Prototype Stage – Physical & Prototype

PHYSICAL PROTOTYPE:

As so far, I am still working on the possibility of this new method, although I had proven some evidence for the wearable jacket, there are some technical issues need to be tested.

For example, the Chlorophyll is stored inside of the wearable jacket, and when the photosynthesis take place, it interacts with the sun and result in energy. How the energy be absorbed by the wearer is a problem remains to be solved from the biological and technical perspective. So, I presented my speculative idea with a non-functional prototype for the audience to get the idea.

VIDEO PROTOTYPE:

Video available at :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1faxNv7GRbA&feature=youtu.be

Prototype Stage-Material Tests

Meanwhile, I tested more than 5 materials such as PVC plastic, conductive fabric and Pressure-Sensitive Conductive fabric, in order to nd an appropriate smart material for the wearable jacket. Even nally I did not get too much useful technical knowledge to make it work.

In this process, one of them, Velostat, that is a Pressure-Sensitive Conductive fabric, which brings me a deep impression. It is also called anti-static, ex-static, carbon based plastic,This is an improvement on the Flexible Fabric Touchpad Instructable, the pressure-sensitive feature make it possible to interact with human body.

Prototype Stage Experiments

Because of the fact that in the photosynthesis process, the large surface or stoma on the leaves of plants are essential for the Chlorophyll and sunlight to react with each other, these large surface or stoma should be the features of the wearable medium.

Also, due to the living condition of the Chlorophyll, that is the temperature and life time (24 hours), a replaceable storage part is essential on the wearable medium.

As a result, these features should be the parts of the Wearable Jacket.

Research Stage II- Medical Theory

From the biological and medical perspective, the Chlorophyll has been used in the treatment of some human diseases as well as the healthy care. According to the ‘Health benefits of Chlorophyll’, Health benefits of chlorophyll include strengthening of blood making organs, prevention of anemia and abundance of oxygen in the body. Loaded with antioxidant power, chlorophyll exerts beneficial effects towards various medical conditions such as cancer, insomnia, dental ailments, sinusitis, pancreatitis and kidney stones.

 Also, paraphrasing from George Dvorsky (March, 2015)， due to the fact that Chlorophyll is often used to night blindness, Science for the Masses, a team of biohackers from California, successfully induced a temporary sense of night vision by injecting a simple of Chlorophyll into a man’s eyes. As a result, these biological and medical practices provides possibility for using the Chlorophyll in the field of energy absorbing for human in the coming future.

Concept

“The Renewable Jacket” is the new way for Chinese people’s survival in 2100 due to the food shortage caused by the severe environment. Throughout wearing the Jacket, people absorbing the 50% of essential daily energy from the sun instead of food. “The Renewable Jacket” is a mixture of carbon fabric, the chlorophyII as well as other conductive fabrics, enabling people to go through the process of photosynthesis like the plants and collect the energy from the sun.

This wearable jacket will be a mixture of carbon fabric, a replaceable storage part for Chlorophyll, as well as other conductive materials. Throughout wearing the smart jacket, people will absorb the fifty percent of essential daily energy from the sun for keeping alive.

Research Stage II-Biological Theory

 

Then I started to explore the possibility from the biological perspective. In terms of the principle of plants’ photosynthesis, which points how the plants get the energy through the photosynthesis and keep alive. According to the ‘Plants’ from BBC science, photosynthesis is the chemical change which happens in the leaves of green plants.

During this reaction, carbon dioxide and water are converted into glucose and oxygen. The reaction requires light energy, which is absorbed by a green substance called chlorophyll. Photosynthesis takes place in leaf cells. These contain chloroplasts, which are tiny objects containing chlorophyll. Thus there is no doubt that the chlorophyll is the essential element for plant to go through the photosynthesis process, but what does it mean for human to obtain the energy?

Is it possible for human to go through the similar photosynthesis process with the Chlorophyll ?

Research Stage II- Environment state

  OverpopulationFood Demand

According to the data from the ‘2013 GAP Report’ at Global Harvest, there will be a sharp increase on the population of China by 2030, from 1300 millions to 1600 millions, therefore bringing the overpopulation. There is no doubt that the food demand will witness a dramatic growth as well, and these will lead the food price to a higher level. Meanwhile, the severe air pollution and the water pollution had seriously reduced the livability of the soil. As a result, these states will lead to an inevasible food shortage issue in the later future in China.

Research Stage I-Experiments & Material Test

Inspired by the case studies and the data above, I proceeded to brainstorm, trying to find touch points and design opportunities in the big topic. The methods I used includes Rethink, Working condition, Future senarios, Adjustment and Transformation.

In this stage, I started doing some material tests and experiments from the environmental perspective. Firstly, I collected the liquid of the polluted water in the most polluted cities in China and then mixing them with some ink or food oil, therefore trying to produce some jewellery accessories throughout placing these liquids into transparent materials such as the crystal or the acrylic.

By doing this, the polluted liquid inside creates new patterns as it moves and most importantly, it reduced the environmental pollution to some extent.

As a consequence, I hope it will generate a new stage of the jewellery industry in the post-Anthropocene age. In this process, I recognized the relationship among the Anthropocene, fiction and the speculation, human’s behaviors influence the environment and then the environment reflects back to the human, as a result, this allow human especially designers to imagine the later future in a fictional scenario, then speculate and generate the new outcome of the society.

 

CASE STUDY- Washed Up

Artist Alejandro Duran collects countless bits of trash that washes up from locations around the world. So far he has discovered plastic devris from dozens of countries on this shore of the Caribbean coast which he utilizes for site-specific installations for an ongoing project titled Washed Up.

By creating aesthetically pleasing landscapes from a disheart-ening medium, he hope to create a harsh juxtaposition that draws attention to the global catastrophe of ocean pollution.

Research Stage I Case Study

Airwaves Shanghai

The AirWaves mask is a contemporary-styled pollution mask with the addition of particle sensors. Not only does the advanced mask filter our more pollution, but it also keeps track of the air-quality levels in real time.

Connected with the wearer’s mobile device, the mask shares the data with the entire network. Users can access maps for their neighborhood and city to check levels for places they want or need to be. Having this information can help residents avoid particularly hazardous areas. The data can also be used to track and improve air quality over time on a local mask.

 

SMOG FREE PROJECT Analysis

‘smog free project’is a new form of the jewellery accessory, which is made throughout putting the air pollutant into the transparent acrylic. It is aimed to purify the air in the later future throughout providing the proactive solution.

The most attractive part is the tangible jewellery, that is created from the residue of the collected smog. These smog consists of gas emission which is compressed into high-end jewellery such as the smog free ring. By doing this, each piece of jewellery contributes to the purifying of 1000 cubic meters of polluted air. In this design process, the pollutant attempt to be a new form of the jewellery accessory and it is a forecasting of the later future of the fashion industry.