Self-Inflating Phone
Category: Product Design
What If a Device With Consciousness Could Resist Humans From Overusing It By Changing Its Form?
Stop making smartphones affect users like drugs.Parasitic is a smartphone with a self-inflating system that reminds users about screen time through their senses of look and touch. Inspired by swollen batteries that make users feel unsafe to use, the self-inflating phone aims to reduce users’ screen time mentally with unsafe imagery.
To develop a practical mechanism with appropriate engineering techniques, during the exploration of different possible methods, there are two design engineering directions for the self-inflating system — (1) Inflating with Acetone and Heat, (2) Inflating with Air Pressure.
Direction 01 - Inflating with Acetone & HeatAcetone (CH3)2CO is a highly volatile organic compound with a high expansion coefficient. It is a liquid with a 56.05 °C boiling point. This chemical property can inflate the silicone structure with the help of heat from batteries and electronic components inside the smartphone.
The result of the Airbag Structure inflating effect was significant when heating the Acetone. However, the air pressure from the acetone was nearly uncontrollable, which often damaged the silicone airbag, which had become out of shape and easily damaged since the pressure of the vapour acetone was too high and uncontrollable.
Direction 02 - Inflating with Air PressureAir pressure often inflates objects such as balloons and life vests. Compared to heat from batteries to boil the acetone, air pressure is a more controllable source to inflate the enclosure and adjust the degree of the inflating airbag.