UME
An interactive light companion
Individual Project // Product Design // Arduino // App UI // Figma
Background Research
Context
People working in major cities often have unhealthy lifestyles due to hectic schedules and long work hours that they face. The unhealthiness of their style is consisted of factors from imbalanced diet, lack of physical activity, and poor sleep quality.
Over 40% of people working in major cities report to be living alone in a survey conducted in 2019 across Top 20 cities in China. After a long day of exhausting work, many return home feeling empty and finding only solitude awaits.
Conclusion
Majority of people reports feeling lonely and empty after a long day of work. For people that live alone, they have very little desire to communicate because of lack of energy and chance to meet and make new friends or partner.
About Light
Light vs Space vs Emotion
Light vs Space
Research found that right lighting on walls and ceiling can create a sense of spaciousness, while low light levels can create an intimate atmosphere
Color temperature and density of lighting can impact one’s perception of a space emotionally
Light vs Emotion
Click to view in detail
Final Product
UME is designed with 3 modes for users to use, experience, and interact with. UME senses user’s presence and greets them with a glow once Bluetooth is connected.
Mode 1 - Ambiance Mode
Users turn on Ambiance Mode and change UME to the desired color to feel
Mode 2 - Calm Mode
UME glows and dims in a breathing-like pattern to help calm and ease user’s emotions.
Mode 3 - Minigame Mode
Users can play a quick little whac-a-mole game
Thinking Process
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Design Concept
The light gathers data on owner’s diet, physical activity, sleep and work hours from owner’s phone and centralizes the information in an app
The light interacts with the owner when sensing owner’s return to home or mood through their voice and provides therapy or soothing powers by switching to different light modes
Ideation
For the interior of the light panel, I designed the placement of the essential parts as following:
LED Light Strip
Light source of each light panel; wrapped and placed at the center of panels
Arduino Micro-controller
Stores Bluetooth, voice, pressure, and distance sensor; placed right below the LED strip
Battery Box
Powers all the electronics used
Production Process
Shape & Color
The product process began with experimenting with different shapes of light panel and finding the most suitable colors of the LED light strip.
Hardware
Sensors below are used to support the interactive and display features UME has
Bluetooth
For connecting to user’s mobile device
Pressure Sensor
Used for whac-a-mole minigame
For detecting when user is nearby
Proximity Sensor
Voice Sensor
For picking up user’s voice clues
App Interface
