Self-Powered Shopping Cart

Problems of Current Shopping Cart:

1- Driving Problem

     – hard to push/pull

2- Controling Problem

     –Small Wheels

     – Size/weight

3- Emptying Problem

     –Deepness

New Design Description:

SELF-POWERED SHOPPING CART

The new design has additional features to the current one in order to turn the current design into an inclusive design. The new shopping cart is designed to serve all people without discrimination of elderly or handicap people.

FEATURES:

• BIGGER WHEELS: It is hard to control small wheel so the size of wheel is increased. 
• ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT: The height of the shopping cart can be adjustable with button from the control panel, that is placed the holder part of the shopping cart. Thanks to this features, the user can pick the most comfortable height.
• POWER SOURCE: The power needed to do function on the control panel will be placed under the cart. It will be rechargeable. 

• SLIDING BARS: One of the biggest problem is emptying basket of the shopping cart, you have to lay down, or carry some heavy things that you bought to the accounter's desk. With this additional features, when the user press eject on the control panel, the bars on bottom surface of the shopping cart will start to slide toward to the front and all the thing inside the basket will be emptied by this option. User do not need to transfer anything . Also even though the user can the height of the cart, when the EMPTY button is clicked, it goes to the same height as the accounter's desk.
  
• SENSORS:
  
  
  
  
  This features is thought to help the blind people originally, however it can serves to all user. 
  When the shopping cart will too close to an object, it will make a warning and slow the cart.
  
  
  
  
  
• CONTROL PANEL: The control panel will be placed to the holder of the shopping cart
  
  
  
  
  Left-top area is used for the adjustment of the height of shopping cart.
  
  
  
  
  

  Left-bottom area is used to empty the basket by adjusting the height to default and activating sliding bars. Oppositely, close the basket again after emptying.
  Middle-Top is used to control movement of the cart by using joystick like tool.
  Middle-Bottom is used to show the battery charge. If the charge is too low it will be read and lock the cart not to use.
  Right Area is used for navigation inside the market. It will show where you are, and general outline of the market to find easily what you are looking for.
  The control panel will use Braille System, which is a language using dots for the blind people reading so that they can also understand functions to the control panel.

Self Powered Shopping Cart:

Appeals to almost everyone:

     Height adjustability (=deepness of the basket)

         - Prevents backpain :elder, people with wheelchair, shorters, tallers, etc.

     Easy control (big wheels, extended handle) on faulty floors

         - Not require too much effort :elder, women, frails, etc.

    Easy discharge (to car, counter, etc.)

         - No pain, no effort :for everyone

    Self-powered (battery)

         - No need to push-pull : for everyone

    Operable control panel (simple, large icons-labels, helpful)

    Not require special skill, but hands:people with no arm ???

    Navigation (Map) :you are here – structure of the market 

    Braille System :Blind (over every label)

    Accident Prevention : Sensors (front and both corners)

Inclusive Design

Definition of inclusive design:

Inclusive design is one of many terms currently in use in built  environment professions, the building industry, and in the wider arena of local and central government. It shares a similar  background and has similar aims to many other terms such as universal design, design for all, lifespan design, and most recently, 'respect for people' and designing for diversity. Inclusive Design is a process that results in inclusive products or  environments which can be used by everyone regardless of age, gender or disability. Inclusive design relies on a holistic and sustainable understanding of the responsibilities, of those who shape the built environment in relationship, to those who populate it.

Different Inclusive Design Examples: 

EXAMPLE 1: StairLift

How it is work:

Our lifts are designed for fast, easy installation. The reason our lifts are so easy to install is because we do the hard part at the factory. The carriage is pre-installed on a short section of track. Installation is not much more complex than connecting a length of track, attaching it to the stairs, bolting down the seat, and plugging it in. Our installation instructions are clearly illustrated and very detailed, plus expert advice is never more than a phone call away.

Features: 

• Simple installation
• Installs on either side of staircase 
• Mounts to the stairs - not the wall 
• Travel up to 20 feet 
• Extruded aluminum track is factory cut to fit your stairs 
• Track only takes up 10” of staircase and chair folds to 14” from wall 
• Unit-controls mount on either armrest 
• Foot or finger-activated call controls for wall or floor mounting at top and bottom of stairs, or optional wall-mounted call/send controls 
• Constant-pressure controls stop the lift the instant you release the control 
• Limit switches automatically shut unit off at the top and bottom of the stairs 
• Footrest safety sensors stop the lift should it contact anything on the stairs 
• Wide, comfortable seat swivels 90° toward landing at each level for safe and easy enter and exit 
• Safety switch prevents lift from running when seat is not in proper position 
• 300 lbs capacity: aircraft cable rated for 4,200 lbs 
• Choice of vinyl or leather upholsteries in three colors (light almond, evergreen or mocha) 
• Operates on standard household current, 115 VAC, 15 AMP minimum grounded circuit 
• Smooth starts and stops 

Advantages of stairlift

the important point of this design is that it can be used for all the people.it is one of the best inclusive design that can be used for all the people.

Cost Considerations

In addition to the cost for the lift,be sure to consider the cost for installation, maintenance and repair.Many lifts require a two-person team,up to half-a-day to install, and you pay for it! Our lifts are so simple to install, it takes less than 2 hours.The maintenance and repair costs for our lifts are also lower because we do not use expensive circuit boards that are prone to failure.

Safety

The need for secure support is paramount. It’s why our armrests are extra rigid. It’s why our eats swivel exactly as they do. It’s why our back rest is adjustable. It’s why we use aircraft cable rated up to 4,200 lbs. on a drive system that has withstood the test of time for more than 50 years.It’s why safety sensors do not allow the lift to run unless the seat is in the proper position. It’s why our footrest has safety sensors to stop the lift if they encounter any obstacles on the stairs.

Comfort and Convenience

The backrest has three different settings,and the fold-up footrest adjusts to two different heights for the utmost in custom comfort. The seat swivels 90° towards the landing at both top and bottom to address bending,balancing and twisting issues when transitioning to and from the lift.

The spacious, wide seat features thick padding and attractive upholstery.The unit-control switch requires little manual dexterity to operate and is conveniently located at the end of the armrest.

Summit Power Options

Unlike other manufacturers, Summit Lifts provides you with the choice of two convenient power options. Choose between safe, AC electrical operation (low voltage, 24V controls), or add protection against power outages by using our DC battery operated system. Unlike other units,

our DC battery operated unit continually recharges regardless of its position on the track. This eliminates the need for you to remember to park the lift on charging pins or to make sure it is in a charging zone.

EXAMPLE 2: Sock Aid

Wearing compression stockings is challenge for people who had back, knee or hip surgery or people have back pain. Even ordinary people have difficulties in wearing them since bending legs for putting socks on/off is torment. 

This sock aid will hold its shape which enables you to place your foot into your stocking and pull it up the length of your calf without the struggle and pulling.

Advantages:

• It is useful for everyone, but especially;
• People with edema or larger feet (wide cone helps them)
• People had surgery (back, hip, knee)
• People cannot bend their feets. (Fat people, people suffer from stroke, etc.)
• Design is not only good for compression stocking, but also for delicate, sensitive stockings
• Quick way to wear socks

Disadvantages:

• Sock Aid cannot be broken into pieces, thus it is hard to carry in traveling. It can be fissile.
• It provides only easy wearing not removing.
• People with no hands or blind people cannot benefit from this design easily.

EXAMPLE 3:Hands Free Umbrella Holder

The design holds an open umbrella and leave your hands free to carry out other activities.The users wear accessory to hold umbrella holder over theirdress and their both hand become free to use.

It is a good inclusive design and is usable for all people including elderly, handicap people.

*Seniors with walkers, wheelchair

*Moms with babies

*Walk your dogs

Advantages

• Hold your baby, bags, wheelchair, scooter, shooping bags at the same time
• It becomes easy to control the umbrella (especially windy weather)
• Your hand will be protected from the cold because you can now put them in your pockets
  

Improvement

It can be design at different sizes, because its default size is too big to control and too heavy to carry

Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems

WHAT IS UBIGUITOUS COMPUTING?

Ubiquitous computing, or calm technology, is a paradigm shift where technology becomes virtually invisible in our lives. Instead of having a desk-top or lap-top machine, the technology we use will be embedded in our environment.

EXAMPLE:

TELE-MONITORING AS A MEDICAL APPLICATION OF UBIGUTIOUS COMPUTING

Using this system it is wanted to evaluate the concepts of ubiquitous computing (embedding, networking, context-awareness) in patient-monitoring applications. The related information collected by these methods:

1.  Micro-technical smart sensors within wearable sensors.
2.  Mobile & Wearable Computing: Personalized mobile information systems can be developed with high usability in mind. Like mobile health-monitoring applications in your mobile.

  

   

 3. Wireless Communications (especially Bluetooth and GSM/UMTS): a monitoring device can always be connected without generating high costs 

 4. Web-based Electronic Patient Record (EPR). In order to reduce the costs of public health systems using home-monitoring technology, the collected vital data must be automatically shared with the heterogeneous information systems (for example clinical information systems).
 

By "tele-monitoring" system,

1. Patient mobility is maximized by physically embedding the devices into distributed wearable or implantable systems.
2. Intuitive, context-aware user-interfaces to enable usability for diseased and elderly people. 
3. Special security requirements to preserve privacy due to the sensibility of patient data

ADVANTAGES of Ubiquitous systems:

Seamless Communication increase mobility. Ubiquitous systems can interact with mobile users or without wired infrastructure. This generally provaides  some form of wireless communication - Bluetooth, wireless LAN, cellular, infra-red, reflecting lasers  and enables mobility.

PROBLEMS of Ubiquitous systems:

Trust, Security and Privacy Ubiquitous applications may involve collaborations between ad-hoc groups of devices, agents or infrastructure servers. It may require migration (mobile agents) or downloading of code.  Most ubiquitous systems have the capability of tracking users and determining patterns of activity - this can be very dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands.

Low Powered Devices Power sources for devices is one of the biggest problems. You cannot keep changing batteries. Use of solar cells, fuel cells, heat converters, motion converters may all be possible. The biggest challenge is to design very low powered devices, transmitters etc although in the past our emphasis has been on faster chips.

THE PROPERTIES OF UBIGUITOUS SYSTEMS:

Context Awareness A ubiquitous system cannot assist a user without being able to accurately determine what they are doing. Sensor networks may need to be aware of what they are trying to measure or detect - human activity, cars, animals etc.

Information overload Vast numbers of sensors can potentially generate petabytes of data - this needs to filtered, aggregated, reduced etc. as close to source as possible e.g. using programmable networks, collaborative sensing strategies. Sensors may have to be programmed to look for specific events.

Self Configuration New approaches are needed to provide flexible and adaptable software and hardware both for mobile devices and the intelligent environment.

Human factors arise to cater for new modes of interaction and ’invisible’ ambient technology which must be usable by non-technical people. There is a need to support transient organizations and dynamic, potentially mobile work arrangements including virtual teams, ad-hoc collaborations and virtual organizations.

Social Issues Human, social and organizational issues that arise in creating new forms of interaction based on ambient technologies and deploying those systems within everyday environments be they the home, the workplace, or more public arenas such as museums and galleries.

Business Models Ubiquitous applications often assume a support infrastructure which provides storage, processing, network connectivity and various services in the home, office, on planes, trains and even in the street. How is this paid for? What is the business model which will make sure this expensive infrastructure is available everywhere.

Simplicity

This week our assignment is to describe how our MicroCal fulfills the laws of simplicity.

       

 Ten laws of simplicity

1. Reduce
2. Organize
3. Time
4. Learn
5. Differences
6. Context
7. Emotion
8. Trust
9. Failure
10. The one

 

We try to organize our calendar very compact. Users can see everything, but aren’t lost in unnecessary data. We prefer to hide data when they are no more needed (i.e. sliding year part). Also “QuickAdd” or “Jump to date” features are added to reduce input data. For instance, just typing “Meeting with John tomorrow at 7:30” in a pop up screen will add this event to the schedule. Likewise, a time saver feature “Jump to date” helps users to spend less time to reach their specific schedule. We choose pictures of the icons so they can reflect the emotions such as icons for adding a “Birthday” or an “Anniversary”. We aim to provide a recognizable interface to users. Thus, users do not need to spend too much time to learn how it works. Additionally, we add some more features to traditional calendar. For the sake of improving usability, we run the risk of complexity to a certain degree .  

All the users can easily control the things that exist in the calender and easily work with it without any problem.

This post was last modified on 18 March 2010 at 15:04.

Social Media

Today many people watch TV to see the films or favoriture TV series on it. Special series are interesting for the people more than others and many people continue to see the episodes of different series on TV.

We are taking these one-dimensional TV schedular world into more interactive and social environment that uses additional social media features and a brand new user-oriented interface.This is a special site that you can see the series on it.     http://www.aetv.com/

Original Format:  No User Account, Just ONE TV Channel, No Social Media Features

OUR PROPOSAL:
It is so good to put different parts in this site as a social media features so that people not only can check what's on on the TV but they can also discuss about their opinion about Tv programs,communicate with each other to know more about the others opinion.

We start adding some social media features to the regular one TV page. Firstly, we add that twitterlink, which automatically makes search for the chosen TV program. So the user can have a look what others' currently thinking. Secondly, we add a Youtube link, so that user can watch the trailer or promo of the upcoming episode. Thirdly, There is IMDB (The internet movie database) link that everybody can go through it and see the update news about movies and actors or actress and other things. Or by looking at the evalution start on this site.

Moreover, Each user can have her or his OWN interface view and private schedule on it. This means everyone who has an account on this site can make own schedule for favoriate TV program from many TV channels.

If the user wants, she can share his/her schedule on the application. Then the application will present this user (pictures or contact info. )to the others who shares the same TV programs or series. For example, I am a fan of House MD, and I want to see the other user who are also fan of it, and contact with them withing the application or comment together about the episodes, which is another additional feature of this application. The user can see the other fans in a box under the followers link.

The users can make suggestion to each other, when they share the same taste of Tv programs. Also suggestion to change your schedule LIKE "see this series is more better than other" and suggest each other their schedule and this is a good way to take an idea and know about the other schedule.

FOR EACH TV EPISODE:

In near of the each episode every person that watch it can make a comment on it and say their opinion about this part and say the good and bad things about this episode.

In near of each episode there is a part of vote that when user choose it can go to the part that vote this episode and saw the other opinions too that how many people like this episode and the total number of people that watch this episode is shown that everybody can understand that how many people like it and how many do not like it.

So watchers ("Followers") can make a group and discuss the points of themselves and everybody who is not like it or who like it can discuss in a room that is special for this episode and discuss about their point of views of themselves.

2) Explain the benefits that is made possible by doing this

• The schedules of the Tv channels just shows for their own program. However, Our proposal application brought to user easiness that s/he can see each program/Tv series or etc. of the ANY Tv channel that s/he wants to see for the chosen day in a time schedule.
• SIMPLE AND FUN: Our application is more fun with all brand new social media feature additions.
• CREATE YOUR TV SCHEDULE: The most useful features are available for the users who have account on the application, because they can create a TV program schedule of their own.They can add their favorite Tv series or programs from different channels, which can be weekly or they can add some interesting document or movies, which are just shown for once.
• DO NOT WORRY YOU WON'T MISS ANYTHING: If anything changes, for example, change in hour or the cancellation of the TV program, the user does not need to worry!!, the schedule will adapt those changes automatically.
• SEE THE TRAILER: Addition of YOUTUBE links will enable user to watch the trailer, or fragman of the coming program/TV program.
• SEE THE CURRENT COMMENTS: Addition of Twitter link will enable user to reach the list of people who are commenting on that TV program or episode right now.
• SEE WHAT IT IS ACTUALLY: Addition of IMDB link will enable user to see and learn detailed information about any unknown, new or interesting program or episode. For the case that twitter or others comments is not helping =).
• GET SOCIALIZED!! MEET THE OTHERS: See and be able to get contact which the people who are also fan of any TV program that you are also a fan of.

3) Do a critical reflection about what would be needed for it to work

Even though it is a set-up application on your computer, non-stop internet connections would be good, actually it is necessary. As we promised that you won't miss anything, all the schedules of TV's need to be controlled periodically because of any changes.

Graphical Representation

MicroCal for Students

                                                  Sample Screen View Of MicroCal

Why for students?

As you know, students always have a lot of things to do. Not only school related things (meetings for projects, doing assignments, etc.) but also social things such as meetings with friends, birthdays or trips. Also we know that an efficient time management plays key role in success. For this purpose, we design a MicroCal for students so that the students can manage their activities easily and use their time more efficiently. In other words, students can use our MicroCal to create their own time schedule. However, although, the target group is students, our MicroCal design can also be used by everyone other than students.

Highligts:

This calendar is designed for iPhones with touch screen. We try to add more features in their 3 inch screen without decreasing the usability of calendar.

MicroCal has the basic functions such as creating, deleting, and updating of an event.

Here is the brief description of these important icons in the design:

• Create event: When the user choose special day it goes to other page that can create and write their things on it.
• Delete event: After choosing a day, user can delete the event.
• QuickAdd: If the user wants to add something fast, user can use this icon to create fast events. For instance, just typing “Meeting with John tomorrow at 7:30” in a pop up screen will add this event to the schedule. That is, QuickAdd is not time consuming.
• Upcoming event: User can see the next events in a list form.
• Jump to date: This feature is considered as an short cut to reach a day. For instance, if user wants to see 16^th Feb’s schedule, s/he only selects the date and touches the “Jump to date” icon.
• Plan: With clicking on it user can choose week or months and see the general information of it for example which day is off and why, the different occasion can see in the details by choosing one of them.

*   Also “Country” selection part can be placed under the “Settings” part. Since the details of the calendar can change from country to country, so each user can see their calendar and know about their details of their calendar.

 Design Details:

We use hide/show sliding bar, so user can make good use of the screen (See “Year” selection part).

Background color or font colors can be adjustable. Generally, Grey – White colors are used to simplify vision.

Geometric shapes, forms and several metaphors (Clock, Pie Chart) are used to support visuality.

For icons we follow general color codes and signs such as for “create event” green plus icon, for “Delete event” red cross icon, etc.

User can adjust the view of the schedule. User can choose Monthly view for general overview or weekly or daily view to see more specific details.

In selected month’s calendar, weekends are separated from the weekdays by a space. At the beginning of each week, numbers of the weeks are placed. Selected day is enframed with yellow shape. Also current day appears in yellow color.

Small indicators are used to guide users. For instance, user can get around with a square shape in calendar. Another example, small red triangle is used to show that, day with this sign has at least one event.

How it works?

First of all, user selects the date from first page. Current year and month is always selected as default.

In second screen, user sees the current month’s schedule.

Whenever user try to add an event regularly (“Create event”) by touching plus sign after the selection of the day, user sees the current events for this day on the clock shapes. Occupied hours with color codes are shown. Since this design is especially for students, user able to see their social events and school related events in different colors. 

 

Overview of the day and Add new Event to Day

To add an event to this selected day, user chooses a time space. Then at the bottom of the page, they can choose the activity type by clicking icons and edit the details for this activity.  

 See also: First draft of the design

The Muse and Creativity

The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature are the goddesses or spirits who inspire the creation of literature and the arts.

In daily life, a muse is anything that inspires you to create something new based upon it. It can be a beautiful woman, a song or beautiful scenery, but usually a person...

Real question is when or where the Muse visits us. Answer is anytime or anywhere.

"The Muse can visit you inappropriate places. Be ready!"

We are all familiar the story of great Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer.
"Once upon a time there were a boy called "Archimedes" and a king named "King Hiero II". Archimedes was asked to determine whether the king's crown was of solid gold, or whether silver had been added by a dishonest goldsmith. Archimedes had to solve the problem without damaging the crown, so he could not use traditional methods. While taking a BATH, he noticed that the level of the water in the tub rose as he got in, and realized that this effect could be used to determine the volume of the crown." We know the rest of the story. Archimedes then took to the streets naked, so excited by his discovery that he had forgotten to dress, crying "Eureka!", and the basic principles of hydrostatics was formed at that moment.

"What if the muse visits you, and can't find a place to sit? Be a tidy landlady/landlord."

In another case, imagine that you work in your work place like this one.

You leave everything in front of your eyes, so you can't spend time to find them. All of sudden, a great idea comes to your mind. You need to write it down, sketch it out. But you couldn't find your scratch pad, panicked for a bit, lost some of the idea in the panicking, grabbed a used paper, and wrote remaining words from the idea and sketched something, after a while threw it into trash. A story of wasted genuine idea...

Final words, personal Muse can be cranky, reluctant or impatient. Be ready at all times to meet…

Assignment 2

Creative moments:

As a competitor or maybe as a match to what google implements to increase creativity of its workers I recommend using Facebook at least it is the case for me. It is an online environment with various different functions within.

From my point of view, if you are looking for something that help you to increase your creativity, you should definitely look a few videos on the facebook. For each day, I found something to be inspired and imagined some designs what I saw in the video. For example, a few days ago I encountered that video below:

Do you regularly beat your cell phone’s screen in with a hammer (the action alone is creative enough or crazy maybe)? We get used to see those things in the movies. After watching that, I started to imagined designs combined with this technology for example;

• On the screens of mobile phone, laptop, or television screen with the advantages of advantages thinner, stronger, not heavier anymore...
  
• You put that screen on your wall instead of a painting and change the picture if you want.
  
• On the surface of the glass for protect against scratches or use it like the agents in the spy-movies
  
• Instead of a curtain in the cinema etc, etc....

creative bathroom for creativity:

We should make our places that we use a lot interesting for ourselves.Yesterday,When I go to bathroom I think about it that how I can make it more interesting .It is so important to make it interesting for use. You know that all the persons use bathroom a lot ,if we can use something special in our bathroom it makes it so good for use in everyday.These are the different creativity that we can take different idea about it.

 

How To become more Creative:

Creativity can be a very personal thing , something that needs to be explored individually by each person.Sometimes you can find nothing, something it is being under a heavy rain, the ideas comes so fast that you could not control.

The important things that help me to be more creative are these:
Combination and synthesis :is the method of being creative by examining ideas from several different existing works, and combining them into something new and different. 
Research:Being creative is frequently defined as doing something new or different. In order to do something new or different, It’s often necessary to fully understand the current status quo — so that you can break out of it. This is why research is a very valuable part of becoming more creative.
Isolating yourself: Isolation is not necessary to create something new, and researching and understanding the existing space is often a far more productive way to be creative. Try both isolation and research, try combining them, and see what works best in your situation.

Tools that might help you become more creative

• Environment: Where you are working, living. Kindergarden always full of colour and different toy for child's development why not for an adult. Increase creativity around you, it will turn back to you like KARMA.
• Read :Read on many topics. Reading is powerful tool indeed. More imagination involved. 
• Record Your Ideas : Record your ideas on whatever is comfortable and convenient at the moment. What is  important is that you record your ideas. Remember the picture of the notebook in the shower.
  
• Don't Limit Yourself : We are doing that ALWAYS.Do not judge at the beginning and Lower the standard (it is not end of the world). What seems impossible to you may not be impossible sometime in the future or for someone else. Can't we see that around us now with the advanced technology. Remember that impossible ideas encourage further creative ideas that might be more likely to be implemented.