 2.75 Volts and 100 MA.

Each solar cell is 3 v. They are wired in a series to allow for quicker charge time. The four solar cells need to charge 6 hours to reach a full charge,

You can run 8 LEDS(800 MA) for 4 hours= 3200 MAH OR 4 LEDS(400 MA) for 8 hours= 3200 MAH.

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Solar cells

Exploded View These drawings show the layout of the wires and the LEDs.

Collar

Deconstructed Solar Flap

Main Piece

LED’s & wire layout

LED fastener

Lining

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BOM It is only $16.80 or 40 Peruvian Nuevo Sole which is somewhat affordable but gives reliable renewable light unlike the alternative, kerosene lanterns, candles or battery operated flashlights which are are insufficient, hazardous, and unhealthy. The battery lasts 30 years, therefore it saves a lot of money in the long term aspect.

Light emitting textile Part name Solar Panel Assembly -Cells

Quantity

Material

Process

Size

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solar cells

2.36” x 2.36” x .079”

-Solar Flap Battery LEDs Cape -Outer fabric -Liner -pocket (battery & solar) -Buttons wire

1 1 8

knit fabric Sewn Lithium-Iron Polymer

9”x 16” 2.5” x 1” .065” x .065”

switch female usb connectors male usb connectors

2 3 2

Weight

Finish Epoxy encapsulated Sealed

Sewn 1 1 2

knit fabric cotton cotton

49” x 60” 47” x 58”

5 450”

wood/plastic Solid Wire- Tinned Copper

.5” x .5” 24 gauge

PVC Jacket

1” x .25” x .25”

Sealed

metal metal & plastic

2” x .5” x .065”

Solar cells Battery LED’s Fabric Switches Connectors

$8 $4 $.80 $2 $1 $1

Total

$16.80

Is it affordable?

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paragraph

What’s the problem?

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Bringing hope and light to those living in darkness

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What’s the problem?

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the

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Modern Manta

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Thank you

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