Fidelis

This is a logo I designed for a local businessman who has recently started his own import export business.

Conclusion of my Honours year project

Conclusion of my Honours year project

From the outset I wanted to create a product that would work.
It had to deter crime in a functional and practical way but convey some of the ideology that was uncovered during my research.
It also needed to address the reason I chose to do the project, which was because of the criminal activity on my father’s business.

I believe that the final product is a viable solution to the problem of business crime and that the product would also be able to transfer over to a residential market.

The primary intention of the final product is to deter crime by changing and influencing the two main areas of physical environment and psychological mindset.

The physical environment is changed by the light source, which illuminates only the intruder and the space immediately surrounding them without making visible the rest of the environment, which can make possible entry points visible to intruders.

The psychological level is affected by the moving light source which removes an aspect of control from the intruder. The inability to escape the light source would not only cause surprise and then discomfort but would hopefully cause the intruder to leave, rather than risk being seen or caught.

Working Prototype model

The working prototype model proves the principle behind the product/idea on a much simpler technolocical level.

The model is able to track a target using PIR sensors and light.

Crimelight

This is a photo of my final surface model.

The final model looks and moves like the final product would.

Pre Assembly

All the parts had to be preassembled before final fitting to ensure the different sections would assemble correctly and space was left to allow for priming and painting.

The final surface model in the image above is able to move as it would on a final product.
This was done using bolts and screw threads, giving the impression of how the product works but also adding to the industrial look of the product..

(more images to come soon)

Using V-ray helped to generate and idea of how the finished product would look.

I had decided that the product would be a hidden object in order to aid the surprise affect that the initial triggering of the light requires to help deter crime. With this in mind I choose a satin black finish which the model was later painted.

Light

The light for the centre of the lamp section developed a lot as the model progressed. I had originally designed the model to just have a simple painted concave section to represent the light source which then became a wooden bulb during the lathe process and later a real bulb.
The decision to insert the real bulb was one which I am glad I took as it significantly improves the standard of the final piece.
The biggest problem was getting the bulb cut without shattering the glass, which was easier said than done.

CNC

I had originally wanted to make the model using the Zcorp machine but decided it was best to make the model using the CNC machine as it would be more cost effective and makes the model significantly stronger than the 3D printed version.
The top section of the surface model was made using a CAD model which was split into a front and back and cut using a CNC machine. These were later bonded together and finished with different grade sanding paper to flush the edges.

Model making

The bottom to sections of the model that allow the light to swivel and pivot were turned on the wooden lathe and then cut on the band saw to create the two male and female sections.

The Final Design

Above is an image of the CAD model which shows my final design for the product.

This is the design which the surface model will reflect.

Final Decision

This was a crucial point in my project, my lecturers were keen to see the product take a much more design orientated appearance, where as I had expected the product to look and function as an industrial style product.

With only a couple of weeks free to make the final surface model, and all of the design led concepts failing to meet my expectations for the appearance of the final object.
I decided to make the product look industrial, this decision was based on the industrial context of the project which I felt warranted an industrial style answer.
I wanted to create a product that was more compact than the others but would create the best solution to the problem.

I took on board my tutors comments about the importance of the final appearance and how a component driven model looked disconnected and aimed to create a product that was a single, more developed structure.

Designed vs Industrial

I then tried to create the X and Y axis using only the face from the ball design which resulted in this organic like shape being formed for the light section.

Using the PIR and camera section from a previous model I created this semi industrial/designed product which was an improvement from the other designs but still not what I had anticipated to achieve.

I went on to try a larger ball design which would incorporate all the components into one product but really disliked the appearance of the object.

It also had no anthropomorphic characteristics which distinguished the product which is another reason why I discarded the design.

Design driven concept

The first design was trying to incorporate the lower lamp section into the main body.
The problem I was met with is that the light source needs to be able to move in both an X and Y axis in order to be able to track a target.

I felt at this stage that the only option was to incorporate a ball like design into the product that would work like some ceiling mounted CCTV cameras I had seen during my research. This was going to allow me to rotate and pivot the light but was still leaving the PIR section behind. ???

Industrial Design

The final design developed significantly from the initial mirror concept to this one which has a very component driven appearance. The product was set up in such a way as to utilise the bare 'off the self' components within different housing structures like the lamp, main body and PIR section.

I had initially thought that given the industrial context of the project and product that this is very much how the end product would look if it were available to purchase.

However, this concept developed further onto a number of other appearance driven concepts which I felt were poorer designs.