final project

For my final project, I want to develop the idea of de-technologized vending machine and find a way to have it exist not just as a machine for purchasing but something that…

•  people would want to engage / come to see
•  people can contribute to the process of making    
•  display of character/ identity/culture of the users and the place it is installed
•  continuously changes by the interaction of the users

There are two directions I am thinking now.

One is to design a vending machine table that allows the users to get the drink in exchange with something that they think valuable, so that it also becomes a display of the character/ culture of the people who uses it. The objects that the users brought can be continuously exchanged with something else, or they can at some point be documented, stored or given to somebody.

The second direction is to create some kind of display for recycling cans/bottles that has flexibility and playfulness, so that the users want to bring back the cans/bottles for recycling. It could be some kind of installation, for instance in a corridor, that enables the users to locate their recycling cans to wherever they like according to the existing display, which other people have also participated in designing. Once the display is filled, the cans/bottles can be brought to the process of recycling, and the display can be refilled again with another design. It would be great if the act of recycling become part of fun, playful process of creating/designing/expressing something in public place with other people.

 

>> bigger-image

material for body product

For the body related product, I was wondering if their is a way to connect with the idea I originally had for the final project, which was to somehow develop a way to record or share the memory between 2 or 3 people in a personal and unique way. 

So I tried to think of a material that is transformable (in shape, color etc) according to the body movement or interaction through time, so that it somehow shows the history of the relationship between the product and the user, the history of interaction between the user and the others, or trace of the environment the user have been in.

While looking about transformable material, such as rubber, lead, hypercolor etc, I came up with litmus paper, which would change color by reacting to the substance of liquid, but also to the surrounding environment or physical touch through time.

 

It seems that litmus paper is possible to make by dipping a paper that absorbs liquid easily (such as paper napkin, japanese paper etc) to a soup of red cabbage or eggplant. This led me to think about a clothing or furniture using a combination of japanese paper and cloth.

There seemed to be various ways of using japanese paper for clothing, but there was a company that makes clothing (as the photo below) by gluing japanese paper to cloth and somehow shrinking the cloth so that the paper would also shrink and be tightened. (for more info)

So I tried to make a litmus paper- cloth material myself. The color didn’t change as much as I expected, and the way to combine japanese paper and the cloth has to be figured out, but I wish to develop them so that I can use part of this to the actual design.  

 

de-technologized vending machine

 

This is a tiny model of de-technologized vending machine. It could be made out of plywood with a plastic panel for table-top surface to be able to see inside. It can have several drawers with different type of drink or snack in each row and be also used as a table for gathering. 

The material used in typical vending machine seems to be,

steel panel      lexan or other plastic      acrylic powder coating       polyurethane insulation  (for more info)

According to one of vending machine manufacturing company, one that can contain 315 plastic bottles would weigh 390kg. If we subtract the weight of bottles (assuming that one bottle weigh 0.5kg), the total weight of all the materials would be 233 kg. (for more info)

And according to the report by the Ministry of Economy in Japan, the average number of energy consumed by one vending machine for drinks is 2224 kwh per year. (for more info)

I will compare this data with the de-technologized vending machine using the source map for next step!

 

 

And also, I was wondering if I can relate this with my final project. Some random thoughts,,,

• can the products be exchanged with some other products or used bottle for recycle instead of coins?
• can the table be used as some tool to exchange products with personal choice, and somehow accumulates the culture or personal preference of the people who uses it? 
• what will be the good structure for the user to be able to be take the product he wants but not all of them?
• can there be a playfulness to the structure? so that more people can gather to use it? 

vending machine

We see them everywhere. They are always awake, waiting for us.  Often times they are out of order or change, while continuously consuming energy. 

 

 

So I tried to think of a way to detechnologize the vending machine. The first idea is to use a coin locker type of device to store the cans, and the users have to put coins in order to open the key for the little doors. This will not consume energy although it can’t provide the coolness/warmness of the beverage which normal vending machines can offer. 

Another one is to use the device for water cooler and somehow make it necessary to insert money in order to pour the drink. This will still consume energy but less than the vending machine, and at least it will avoid producing a lot of aluminum cans.

 

Relating to this detechnologization of vending machine, I would like to introduce the “milkman” who used to come everyday to the office I worked few years ago. The company had three offices in different locations, and the “milkman” will drive his truck from Saitama Prefecture (about 2 hours away from the offices) to each of the office around 7-8 pm, and come to the elevator hall of each floor of the building with a cart with cold beverage and snacks. Since he cannot get inside the rooms without company ID, he will ring a bell at the elevator hall, and we will notice him and go outside of the room to get snacks and drinks. It became a habit for us to wait for the sound of the bell of the milkman, and it became a time for us to take a break and gather and talk with other people.

 

when you need a container…

1. the only thing you need

    any scrap paper, paper bag, wrapping paper, envelope… etc, that could be unfolded or cut into a rectangle shape.

    

2.put the side that you want it to apper inside the box at front

3. fold the paper in half

4. fold it in half one more time

5. open the top layer which you just folded and refold it into a triangle shape 

6.flip the paper and do the same thing 

7.flip the top layer on the right to the left side.

(repeat the same thing on the other side too.)

 

8.fold the top layer on each side so that they meet at the center line of the triangle

9.flip the paper and do the same thing

10.fold the paper outward at the boundary between the front and back

if there is enough length, fold it one more time inside in order to make the box stronger. (the longer the length of the original rectangle, the more you will have this part for folding.)

11. flip the paper and do the same thing

12.fold the bottom part of the paper so that it creates a triangle (this will stablize the bottom part of the box)

and open the box!

 

when the box is not used, you can refold the opening inwards, fold it in half, and keep it somewhere too.

 

 

using some other materials…

 

paper bag

an envelope

a package 

even a receipt…

you can double layer the paper to add some decoration and also strengthen the box