It has been a while since the first entry (life happens), but it only meant gaining momentum in order to jump further!

The initial description stated that some prototypes have already been built. But since this is a work in progress, several improvements need to be done before the product reaches its completion.

Therefore, let's start by listing what has been done, what is good in that and what needs to be improved or even rebuilt from scratch.

For this first log, we will focus on the mechanical parts (the enclosure).

Enclosure

A distinctive sign of Loono is its classy shell. A wooden, smooth, natural shell that consists in two parts satisfyingly mating. Hours of research and drawing have gone through this design, and it sure delivers. The shape is enjoyable to hold and play with, even for non-blind people. Thus, this should remain as is.

However, there are several details that are less satisfying and require improvement.

First, Loono will be handled by people with disabilities, who might not be fully aware of their environment. The shell needs to be completely shockproof so it doesn't crack when falling on the ground or even accidentally smashed on a table.

Second, the shell should be completely sealed. Smooth, no holes, no protrusion, no electrical contacts. Remember, users will very likely not see the object and will discover it by touching with their hands or their skin. We do not want to risk any injuries that would ruin the experience.

Third, the shell hosts the electronics inside. We will go in details about what it hosts later, but the inner surfaces of the shell will need a specific redesign to adapt to the upcoming changes.

Finally, design for manufacturing. Prototyping CNCed wooden shells was rather expensive. Since Loono consists in several pairs of shells (at least 4, maybe more), each one should only cost a few $/€ to manufacture. When redesigning the shells, special care need to be taken to facilitate manufacturing (few operations, minimum loss of material, etc).

Pad

For blind people, it is essential that things are always well in place, so they can find it with ease. Loono is no exception to that , and therefore requires a pad to put the stones aside when not using them. A pad already exists, but there is one problem.

Spoiler alert on Part 2: Each stone will be equipped with a battery, with no external port to the outside world. Does that sound like inductive charging? Yes it does. In order to implement inductive charging, the emitter and receiver coils need to be placed specifically. The pad, as it exists now, might not be suitable for that, and will likely need a redesign.

This is all for the mechanical part. Part 2 will deal with electronics and will not be as short as Part 1, so stay tuned and expect more! Comments, opinions and tips are more than welcome!