Summer 2019 project during my internship at EIU Becamex in Bình Dương, Việtnam
Em Bé
Arduino kit to bond soon-to-be Vietnamese engineers with their parents
Nose button to turn on
Squeeze lid onto body
Uses tension of wood to stay closed
Waddle like a baby
Nose button to turn on
Squeeze lid onto body
Uses tension of wood to stay closed
Waddle like a baby
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Bought as a package or files available for at home 3D printing for maximum accessibility
THE PROCESS
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Mechanical Love
Many parents in Vietnam's rapidly changing landscape struggle to connect with their kids. Many kids are learning alone about engineering through Arduino kits. Can parents learn with their kids?
How might we bring future engineers closer to their parents?
125%
Increase of Vietnamese students from 2010-2020
48%
Of students in Vietnam in higher education study engineering
680%
More international Vietnamese students from 1999-2016
RESEARCH INTERVIEWS
12 Interviews of engineers and engineering students
Research from interviewing Vietnamese engineering students. How did they start? What inspired them to become an engineer?
Hieu encouraged customization from the Arduino for the students to stay engaged.
Hiep used to take apart his motorized toys and his father taught him about engineering
Loc played with Legos as a kid and built things with his father as a child as a boy scout. Liked toy motorcycles and cars as a child which introduced him to engineering.
Vin loved to take the toys apart and sell to buy more. He also had a similar sense of humor to his father.
Informed the kit to relate to that of a toy and incorporate a sense of humor to also appeal to the parents.
Thong started his interest at age 12 but most his friends stated 10-15 years was most influential for them so the robot will be geared towards children of that age range.
Phuoc was very much pressured into being an engineer but grew to love the craft as he studied further
INSIGHTS:
Interviews informed the Em Be kit to have all parts open and accessible to all parts for the children to easily understand each part's location/function. Needs to invoke humor for invitations of play from 10-15 year olds
CONCEPT EXPLORATION
Exploring the problems and needs of each family member
open and accessible
eludes to traditional materials/craft
large cuved shape
iconic facial features
Rooted in parent and child's memories
Exploring different ways to open and close the robot to access the parts when working. Based off of stories from interviewing engineering students of their early childhood. Choosing the baby iconography for its appeal to kids and parents' recent memory of raising their child.
Working with the EIU FabLab team to understand the Aruduino kit
Nose button to turn on
Squeeze lid onto body
Uses tension of wood to stay closed
Waddle like a baby
Models based off of feedback from students for a better sense of physical dimensions and proportion
Abstracting the
diaper and large head of babies to create form
Research from interviewing Vietnamese engineering students. How did they start? What inspired them to become an engineer?
1
3
5
8
4
9
6
2
10
12
11
7
Bought as a package or files available for at home 3D printing for maximum accessibility
Nose button to turn on
Squeeze lid onto body
Uses tension of wood to stay closed
Waddle like a baby
