This week we had the opportunity to make our first complete model in Fusion 360 with Dan Banach from Autodesk. He went through the process of making a phone case holder. I personally had previous experience with 3D modeling software so his presentation was pretty straightforward and easy to follow. It was fun to have another class that was hands-on since a lot of our class time previously has been spent listening to presentations and brainstorming. After our demo session with Dan, we then went into searching for insights for our project.
This week me and my team Rotam met with Ryan to complete our first interview. Ryan gave us great insight into what it was like for him growing up and what it is like for him now. We shared with him the direction that we wanted to go in and he gave us a considerate amount of feedback. As a result of his feedback, we are considering going in a different direction than we were initially going in. Initially, we were focusing more on making our project about ascetics and now we are considering making the project reflect more utilitarian purposes after hearing one suggestion Ryan gave us. Since Ryan has a powered chair when it rains he runs the risk of his chair dying if the joystick is exposed to the rain. To combat this, Ryan places a bag over his joystick when it is raining. Although this currently works for him, he and the rest of his chair gets wet in the rain. Also, others who do not have the ability to place the bag over the joystick run the risk of their chair dying. We came up with the idea of creating a device that would go over the joystick when it rains so that Ryan would no longer have to carry around the bag. Also for those who cant it or forget to grab a bag on their way out it would also be of benefit to them. We still have one more person to meet with so we are not 100% set on going in this direction or with this idea but it is an option that we did not have before.
Hi Brianna! It’s awesome that you have had experience with 3D modeling software before and were able to pick up Fusion 360 so quickly. I have had a little experiencing with another software called Sketch Up and I found Fusion 360 much more intuitive to use. It sounds like your team has made good progress on your design and I love that you are willing to adapt your idea to make sure it’s matching the needs of your users.
Hi Brianna, I am glad that your group is making great progress this week. The issue you described was very critical for power chair users. Because many of the parts are not waterproof, when it rains, the problem with the battery is something that needs to be addressed on. Besides cover for the joystick, it would be nice if the users can be covered as well. I am wondering why currently we don’t have an umbrella built in the power chair. If the wheelchair can have a hole that can put the umbrella in, then people in the wheelchair would not be wet in the rain. I am wondering if there is something special that I don’t know that prevents such design from existing.
Hi Brianna! I think that it is cool that you had prior 3D model experiences. I am glad that you were able to apply it to our course and help you learn Fusion 360 faster. I am also glad that your team is making a lot of progress and I cannot wait to see what kind of design your team will bring to the wheelchairs.
Hi Brianna! It is great for you to have such experience before. For me, some procedures are kinda confusing, since I’m pretty new to this application. It’s great to know that you have conducted your first interview. Ryan is a really helpful mentor, and he’s a really nice person. I’m glad to see that you’ve came up with some ideas about your project. Sometimes everything just works out. If it wasn’t raining on the day you interviewed him, you probably wouldn’t find out this problem. Keep on working it! Hope you can come up with more creative thoughts in your future interviews