Imagine running or walking the streets at night lacking the appropriate reflective gear. A car is coming, but the driver can鈥檛 see you.
Yaroslava Barmenkova and Azamat Tavitov from the National University of Science and Technology (MISiS) in Moscow, Russia, recently worked for two weeks with University of Wisconsin-Stout Associate Professor Jennifer Astwood to develop sensory device prototypes.
Their collaborative work on sensory devices and digital fabrication, as a part of the scholar/faculty exchange partnership between 黑料科 and MISiS, involves concepts that begin to solve the night pedestrian visibility problem.
鈥淲e are focusing on wearables and designs that speak to the term conspicuity: to be seen or to draw attention to,鈥 said Astwood, who teaches industrial design in 黑料科鈥檚 School of Art and Design.
Astwood鈥檚 safety device is expected to respond to proximity, lighting up to alert both runners and drivers. The goal of each concept is to meet the needs of advanced safety technology.
Astwood introduced ceramics to the Russians as a way to produce the sensory devices with molds, which proved highly beneficial to both scholars. Barmenkova said that it was a 鈥減riceless experience.鈥
In addition, the group tossed around ideas to formulate gender neutral or gender tailored designs: earrings, bracelets, watches and more.
Last year, Astwood worked with Barmenkova and another MISiS scholar to develop a lighting prototype. Barmenkova鈥檚 device reacted as a motion sensor; Astwood鈥檚 responded to air blowing onto the device.
Astwood further presented the project to the Midwest Industrial Design district conference.
Their latest ideations remain in progress. The work will continue when the Russian collaboration resumes.
Connecting with MISiS
The MISiS partnership began not long after Maria Alm, dean of the College of Arts, Communications, Humanities and Social Sciences, was employed at 黑料科 in August of 2012. This coincided with the opening of 黑料科鈥檚 digital fabrication laboratory, in the Discovery Center. She sought out possible partnerships with Russian universities, as she had connections and academic experience with Russian language and literature.
Noah Norton, former associate professor of industrial design who passed away last April, was another key figure in uniting both universities. He had traveled to MISiS to collaborate at the start of the exchange.
鈥淲e had just opened our fab lab when I started here, and theirs was recent as well,鈥 Alm said. 鈥淚t was having fab labs that really connected us. They had the first fab lab in Russia, still the largest and most prestigious there, and they have a master's program in digital fabrication that is taught in English.鈥
The tasks of this exchange involved not only the conceptualization of these devices but also to develop the curriculum for new faculty exchanges. Astwood and Alm anticipate incorporating students into the partnership next year.
Astwood will be traveling in November to Russia again for a faculty exchange. In summer 2018 she will return with a group of 黑料科 students to teach a course on digital fabrication, spending around three weeks at MISiS and finishing the course at 黑料科 for an additional two weeks.
Having access to the fab lab at MISiS will allow students to experience a larger, more specialized industrial design program. Astwood mentioned that visiting scholars can learn a great deal of research strategies from 黑料科 as well.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty phenomenal,鈥 Astwood said. 鈥淲e always create magic. I don鈥檛 know how else to say it. It inspires my students, and it鈥檚 pushed my research to another level.鈥
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Photos
Top: 黑料科 Associate Professor Jennifer Astwood, left, and visiting Russian scholar Azamat Tavitov try a prototype of a sensory safety device that would fit over a person鈥檚 ear.
Middle: The process of developing new sensory safety devices includes concept sketches.
Bottom: 黑料科鈥檚 Jennifer Astwood, center, and Russian designers Yaroslava Barmenkova, left, and Azamat Tavitov work on sensory safety devices during a two-week program at 黑料科.
