solar charging

benchreport

DANA CHAN

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

AIM

PERSONA

INITIAL RESEARCH

CONCEPT 1

CONCEPT 2

CONCEPT 3

CHOSEN CONCEPT

FURTHER RESEARCH & PRECEDENTS

SKETCHES, SKETCH MODELS & DEVELOPMENT

FINAL MODEL

CONTEXT

ERGONOMICS

DETAILS

MATERIALS

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

5

6

10

14

16

18

20

22

24

28

34

42

44

46

51

54

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03

As technology becomes more and more intertwined into our lives, we find ourselves on the go with multiple gadgets; cell phone, camera, music device, ebook etc. One of the most frustrating aspects of modern technology is the need to charge them in order to use them. However, this sometimes gets forgotten amongst our busy lives and these devices become useless paper weights.

The solar charging station aims to address the problem when we just need a quick charge to keep us going. While these stations already exist, they are mostly provided on a pay by charge basis. However, by harvesting energy through the sun, this solar charging station can provide free power to users. inroduction

05

AIMThis project aims to explore the relationship between furniture, user and space; pushing the boundaries of what furniture design is. This project aims to create designs that will address the world issue of sustainability through the materials, interaction and by re-evaluating traditional production techniques to combine them with modern technologies. This project also aims to push the durability, strength , sustainability and construction methods by working with ACCOYA wood.

06

TARGET AUDIENCE

& PERSONA

The target audience for the solar charging station is the general public because even homeless people have devices to charge. The station is ideally aimed at users who have run out of battery and need a boost to keep them going throughout the day.

The ideal placement for the stations is around the city, particularly in areas where free Wi-Fi is available; Cuba St, waterfront etc. The concept behind the charging station is for it to be readily available and easy to access and the bench provides the user somewhere to rest while they are charging up their device/s.

09

Alex is a 23 year old living in Wellington City. He is making a few calls to some friends.

His phone beeps and he realises he forgot to charge his phone laste night.

As he makes his way down the waterfront he spots some solar charging stations.

Quickly he sits down at the bench and plugs in his phone.

While he waits for his phone to charge he eats his lunch and browses the internet on the free WIFI.

15 min later his phone is charged enough to last until the end of the day where he can go home and charge his phone.

11

PROCESSES USED IN

THE FINAL DESIGN

CNC routing

Tube Bending

Electrical wiring

wood laminating

13

INITIAL RESEARCH & precedents

Top Left: An existing pay by charge charging station. Overall the design is very busy and may be confusing for the first time user.

Top Right: The form of Alexander Calder’s mobile is very interesting; the geometric shapes, fragile connections and sculptural aesthetics.

Bottom: Diagram of how solar panels work. There are quite a few hidden electrical components.

The image to the top right is what inspired this concept; a gardening setup created by urban dwellers, the result is cluttered and doesn’t use the space as efficiently as possible in an urban environment. Investigating the strength of different shapes and tessellation by looking at existing structures in nature, in particular the honeycomb.

15

CONCEPT oneUrban plant-

ersAs more people relocate to urban spaces many of us begin to depend heavily on the readily available produce and we begin to lose our touch with nature. However, in order to become a more sustainable society, we must look into other options; one of them is growing our own produce and herbs etc. But, one of the major disadvantages of city living is the lack of space. This concept address these issues through the vertical orientation of the planter and the choice of materials. The pods are big enough to home a plant but are also small enough for portability; encouraging the user to share and swap plants. The structural design of the individual pods allows the number of planters to be infinite and gives the user the freedom to arrange them as they like. Also, as it has been speculated that 3D printers will become a part of domestic everyday life, the consumer is encouraged to print these structures as needed.

200

12

180

20

10

A

A

12

160

230.94 115.47

160 12

EXPLODED VIEW

3D PRINTED CERAMIC

3D PRINTED ABS

ACCOYA WOOD

MESH

FRONT RIGHT ELEVATION SECTION A-A

PLAN EXPLODED VIEW

17

CONCEPT twosolar charg-

ing stationAs technology becomes more and more intertwined into our lives, we find ourselves with multiple gadgets; cellphone, camera, music device, ebook. One of the most frustrating aspects of technology is when these devices run flat while we are out and about. This design aims to address the problem when we just need a quick charge to keep us going. While these already stations exist, they are mostly used on a pay by charge basis. However, by utilising solar energy, the solar charging stations can be provide free power to users.

RIGHT ELEVATIONFRONT ELEVATION BACK

PLAN

200

0

330

290.20

250

.40

419

.50

20SECTION B-B

B B

SOLAR CUBE

ACCOYA WOOD

19

CONCEPT threeLit seating

This piece of furniture was designed with a particular space in mind; Waitangi Park. Over the Christmas period, colourful bean bags can be seen spread over this area, however, one qualm I’ve always had with the bean bags is the lack of shade during the day time and the lack of guiding lights in the night time. This triangular seating pod is designed for families and groups, incorporating a picnic table into the middle. The seating uses solar panels to collect sunlight during the day to power the LEDs embedded into the top of the triangle at night. The seating can also be adapted for other public spaces such as playground and park areas.

FRONT RIGHT ELEVATION

PLAN

1997.83

800 548.03 438.83

182

0.06

1200 800

SECTION C-C

C

C

ACCOYA WOOD

SOLAR PANELS

EMBEDDED LEDS

21

CHOSEN CONCEPT

The concept that will be developed further is a combination of the last two concepts; the solar charging station and seating. These ideas together are more feasible as a realistic object in terms of how a person can interact and use the charging function.

23

RESEARCH

programma-ble cnc metal bender

The current mandrel technology for tube bending is a programmable mandrel. This gives the user precise angle control with an error of ± 0.1°. However, the downfall to the programmable mandrel is that the standard machines only bend tubing up to 50mm OD.

CNC ROUTERCNC routers require little maintenance and can run without supervision. Is able to route materials of many sizes including the size of a house. Precision is priority and is completely controlled digitally.

25

KRISTAL solar panels

Not the standard solar panels, these come in different hues, designed by QSolar. The panels are rigid and semi transparent, making them ideal as replacements for windows and walls. Can come with frames or none. Designed to meet structural requirements of walls.

LED T8 Tube Lighting

New technology by LED Waves as a replacement for fluorescent lighting.

Benefits include:Longer lasting and more durableLow power consumptionPlug and playEasier maintenanceUniform light distributionIndoor and outdoor application

MR Chair by Mies van der Rohe

This is perhaps the most famous chairs that first explored the technology of steel tube bending.The MR chair was a result of van der Rohe’s exploration into the limits of tubular steel.

The form of the chair is defined by the steel tubing and creates a flowing aesthetic; partnered with the contrasting fabric the chair is the epitome of minimalism.

Pendant Lampby Alexandra Burr

The relationship between the materiality, form and weight are all very powerful and emotional in this design. It’s modern and minimal design allows it to be placed into most environments without being intrusive.

27

SKETCHES, SKETCH

MODELS & devel-

opment

sketch by nan

sketch by nan

30

ergonomic failure

form refinement

RESOLVED MODEL

37

39

39

UNCOATED STAINLES STEEL NEUTRAL POWDER COATED COLOUR

NEUTRAL POWDER COATED COLOUR

POWDER COATED COLOUR TWO - TONE POWDER COATED COLOUR

POWDER COATED POWDER & BRONZE (AGED PATINA)

ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS AND COLOURS

43

ERGONOMICS

45

DETAILS

46

1:5

angles & form of metal tubing48

solar material detail

MATERIALS

51

ACCOYA WOOD

ACCOYA WOOD

KRISTAL SOLAR PANEL BY QSOLAR

ACCOYA WOOD

ACCOYA WOOD

ACCOYA WOOD

POWDER COATED STAINLESS STEL

POWDER COATED STAINLESS STEL

LED T8 TUBE LIGHT

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CONCLUSION

55

Through the combination of technology; old and new, the solar charging bench aims to utilise free energy from the sun and distrubuting it the public. The future of the the bench is vast and the applications and situations are endless, there is a hope that one day solar power will become a primary source of power, leading us to a greener and more sustainable future.

references

. Sell Public Cell Phone Charging Station. (2012). Retrieved 28 November, 2012, from http://hkchuangsheng.en.busytrade.com/selling_leads/info/1219572/Sell-Public-Cell-Phone-Charging-Station.html

Brett. (2012). Retrieved 26 November, 2012, from http://mythologicalquarter.net/page/7/

Burr, A. (Designer). (2012). Floating pendant. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://inhabitat.com/alexandra-burrs-2x4-pendant-lamp-creates-an-interesting-play-between-weight-material-and-light/

Comments, N. (2011). Honey Comb with Polen. Retrieved 27 November, 2012, from http://www.wallpapersdesign.net/wallpaper/honey-comb-with-polen/

DePippo, J. (Photographer). (2011). Red brick wall. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/61721221@N05/5618242542/in/photostream/Dicker, R. (Photographer). (2012). iphone 5 charging: Keeping apple’s new smartphone powered up for 1 year costs 41 cents. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/12/iphone-5-charging-cost_n_1961598.htmlSteen, S. V. D. (2009). fresh basil plant in closeup isolated on white background. Retrieved 28 November, 2012, from http://www.123rf.com/photo_6481961_fresh-basil-plant-in-closeup-isolated-on-white-background.html

Eckhar, H. (2005). How to Bend Tubing and Pipe by Hand. Retrieved 7 December 2012, 2012, from http://www.metalgeek.com/archives/2005/05/01/000047.php

IBDT Dictionary. (Designer). (2012). Ergonome. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.schenectady.k12.ny.us/users/pattersont/IBDT Website/IBTerms.html

Knoll. (2012). MR Chair. Retrieved 9 December, 2012, from http://www.knoll.com/products/product.jsp?prod_id=50

Levne, J. K. (2012). Alexander Calder Standing Mobile. Retrieved 28 November, 2012, from http://www.josephklevenefineartltd.com/NewSite/Calder.htm

Magazine, D. (2012). “Bouroullec Collection by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Hay.” Retrieved 20 November 2012, from http://www.dezeen.com/2012/10/26/bouroullec-chairs-for-hay-at-orgatec/.

Miller, B. (2012). Mint Leaves. Retrieved 28 November, 2012, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-benefits-of-mint-shampoo.htm

Pixar, D. “Good feeling’s gone!”. Retrieved 26 November, 2012, from http://disneypixar.tumblr.com/post/30406086117/good-feelings-gone

QSolar. (Designer). (2012). Qsolar colored solar panels. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://inhabitat.com/qsolar-kristal-colored-solar-panels-could-replace-walls-and-windows/

Unknown. (Photographer). (2012). In between subtleties. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://inbetweensubtleties.tumblr.com/post/24979124091/i-went-for-a-cruise-along-wellingtons-waterfront

usefultoolsuk. (2011). Useful Tools Mandrel Tube Bender.V, R. (2009). Advantages and disadvantages of cnc machines. Retrieved from http://www.technologystudent.com/cam/cncman4.htm