SHIH-YEN LOPortfolio 2014

PortfolioShih-Yen Lo 羅士硯

January 2015loshihyen@gmail.com

+44 754 381 3148+886 912 902 336

Shih-Yen Lo, a designer, mechanical engineer, and photographer. He believes that design is based on humanity, and all humankind should be served.He considers that it is honest and practical that makes design powerful.

Abisko, Sweden, autumn 2011

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Shih-Yen Lo羅士硯

+44 754 381 3148+886 912 902 336

loshihyen@gmail.com

LANGUAGESChinese (mother tongue)English (fluent)Japanese (beginner)Swedish (beginner)

COMPUTER SKILLSMicrosoft OfficeAdobe Creative SuiteRhino + Grasshopper + Paneling ToolsCATIAKeyShotSony Vegas ProAutodesk AutoCADAbaqus CAE

SKILLSGeneral metal / wood workshop equipment Model-makingOrigami

Mechanism / part designStructure lightweight designCircuit design

Commercial photography / rendering

2011-12 Umeå, Sweden

2013- London, UK

2006 Los Angeles, USA

-2011 Taipei, Taiwan

EDUCATION

2013- Royal College of Art, United Kingdom MA Design Products

2012 Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden 2011 Industrial Design Introduction (BA Level Program)

2011 National Taiwan University, Taiwan 2009 MSc Mechanical Engineering

2011 National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan 2007 Dept. of Industrial and Commercial Design (Auditing)

2006 University of California, Los Angeles, USA 6wks Jump-Start: An Introduction to Architecture (Summer Session)

2009 National Taiwan University, Taiwan 2005 BSc Engeenering Science and Ocean Engineering

EXPERIENCE

2013 Intern at ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Taiwan 2012 o Sleeves and smart covers for tablets and smartphones o Mobile powerbank for smartphones and tablets

2011 Research assistant of intelligent lightweight vehicle project, National Science Council, Taiwan. 2009

AWARDS

2008 Design award of solar yacht, National Ship Model Contest, Taiwan

2008 Nominated, TECO Greentech Contest, Taiwan

EXHIBITION / PUBLICATIONS

2013 Personal photography exhibition titled fjärran i norr, Taiwan

2012 Mechanism and Structure Research of a Portable Electric Personal Vehicle, master thesis of National Taiwan University

2010 Portable Electric Vehicle, patent of Republic of China (pending)

2010 A Multi- mode Vehicle for Multi- purpose Transportation Use, patent of Republic of China (pending)

2010 Research and Design of an Intelligent Personal Lightweight Electric Vehicle, conference paper, EVS25, ShenZheng, China.

Umeå University

PROJECTS

EXOSKELETONp 26

REMOTE DOOR UNLOCKERp 70

GARDENA HANDSAWp 46

OLFA CUTTER MODIFIEDp 66

BEOBLENDERp 60

FLOWp 54

PERSONAL VEHICLEp 40

GREEN JUMPERp 34

FEASTNOGRAPHp 22

DROPBACKp 14

IN SEARCH OF ORIGAMIp 10

2014.1 In Search of OrigamiCreated the idea, idea sketching, 3D modeling, model making

320 x 320 x 500 mm Personal project in Royal College of Art, United Kingdom

I am interested in the relationships between the pattern, the form, and the function.This project started by exploring the essence of origami: the ability to create a structure by simply transforming a sheet of material.

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Yoshimura PatternThe rolling pattern started by the Yoshimura buckling pattern, I started to play with different materials and different methods. The pattern creates stiffness so that the thickness of the sheet material could be reduced by 30%.

Manufacturing ProcessThe aim of this project is to develop a method of manufacturing a stool. I modified a pasta machine with 3D printed parts to create a rolling mold of the pattern.

The goal of this machine is to prove that it’s possible to manufac-ture a larger size (ex: a stool ) and quantity. I am looking for imple-mentations and trying on different materials.

2014.6 DropBackCreated the idea, idea sketching, mock-up making, testing

360 x 160 x 250 mm Personal project in Royal College of Art, United Kingdom

Drop Back is an auxiliary water supplying system designed for the city of London. It con-denses the steam exhausted from the boiling system and collects high-quality water that’s usable for gardening, laundry, or even drinking.

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Fog HarvestingI took the picture in the previous page through the window of a train in London in early morning. It make me think of transforming the fog into water. I found out that there is an organization called FogQuest who uses double layered Raschel mesh to harvest fog.After that I built an experiment in my bathroom to try the water harvesting ability of different textiles including the Raschel net, but all of them seems not that good.Then I did another experiment in Hyde Park to see if it works there, but there were no mist in that part of the park, nor above the Serpentine.

ObservationThrough my window I saw steams coming out from chimneys. And I thought about what if I can harvest water from that.I looked into the water boiling system for household and found it possible to harvest water from the exhaust pipe.

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Initial ExperimentThen I quickly made a device to harvest water from the steam. It works effectient-ly, but the water gathering system didn’t work. The device produced a pool of water on the floor in 30 mins.

Form Follows FunctionI think it could be nice to use the con-densed water for gardening because the water quality might not be good enough for drink, and the source is already out-door and maybe by the garden.

I decided to design a cover to cover the duct because I want the product to be broadly used. Although the duct along with a pipe could be replaced,I consider it easier to just put another part on it.

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Design for ManufactureI think the cylinder series are the most intact form and easy to manufacture in the same time. It could be made through metal spinning or stamping. But the closed form might raise the pressure in the pipe, which might be dangerous.

Then I started to fosus on the sheet metal folding series. I think this is also a good way of manufacturing because it doesn’t need mold and could remain flat all the way until installing, which reduces the volumn of package and shipping.(See the aluminum models)

TDS MeterA TDS Meter indicates the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of a solution, i.e. the concentration of dissolved solids in it. Since dissolved ionized solids such as salts and minerals increase the conductivity of a solution, a TDS meter measures the conductivity of the solution and estimates the TDS from that.Dissolved organic solids such as sugar and microscopic solid particles such as colloids, do not significantly affect the conductivity of a solution so a TDS meter does not include them in its reading.

Water Quality TestThe water quality is very good. The TDS is 108 ppm, while the standard of drinking water is about 250 ppm and the water from the drinking fountain in our school studio is over 300 ppm, which is undrinkable.

Water HarvestingA stainless steel mockup is made and test-ed. Due to hot weather, only 30ml of water was gathered from 5 showers.

Feastnograph 2013.10

Created the idea, idea sketching, mock-up making, film shooting500 x 330 x 250 mm Personal project in Royal College of Art, United Kingdom

Feastnograph is my response to the brief: Feast Automata. My idea is to share the joy and warmness with those who couldn’t attend the reunion. I created this candlestick that records the sound from the dining table and save it on the candle. Send the candle to the missing one and share the warm and joyful atmosphere.

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Phonograph by EdisonPhonograph, also called record player, instrument for reproducing sounds by means of the vibration of a stylus, or needle, following a groove on a rotating disc. A phonograph disc, or record, stores a replica of sound waves as a series of undulations in a sinuous groove inscribed on its rotating surface by the stylus. When the record is played back, another stylus responds to the undulations, and its motions are then reconverted into sound.

The invention of the phonograph is generally credited to the American inventor Thomas Edison (1877). His first recordings were indentations embossed into a sheet of tinfoil by a vibrating stylus; the tinfoil was wrapped around a cylinder that was rotated as the sounds were being recorded.

~Encyclopædia Britannica

Record the atmosphere on the dinning table by Feastnograph, the special candlestick. The sound of dining, chat-ting, and laughters would be recorded onto the candle.

Receive the candle and mount it onto another Feastnograph candlestand.

Send the candle to the one who couldn’t come back for the reunion.

Play it and enjoy the warmness from the family, friends, or the beloved.

Cone for gathering/spreading the sound

Membrane for vibrating

Pin for carving/reading the candle

Candle for recording

Screw for lifting the candle as rotating

Gears for rotating the screw

Handle to power the machine

Phonograph for FeastBased on the phonograph, a candle is used as a data saving media of Feastnograph.

Gone with the TimeJust like the laughters disappear in the air and memory gone with the time, the re-corded atmosphere could be played only once to your mind.

Exoskeleton 2012.11-2013.1

Created the idea, idea sketching, mock-up making, 3D Modelling, 3D Rendering338 x 239 x 25 mm Co-work with Derra Chen and Jo Chang, ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Taiwan

Exoskeketon is a sleeve assesory for ASUS Transformer Book that connects the pad and dock with a built-in double hinge structure. The assembly works like a notebook with touch panel but with more variety to fit different scenarios by transform among different modes. This project is still on further stages of developing and could be in the market soon.

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Current ModesASUS Transformer Book is the world’s first detachable notebook. It is a notebook, a tablet, and altogether amazing. Shifting from different modes, Transformer Book can fulfill different needs in daily live.

Pad/ LaptopASUS Transformer Book is not only a pad, it’s also a hybrid laptop.

CarryingShut the Trandformer book, and carry it like a book!

But We Want More!ASUS Transformer Book is good, but we beleive that it could be better by simply adding a sleeve to it. The Exoskeleton sleeve makes the transform simplier. With a double-hinge hided inside, no more mech-anism is needed on the pad and keyboard dock but some magnets.

Touch-StandThe touch-stand mode enables user to manipulate the touch screen easily in front of a table or in similar gestures.

2-Pads SharingWe can also attach 2 pads to the sleeve and make them syncronizing. Then we can share the same screen!

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Idea SketchingTo achieve the built scenarios, several kinds of hinges were considered and some sketch models were tested. We chose a pair of double hinges to prototype.

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PrototypingThanks to company’s model shop, most parts are CNC machined and have same weight as real product. What I had addi-tionally learned here is to communicate with the hinge supplier but not leting them know our idea.

Pad

Exoskeleton upper part

Magnets

Leather cover

Double hinges

Keyboard dock

Screws

Magnets

Exoskeleton lower part

RenderingRendering is one of the first basic skills I have been trained in ASUS,

2008.9-2010.12 GREEN JUMPERExterior Design, Interior Design, Ergonomics, Chassis Design

4230 x 1800 x 1540 mmTeamwork in National Taiwan University, acknowledge to Delta Electronics, Taiwan

Green Jumper is a battery powered electric car. It’s a joyful and energetic hatchback. The size is like a 3-series BMW sedan, but has bigger room for its shape. The vehicle is de-signed to be use in city, with the carbon fiber body, the weight is less than 900kg, and this leads to the result of only 0.1Kwh of energy is needed for it to drive a kilometer.

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Designer -x- EngineerBeing the only designer in the team, I designed the exterior of this vehicle. Started from 2D sketches, the proportion, curves, and details are defined step by step. This project gives me lots of experience on 3D modelling and communicating/tackling with engineering team. I think I did well thanks to my engineering background, as a Chinese saying, “Know your enemy, know yourself; hundred battles, hundred won.”

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AerodynamicAfter the sketches, the 3D model was built and tested by the fluid dynamic depart-ment. The Cd of this car is 0.25 accord-ing to computational fluid dynamics, which means the air resistance is very small.

Handmade& Test DriveWe did some road tests and enjoy this cool “super car.” The high frequency sound of the motor impressed me a lot, but what moves me the most is to see my “baby” dashing on the road.

2008.9-2011.9 PERSONAL VEHICLEConcept & Scenario Design, 3D Modelling, Prototype Building, Mechanism Design

1400 x 600 x 900 mm (expanded mode)Teamwork in Taiwan University, acknowledge to National Science Council, Taiwan

This is an ultra compact folded electric vehicle which is designed to be used with public transportation system. With a easy folding mechanism and ultra lightweight body, the 10-Kg vehicle brings you from metro /bus station to the place you want to go fluently and rapidly, without a single drop of sweat!

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In UrbanAccording to the data research, using en-vironment, and human behaviour, the sce-nario is built up. Designed to be used with metro system in urban area, the personal vehicle was developed via a rigorous pro-cess.

For Metro & BusDesigned to be used in urban area with metro and bus system, the scenario was interpreted into the specifications of the vehicle.

Mind StormingAfter the specifications were regulated, the 7 people team brainstormed several rounds to create the concepts of the vehicle.

Towing ModeThe folded full scale mock-up was tested in towing mode, to check it fits the accessibil-ity ramps and other places.

3-Wheeler?Scaled mock-ups were made to discuss and refine the idea of the folding mecha-nism and verify if it fits the scenario.

ErgonomicsFull scale models were built to test on er-gonomics and evaluate the folded size. We had a 3-wheel vehicle at this stage, and simplified to a 2-wheel model later on.

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FoldingMechanismAfter the 2-wheel folding scooter idea was adopted, more sketches were made to fig-ure out the possible folding methods.

Weight = 10 kgThe team achieved an 11kg working proto-type, which is 1Kg heavier than the target.

GARDENA HANDSAW 2011.11-2011.12

Design Process, Idea Sketching, Mock-up Making, 3D Modelling & Rendering270 x 44 x 22 mmPersonal project in Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden

The GARDENA 340 handsaw, which had been in the market for 10 years, need to be rede-signed. From the ergonomic point of view, the old version isn’t that good. I did 2 rounds of user tests to find out the best ideas and the best dimensions of the final concept to make this new handsaw as ergonomic as possible.

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Strap attachment: Too small, easily broken.

Grip: Too rigid and slippy, not ergonomic nor explanatory.

Release button:The response is a bit wobbly, and only for right-handed people.

Blade: The blade should be a curve instead of straight, and the direction sign could stand out more.

Finger shield: Effective design but ugly.

It Slips!We tested the saw in different pruning positions to check the ergonomics, and found the saw not easy to handle, and may slip out from your hand due to the teeth of the blade were stuck in the branch!

The Current ModelThe current version of the saw we were assigned to design, the Gardena gardener folding saw 340, was tested and evaluated in different aspects.

Direction of the forearm Direction of the blade

Twisted WristIf you see from top, you’ll find that there is an angle between the arm and the blade, which makes the wrist pain dur-ing periodical movement.

Blade Should Extent from the ArmDue to the blade and the forearm are not parallel, wrist, shoulder and waist would be painful when using the saw. From ergonomics’ point of view, the blade should be an extension of the forearm, which is parallel and has no displacement from the forearm, to eliminate the torque exerted on the wrist.

Direction of the forearm Direction of the blade

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2-ModesThe first ides is to make the blade adjust-able between 2 mode, to eliminate the an-gle between the blade and forearm from side view.

In the MiddleTo reduce the torque caused by the dis-placement between the blade and the fore-arm, the blade is moved to the middle of the saw by a 2-section folding mechanism.

According to the reflection from user tests, the position of the hole is adjusted for index finger instead of middle finger.

Relax the WristTo eliminate the angle between the blade and the forearm from the top view, the blade is tilted with a little angle to make the wrist in rest position and the blade parallel to the forearm when pruning.

DetailAdjustmentMore mock-ups were made to verify the details on the final design, including the size and thickness of the ring, the curve of the grip, and the shape of the bar-end.Different

Idea SketchingAfter the user testing, I found out that both idea 1 and 2 could be in the final design. Idea 3 was abandoned since it’s a bit dif-ficult to cover both left and right handed people in one model.

Ring

Bar-end

Grip

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ReflectionsAccording to reflections from various user tests on the 4 mock-ups from the last page, the final design was modified into the best ergonomic design, which could be flexibly used in different scenarios, posi-tions, and habits.

Well ControlledThe ring with soft inner grip let the user control the saw more precisely and easily. The indicator shows that the blade could be stopped in 2 angles. The strap attach-ment is reinforced.

2012.3-2012.4 FLOW

Flow is an interior concept for a 2-seater vehicle which want its users get close to the na-ture. The 3 layers laminated wood structure forms the seats, arm rests, and control panel. Both natural lighting and ventilation are induced into the vehicle through the panels, which are also integrated into the 3 layers of wood.

Idea Sketching, Clay modelling, 3D Modelling & Rendering, Commercial Poster Design2200 x 130 x 140 mm

Personal project in Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden

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OrientalAtmosphereThe goal of this project is to interpret a feel-ing into the vehicle interior and create a A0 commercial poster presentation.I chose to make my vehicle feels oriental, relax, and futuristic.

Vehicle Layout3D model were built to check the aspect ratio of the vehicle interior; manikins were put to verify the ergonomics.

3 Layers Form AllBoth the control panel and the seats are extended from the laminated woods. The seat is formed by 2 loops, which is like a “ruyi” symbol in Chinese culture.

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Clay ModellingA set of clay model were built and photo-graphed by super wide angle lens to sup-port the abnormal perspective of interior sketching.

Car Ad PosterThe poster is made to sell this vehicle. In my opinion, the behaviour of selling a car is not only selling the vehicle itself. It’s more like selling a atmosphere, a way of living, or even a dream.My idea is to lead the users of this car close the nature, thus I created this poster to put up the feeling of natural and peaceful.

BEOBLENDER 2011.9-2011.10

Design Process, Idea Sketching, Mock-up Making, 3D Modelling & Rendering220 x 140 x 320 mmPersonal project in Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden

Assigned the Bang & Olufsen brand and target customers in the age section of 30-50, the set of BeoBlender and BeoTumbler was designed for those who are always in hurry in the morning. The one click user interface and powerful drill reduce the time of handle the fruits. Vitamin cartridge and cooling system make the juice fresh and nutrient. Just grab and go, Alex!

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Bang & OlufsenTo study the brand of Bang & Olufsen, another imageboard were made and dis-cussed in team of 3.

PersonasThe imageboard shows the style of Alex, including what he wears he uses, and what he wants.

AlexanderThe target customer, Alexander, is a 35 years old fashion designer who owns a apartment in London.

IdeasIdea sketches were made and further eval-uated by Harris profile method.

Always Hurry in the MorningA scenario were made to think about when, how, and why this blender. The story tells that Alex needs a fast blender for him to grab and go.

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The Right CurveStarted from 2D sketches to find the pro-portion, more sketched were made to de-velop the details after the idea were the decided. A set of full scale foam mock-up were made to check the developed form.

Fast & FreshThe drill on the top can crush the core and press the fruit down to the blending area. Interchangeable vitamin cartridge adds vi-tamin into the juice, and the cooling system keeps the fruit and juice cool and fresh.

OLFA CUTTER MODIFIED 2010.2-2010.6

This is a personal project that I did in my spare time. I had this idea years ago and decided to implement it in 2010. I designed the wooden grip for the knife and repackaged it with number and the name of that wood species. Being endued a high quality feeling, all the 30 copies handmade by myself were sold out in a week.

Concept Design, 3D Modelling, Prototype Building, Manufacturing, Merchandise190 x 60 x 10 mm Personal project, consulted by Chih-Feng Li.

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Details are CrucialSeveral prototypes were made to evaluate the volume and details.

A pair of knives with verawood grip, the pattern of the wood build up the high quality feeling.

CustomizedThe packages were also designed and customized, the number and material were laser carved to show the preciousness.

Which OneDo You Want?A wide variety of more than 10 kinds of woods were used, each performs unique natural aroma and tactile impression.

Home FoundryThe products in different steps of manufac-turing, which is a romantic mess.

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This is a 30-minute project that saved me a lot of time. I came up with this idea all in a sudden and went to workshop immediately. It took me 30 minutes to build the mechanism and I think this is the most useful stuff that I’ve made in Sweden.

REMOTE DOOR UNLOCKER 2012.4

Prototype building, Testing100 x 128 x 88 mm Half hour project in Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden

Knock! Knock!Since I’m the one who sits closest to the door and we are all hard workers that work so late, it’s my duty to unlock the door for those who forget their access cards. It’s quite annoying to jump up from the seat just for pushing a single button, thus I de-cided not to.

Click!Without any sketch and graph, all the ma-terial was picked from the recycling bin. The cross shaped part is a leftover from la-ser cutting machine. The handle at my side is a tape

Shih-Yen Lo likes cycling and landscape photography.He started his photography life since 2008 and soon found out to have a crave on landscape.Photography reminds him to reserve the nature, and he is practicing in his life and design.

Ilan, Taiwan, Summer 2013

PortfolioShih-Yen Lo 羅士硯January 2015Wloshihyen@gmail.com +44 754 381 3148+886 912 902 336

SHIH-YEN LOloshihyen@gmail.com+44 754 381 3148