Mind map

Here is a quick map of ideas that I had for my research project.  The major branches were of hardware and software.

Questionnaire

Midterm research proposal elements

Braille points for texting.

How it works.  Thousands of pins would push into the topological shape of the image taken.

Facetime video, or shapshots that can be touched.

This is an example of how the device might work.

These are images from my midterm research project proposal. 

Pert Chart

Updated (again) and final Problem and Purpose statements

Problem: Visually impaired people have a hard time identifying physical features in their surroundings and are in need of a device that will allow them to feel the shape or form of that image.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to research the software and hardware necessary to translate a photographic image into 3d data to form a topological surface comprehensible to the touch of a visually impaired person.

Timeline

This timeline concept evolved from the concept of topography as related to the topography that a visually impaired person would feel from my imaging device.  The flags along the timeline represent surveyors flags.

Updated Problem and Purpose Statements

Final Problem and Purpose Statements

Problem:  Visually impaired people need a device to photograph their surroundings that will deform to allow them to feel the image.

Purpose:  The purpose of this study was to research the software and hardware needed to translate an image taken with a handheld device into 3d data to drive pins in the screen of the device to form a topological image comprehensible to the touch of a visually impaired person.

Three product Problems and Purposes.

Three Problem and Purpose statements

1.       Problem:  Blind people do not have a device to let them feel images of their surroundings.

         Purpose:  The purpose of this study was to research the feasibility of creating a device to let the blind touch a tactile topological image.

2.       Problem:  Coffee cups often leak if the lid opening is lined up with the cup seam.

        Purpose:  The purpose of this study was to design a cup/lid solution to keep cups from dripping.

3.       Problem:  Baby seats are difficult to put in and take out of a car.

        Purpose:  The purpose of this study was to design an interface device between baby seat clips and car clips to ease seat installation and removal.

Silly web log thing

     I am David Voy Cox, not the SFSU teacher.  My age is aggressively angled upwards a fair distance away from the norm of DAI.  The work that I have done is strongly correlated with my interests in life.  I was a pro skateboarder, so I managed the screen printing department of Santa Cruz Skateboards in my 20's.  Since then my school work introduced me to 3D graphics and have been working in that field ever since.  This has taken me to Maui where I worked on feature films, then to Hollywood to work for Disney Studios, and finally back to the bay area to work in the architectural field of 3D animation.  Hollywood wasn't the best place for my two young boys.  My biggest complaints in life have been product driven, so I've decided to augment my skills to include product design.
     The fact that I've indented this paragraph is a clue that I started typing before computers found other uses for the tab key.  What inspires me?  Inventions that pop into my head, learning a new song on my piano, inventing a new skateboard trick, and viewing creative artwork at a gallery.  The WOW moments in my life are from those moments of inspiration, often coinciding not so coincidentally after a strong cup of coffee.  I've been lucky enough to have had a few years in life that included near perfect days for me.  These days went like this: Designing furniture for my architectural job in the morning, then driving to the skateboard park for a long lunch break.  On the way to the park my daily problems with 3D at work were figured out.  Flying through the air freed my mind at the park.  Later that night, playing my piano free form would complete the day.  Mind, body, and soul were complete.
     My drafting teacher was my main 3D influence about 20 years ago when I got started.  Also the mind of Rodney Mullen, the best freestyling skateboarder ever, has been a big inspiration as well.
     My vision for myself in my career going forward includes building up my small contract 3D service business into a company with about 5-10 employees.  That's not a huge company, but I learned years ago that I am much happier when I diversify my interests and keep my other hobbies growing and a large company would drain away that necessary time from me.
     Hmm, six "Key Words" describing me?  Optimistic aspects: imaginative, driven, excited; Pessimistic aspects: shackled, hindered, longing.