A social robot that consists of a knife, app and "scanner" for use in the kitchen, to improve your cooking skills. An increasing amount of people have trouble learning to cook the later it is that they start[1], and this idea intends to be an intervention into that space.

Select your recipe, then simply go through it step-by-step until the meal is complete. As you progress through cutting things apart to use for cooking, an LED indicator on the knife, and the "face" (and speaker) on the scanner indicate if you're "doing it right".

The scanner and knife sensors record your actions. Afterward, you review what you've done against what was expected of you, on your smartphone. This pushes the cook to consider what they can improve on the next time they work on the same meal.

This concept focuses only on the aspect of cooking using the knife correctly (for now), and because there's a variety of ingredients one might cut, it wont be a single use tool, unlike the initial concept.

Project Inspiration

When previously volunteering at a homeless shelter, a common issue is that older volunteers need to teach new ones how to cook. This led me to the thought - surely there's apps and tools already developed to do just this?

Cooking Mama is a game game that teaches one how to cook. However, it only teaches the steps to take, and doesn't improve your physical dexterity and safety awareness with cooking tools.

Previously I stated the idea of "smart cooking tools doing everything for you" being something I wanted to avoid, I've found an example of one here. Sure, the Kuvings blender makes it extremely easy to cook and disassemble materials... but there's no room to make a mistake or chances to fail... it just feels like the blender replaces you.

At the same time, Peeqo inspired the scanner, with the idea of a small device that watches you and has reactions that can change how you act... it sasses you essentially.

With Rekaptured, the idea is that you go on cooking as you always have, and there's additions to your process that don't overwhelm you - and the opportunity for you to mess up your meal. You're collaborating with the tool to complete a somewhat complex task.

Initially the concept revolved around the knife talking to you. But cooking environments can be loud and chaotic, it was important that feedback had both a visual and audio indicator (angry and happy tones on scanner), and, that if there was talking, it could be ignored while cooking.

Feedback also needed to be able to be revisited later. In this case, if a mistake is made, the scanner and knife react, so the cook knows to check the app later to see what went wrong, and can reflect.

[1] (Background reading on learning to cook)

F. Lavelle et al, “Learning cooking skills at different ages: a cross-sectional study,” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 13, no. 1, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-016-0446-y

Inspiration:

Some days ago, I had a dream where I played electronic music with my friend. So I though music theme could be a good idea.

Concept

Wearing gloves with sensors, people can make noises of bongo drum, tambourine, snare drum and so on. In this way, it is a product that combines music and social.

How to play

• For two people

Person 1 wears two gloves named a,b. Person 2 wears two gloves named c,d.

When a touches c, the sound is bongo drum.

When a touches d, the sound is tambourine.

When b touches c, the sound is snare drum.

In this way, these two people can play music by clapping hands.

-For more people

More instruments and combinations of them can be prerecord for people to play. It could be like a hand band.

It can be a children clapping game (from Lorna).

Sensors can also be put on legs, hipbone to represent notes (from Jenny).

A knife that is a social robot. Use it wrong, and you'll be chastised - becoming a Kitchen Kriminal, if you will, because you're breaking knife safety rules. The intent, the knife engages in a brief conversation with you depending on how you used it wrong.

An increasing amount of people have trouble learning to cook as the later it is that they start[1], and I believe one of the many opportunities to address this starts with the simple act of handling a kitchen knife safely.

From experience, there's at least three interactions are at the heart of using a knife safely - proper grip, a safe angle so the edge does not chip, and appropriate force to smoothly get through ingredients and reduce dulling.

To a lesser extent, a response to the topic of Human Technology Symbiosis from Week 1. A significant amount of smart technology simply expects to be let into your home, where it sits idly the whole time, until you tap a button to activate it.

I wanted this smart tool to be more engaging than that, even if it only has humourous retorts to you misusing it... It's a companion rather than a substitute. "You" are using the smart tool to get a task done, and it helps you do that, rather than taking "you" out of the process entirely save for hitting a button.

Project Inspiration

Modified from an idea in response to the prompt "design to enlighten in the kitchen using x with the property of disgust".

Additionally inspired by the idea of how in horror movies, the antagonist may be compelled by their tool of choice to chase down unsuspecting individuals. I didn't have a specific film franchise in mind... just the idea of it being very creepy to have a sharp object that talks.

References

[1] (Background reading on learning to cook)

F. Lavelle et al, “Learning cooking skills at different ages: a cross-sectional study,” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 13, no. 1, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-016-0446-y

Live Social Feed

Poster

Inspiration

Context

My concept is called Live Social Feed

My idea was inspired by the GOMA light wall and the Westfield Garden City Projectors on the side of the shopping mall. In this concept, the user/s will take photos of a given set location and they will post that online, out of all the photos that are taken by everyone on that location, some of the best photos will be displayed against a nearby building.

The software will keep refreshing and updating the current photos every 30-40 seconds. If no posts are made it will rotate from previous posts. This system can take inputs from many different social media platforms ie. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter.

This is a great way to provide exposure to local creators and help them grow. Also provide the general public with a new public platform to experience local art and talents, or even share their own.

Problem

The Problem this concept is addressing is the lack of exposure local artists have, and the lack of a platform that can a decent amount of exposure.

Target Audience

This concept is aimed towards local artists. Whilst still focusing on the general public, however, this system will cater to the artists more.

What?

Kids Be Shh is a waterproof patch that attaches to the arm or hand of a school aged child. The patch remains a slightly, transparent green colour until the child should reach an unacceptable level. At this point the device will alert the user by turning the colour yellow. If the user continues to use an unacceptable volume, the patch will turn red and the offence will be recorded. Each time the ‘red zone’ was entered, it will be displayed on the patch. The data recorded can then be access by those required (such as teachers or parents).

Where?

The patch is designed for use in situations where children struggle to understand social etiquette and appropriate noise levels. The patch was designed with a classroom situation in mind; where there is an interactive activity taking place that requires the children to listen and respond appropriately thus using their “inside voices”. The patch could also be used at home in situations such as quiet time or bedtime as well as during family car rides. The children can be rewarded from low records, encouraging those to not enter the “red zone” continuously.

Why?

The aim is to encourage children to be cautious of their volume and when it is their turn to speak. By alerting the user when they are becoming too loud, it promotes awareness and thus actions on their volume level. Children are reinforced to listen to those speaking and learning when it is their turn to speak. It can also assist the user in learning different situations and their appropriate levels of volume. Learning proper social etiquette at a young age will help develop skills to assist with communication and social interactions later in life.

Inspirations

NIOSH Sound Level Meter App - https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/app.html

Wearable Technology in the Classroom

https://www.techprevue.com/useful-classroom-wearable-technology/

My noisy nieces :D

People's behavior and mental condition are influenced by their family environment, their experiences, and their sense of themselves. The maintenance of relations under the same roof is a subject that everyone needs to keep learning and to try.

LOME is an interactive home-installation. It can" listen" to how people behave and say under the roof, and the flower's condition reacts.

LOME can CAPTURE the following SOUND / VOICE at home :

~ Laughing

~ Love expression

~ Polite expression

~ Encouraging words

~ Praise

These features will raise the scale and the vibe at home will be judges as POSITIVE. It represents that the family environment is WARM and HARMONIOUS. The scale will keep within the safe area (green), and the flower will stay in FULL BLOOM.

Also, when these SOUND / VOICE be captured by LOME at home :

~ Crying

~ Loud noise

~ Shouting

~ Bad words

The vibe at home will be judged as NEGATIVE. It represents that the family environment is DARKand DYSFUNCTIONAL. The scale will drop to the dangerous area (red), and the flower will turn to black and die.

By this point, the dome represents home/family, and the flower represent the life and relationship between members. LOME works as a supervisor and reminder for people to be aware of the influence of their expression. It helps people to learn how to restrain themselves and form a healthy and warm home environment.