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Case Designs - MSR
Over the short time that I had spend in Microsoft Research there had been number of projects that I was a part of. Most of them included designing various cases and enclosures that were made to meet specific requirements. There were also needs when a very specific mechanism or technique had to be repurposed to serve a particular purpose which was always challenging but fun.
Here are a collection of few of those...
The fun part
All the projects start with the very basic of research. In brief, understanding the need, its purpose and the criterions the design has to serve. Then we jump onto aesthetical study, components research, constrains mapping, dimensional study, mechanism study etc. All these will culminate on to the final product which is modelled, 3d printed, assembled and finished.
An enclosure for the Karya Project.
A watertight case that can house all the components with an external power bank to power them and also an input and out put port. This was supposed to be kept in open in rural villages of India. Rest of the details of the project is confidential.
Paddings and anchoring points.
Care was taken to make sure there were no tampering to the devices done by any external entity, by making the disassemble process a bit difficult without the proper tools. Also less screws were used in the overall assembly.
Internal assembly
The placement of the power bank was critical as provisions were provided to attach the device and the weight balance had to be worked out with the power bank.
99 Dots enclosure.
A project that involved keeping track of the users medicine intake by attaching a device to the tablet strip. Every time one of the tablet is taken the device takes an entry. The data was then used to study different criterions in the patients recovery process.
Paper clip attachment
The pod was designed with an ordinary paperclip attachment to make sure the pod stays in pace attached to the tablet strip with its metal leads aligned with the metal contacts of the tablet strip.
Small and compact
The design was such that it had to be very small and compact so it may fit in a medicine tablet strip.
Tightly packed components
The components were very compactly packed even with the battery and the custom build transmitter enclosed.
Clip attachment
The mechanism to hold the clip of the body had to be very strong as that portion would be taking a lot of stress in its product lifetime. Keeping this in mind the clip was fastened to the body with the help of a nut bolt assembly that goes through the body of the pod.
Placement of different components
All the components were placed in such a manner as not to obstruct each other and the assembly would be easy and convenient.
Battery placement
The dimension of the design revolved around the battery as that was the biggest of the components to be fitted into the pod.
Primary prototyping
I had a lot of fun playing around the form and function of the product making sure one compliments the other. A lot of 3d prints were done in the initial stages to nail the design.
Two mobile device attachable VR kit
This was a unique requirement that came from one of the projects that wanted two mobile devices to be attached to the same VR kit at the same time. Other details of the project cannot be disclosed as it has to be kept confidential.
Unique and funky but functional
The usual process was followed where in research was done to find Why, What and How and after which this prototype was developed.
Unique parts and its mechanisms
For the main body a cheap and plastic VR kit was bought in and for the under arm that would tilt and can be kept at any angle a motorbike mobile holder was used. To hold the arm in any angle a laptop holder was used as its linkage mechanism with the tension in it adjusted.
Ergonomics
Attaching two devices to a person's head was a challenging process especially as it had to be universally fit everyone as well as to adjust the weight of the whole contraption. Taking this into account various attachments were designed along with the VR kit to improve its ergonomics and design value.
Assembled and ready to rock
The final assembly was functional as well as ergonomically perfect. It was then tested on with multiple stake holders an used for the research purposes.
Air quality measurement device (AQMD)
An attempt to create a device that can measure the different parameters of air around the office space and transfer the data for further analysis and processing.
AQMD's in and around the office.
Different sensors were enclosed in a compact package and was attached in and around the office spaces that would transmit the info to our workstation via Wi-Fi.
Stand alone devices
The devices were enclosed with an in built battery that made it very handy for installations and made the space clutter free.
Design and component placements-1
The body had a small opening at one end for the air to interact with the sensors and another hole in the other side for charging the battery once a week with a portable charger.
Design and component placements-2
The battery was placed to the bottom for weight distribution and the other components to the top with the main sensor directly in line with the hole for the air to interact.
Ray Fish inspired design
The whole enclosure was designed around the shape of a Ray fish. I felt this would give it a bit more spark and flamboyance that would help it stand out. This also helped with the anchoring of the pod to surfaces either with adhesives, tapes or screws.
Smoke detection device enclosure.
A new and easily removable enclosure was devised that can be attached to the existing smoke detectors that can house a certain type of sensor for a project. The details of the project is confidential.
Push, twist and turn
The whole housing could be disassembled by just pushing and turning that would release the lock. A spring mechanism would make sure that the lock stays in place when assembled.
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