lumi

How can a light-producing biological organism be integrated into a design?

Design Research
Competitive Analysis
Design Criteria

Walking alone at night can be scary and dangerous, especially as a woman. Women need an easily accessible, hands-free option that will reduce the time between when a threat is noticed and the defense weapon is deployed.

‍Therefore, there is a need for a hands-free, tactical defense weapon for women to use when they do not feel safe at night.

The current products on the market mainly utilize sound and touch to help women defend themselves against attacks. Some of the products, like the ring and knife, require direct, close contact with the attackers, which can put the victim at higher risk. Moving forward, my focus was to create a device that did not require direct contact with the attacker and one that utilized light as the main defense function.

How can biology help?

Bio-inspired Design

The flashlight fish has pouches of glowing bacteria under their eyes that they can use to turn their light on/off on command.

To confuse predators, they will turn their lights on and swim quickly in one direction and then turn their lights off and swim in the opposite direction. This behavior, known as "blink and run", causes the predator to become disoriented so that the fish can get away.

Science has proven bright, flashing lights can be harmful to humans, even causing temporary blindness, nausea, and dizziness.

Emulating the instantaneous "blink and run" mechanism used by flashlight fish, I will create a self-defense weapon that uses light to disorient and confuse an attacker.

Ideation and Concept Exploration

Rapid Sketches
Morphological Matrix
Peer Review

I first sketched quick thumbnails, exploring different forms of hand-held, self-defense weapons. From there, I created a concept matrix from the sketches to further narrow the form and function of the device. After completing the concept matrix, I developed three final concepts to present to my classmates for feedback.

Handheld, LED flashlight with rechargeable batteries, multiple lighting modes, and storage hook made of aluminum

Dog leash with built-in LED flashlight controlled by an on/off switch. The device would use disposable batteries and have multiple lighting models.

Wearable device with built-in batteries and hands-free operation. The device would have one light mode for self-defense only.

"This idea is the most generic of the three." - Professor

"I like the general concept, but combination products don't always do well." - Professor

"This is the most innovative of the three ideas. I would stick with this one and explore the form a bit more" - Professor

"This isn't a bad idea, but I've seen this before. You should do something a bit more unique." - Peer

"My only concern would be accidentally shining the light on your dog and hurting its eyes." - Peer

"If you can find a way to fit all of the electrical components, this is really cool!" - Peer

Form and Functionality

User Personas
Form Development
Final Ideation Sketches

Based on the feedback, I decided to continue with the third concept. I then conducted research on current high-lumen headlamps available for purchase. I wanted to explore both form and function to determine what is required such as battery and LED housing space and battery capacity and what is typical for high-lumen product aesthetics. My goal is to create an everyday product that women would want to wear; therefore, style is just as important as functionality.

Once I understood the standard features of high-lumen devices, I interviewed three of my friends to get input from the target demographic. Speaking with them was incredibly insightful. I gathered six keywords that I wanted to keep in mind when finalizing the design of lumi: Hands-free, Easily Accessible, Impact Based, Affordable, Low Effort, and Minimal.

To remain hands-free, I decided to create a glove with shock sensor technology that will turn the light on when it comes in contact with a sudden and intentional force. The resulting light will consist of a 800-lumen strobe light that will disorient and confuse anyone attacking the user without causing permanent damage. The form body will be minimal and sleek to avoid the industrial look that is so common with high-lumen technology.

Prototyping

3D Printing
Proof-of-concept Model

The electronics were removed from a children's light-up shoe. The LEDs turn on when the shock sensor is deformed by a sudden impact, completing the circuit.

I then tested different LED holders for the prototype using tough PLA on an Ultimaker 3. Ultimately, the LEDs would not sit securely in the LED holders even with the use of adhesives. For the final prototype, I grouped the LEDs together from each electronic cluster and wedged them into the device body.

When not in use, the glove rests comfortably on the user's hand.

After triggering the shock sensor, the user can point the light at their attacker to disorient them temporarily, giving them enough time to get away.

In case of emergency, the user 'bumps' the glove on their upper thigh, signaling the shock sensors to turn the strobe light on.

3D Model & Render

3D Scan Data
Design Refinement

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To 3D model the glove, I took a 3D scan of my arm and created a lofted surface from my hand. I then cleaned the edges, added a hole for the thumb, and sliced the surface for the mesh material. After completing the glove, I modeled the body of the device around the internal components - a lithium-ion battery, shock sensor, circuit board, and LEDs.