Engineer by training, artist by practice. Most people pick one. I live in that gap, and I've found it's exactly where the best problems are.

Overview

A pair of sensor-embedded braids made for my mother, my sister, and myself during 2020, when we were each living in a different state. The piece is rooted in time spent together doing hair at my mother's braiding salon. In a family of five daughters, learning to braid has always been a rite of passage.

The problem

Distance during the pandemic made ordinary closeness impossible. This was an attempt to hold onto something specific. Not just connection in the abstract, but the particular intimacy of doing each other's hair.

Design process

The original plan was three braids, one for each of us. Two were completed. Braiding the components in was harder than expected, the hair kept snagging on the pieces. After several failed attempts, separating the hair into three sections before combining them solved it and produced a braid that looked different from anything typical, which felt right given everything inside it. The Arduinos were initially meant to communicate wirelessly, but a software issue made that unworkable. Wiring them together directly was the fix. It was also my first time working with Arduino, so a lot of the process was learning as I went.

Technical system

• Arduino: Reads inputs from distance sensor, pressure pin, and sound detector, and controls the RGB LED strip, stepper motor, and speaker.
• Bring your hand near the braid: a light turns on for both people.
• Squeeze the braid: the other person feels a buzz.
• Both sing loudly enough: a song plays for both.

Takeaway

Despite all the technical trouble, the piece ended up feeling like what it was supposed to. Using something as familiar as a braid to carry that much meaning made it personal in a way that a more conventional form wouldn't have.

Overview

A wearable head accessory for people recovering from brain or head injuries, designed to signal physical vulnerability to strangers without the wearer having to say a word.

The problem

There is no social convention for communicating bodily fragility in public. For someone in recovery, verbal communication is not always an option. We wanted an object to carry that burden instead.

Design process

Early sketches tested two directions: bulbous forms for a padded, protective look, and spike forms as a more active warning signal. Three prototypes worked through different inflatable geometries using fabric and air manifolds. A flat-cut template that folded into repeating diamond-spike modules made the form reproducible. The final version used a red fabric base with dark inflatable spike panels.

Technical system

A photoresistor detects changes in ambient light and triggers a small air pump to inflate the spikes. No input needed from the wearer.

Takeaway

A starting point for using wearables to communicate vulnerability through form and material rather than words.

Overview

An interactive zoetrope that changes what you see based on how close you get. The piece was built around one idea: there are things about yourself you should learn to accept, love, and forgive.

The problem

Most public art is passive. This piece was designed to create productive discomfort and to make people sit with questions about themselves rather than just observe something.

Design process

From a distance, blue light shows an angel rising and falling in the zoetrope. As you approach, the light shifts to red and the same figure becomes a devil. Closer still, a mirror and laser-cut text pull you into the piece directly:

• "To confront a person with his own shadow is to show him his own light." — Carl Jung
• Who are you?
• Have you truly accepted all of yourself?
• What do you see?
• What do you want to see?
• The inner turmoils of man stem from being unable to make peace with their inner demons.

The zoetrope needed darkness, so we enclosed the whole installation. That ended up making the experience more intimate. The quotes were hard to read in the low light, which people actually preferred since it felt less like a message being pushed at them.

Technical system

• Stepper Motor: Drives the rotation of the Zoetrope, controlling the speed and rhythm of the animation.
• Two Ultrasound Sensors: One detects the viewer's approach and starts the machine; the second tracks proximity to shift the RGB light.
• RGB LED Strip: Strobes the Zoetrope at precise intervals, creating the illusion of motion from still images.

Takeaway

A lot of what went wrong ended up serving the piece. The darkness, the hard-to-read text, the enclosure — none of it was planned, but it all made the experience feel more personal. People were drawn in, and that was the goal.

Overview

A rain hood for a wheelchair user with limited hand strength, designed so she can stay protected without letting go of her chair.

The problem

Umbrellas need grip and a free hand. Our client had neither. We also couldn't permanently modify the wheelchair without voiding its warranty, so the attachment had to be entirely clamp-based.

Design process

We prototyped a small-scale version first, which helped us simplify the rib structure from multiple axes down to a single rod mount. Due to material delays, time constraints, and additional constraints, this prototype had to be built from scratch within a single day. Client feedback moved us from a full 180-degree shell to a 90-degree quarter-shell she felt more comfortable with. The three-point clamp attachment only became clear after meeting her in person and seeing the chair. Motorization was part of the original plan but was cut due to time constraints.

Technical system

A quarter-ellipsoid shell built from laser-cut wooden ribbing and a clear canopy. It clamps to the rear of the wheelchair at three points and folds out overhead.

Takeaway

We were surprised by how little already exists for this kind of need. The client was satisfied with the result. The next iteration would include motorization, refined materials, and adjusted dimensions to better fit the client’s requirements.