· · · Institutional Repository

The project is done for the Department of Design Engineering at TU Delft to investigate musculoskeletal injuries amongst guitarist; it focusses on using scientific research to allow musicians to play at their full potential while avoiding injuries. The market for electric guitar is expanding; the instrument itself, being a relatively new one, has scope for evolving further. From market analysis and technical research, the need for an instrument focussed on ergonomics was determined. Rather than competing against major players such as Fender and Gibson, a business strategy that taps a void in the market is proposed. Guitar players tend to be conservative in terms of preference of instruments; any radical change in the design of the instrument involves a lot of risk. However, an attachment that helps overcome any ergonomic limitations of the instrument offers market potential. It offers a low cost alternative to buying expensive custom guitars that fit the body better. So, it is also important that the attachment works well with existing guitars. The design will provide more freedom to the user in various playing scenarios such as two handed tapping, percussive playing etc. by allowing the instrument to be manoeuvred during the act of playing. Hence, the scope of the assignment encompasses designing, prototyping and testing an ergonomic attachment to evaluate acceptance of ergonomic designs in musical instruments amongst users. This design could be the blue print for a next generation instrument.

The graduation company “ACE ingenieurs - & adviesbureau” have seen opportunities in developing a digital version of the table soccer game. The graduation project was the first part of this development process, in which the desired playing actions were defined and in which the control system was made technically feasible. Table soccer is played all over the world daily; the game is quite popular and timeless. Table soccer is an intuitive game and suitable for almost everybody. There are several user groups (e.g. children, youngsters and professionals) who play on different levels and in different contexts. Youngsters are enthusiastic, fanatic and skilful in playing table soccer. Furthermore, youngsters are the largest user group and the easiest group to reach; they visit many public places (e.g. schools, community centres, sport canteens) and they are growing up with digital products and games. Besides playing games, most youngsters like to socialize with their friends. For these reasons, youngsters were chosen as the target group. The purpose of the assignment was to maintain the characteristics of playing traditional table soccer and to implement new features which were desired by the youngsters. The characteristics of table soccer that had to be maintained were; social play, fun, active play, intuitive controlling and suitable for a wide public (but especially for the youngsters). The desired playing actions for the digital game were defined with the help of user observations and focus groups. It was concluded that the new game would have the same basics as the traditional game. The match will be shown from top view and the players are in line with the eight controllers. Furthermore, rotating the rod will turn the players around their axis and sliding the rod will slide the players in longitudinal direction. During the design and engineering phase different solutions were created, assessed and elaborated. The final product contains the design of the control system which included a motion sensor for detecting sliding and rotation of the rod. There is a blocking system to simulate clamping of the ball. Moreover, a motor system provides sensual feedback when the ball touches the players’ feet. All these parts are combined in a specific composition so that the electronic components and the mechanical system fit in the device. An evaluation research is done with the user group and the help of a working model. Most interesting outcomes were: The product is really loved and desired by the youngsters. The designed working principle of the control system works well, but there were a few points for improvement. Paying attention to the programming of the software of the prototype is important for further development of the product. The next phase of the development process will be enhancing the electronic parts and developing the whole device, including the housing and construction of the product. At the same time the software has to be developed. Further research, with the target group has to be conducted to learn what games and aesthetics the youngsters prefer.

This graduation project originates from a discomfort of a patient who couldn’t obtain common food in a natural way due to an obstruction in the digestive tract. Therefore, the patient needed tube feeding, which had to be administered into the digestive tract using a nasoenteral feeding tube. Despite the importance of the tube, the user experience throughout the tube feeding treatment was very unpleasant and intense. Further research regarding the user experience of nasoenteral tube feed- ing showed that patients experience many problems during the process of this kind of tube feeding treatment. First of all, bringing the tube in- side the patient’s nose, throat and gullet down to the stomach or small intestine feels very uncomfortable. Furthermore, patients experience all kinds of problems during the daily use of the tube: it causes pain, irritation or fear, it interferes with their freedom of movement, it makes them un- comfortable in public and it brings along a time consuming maintenance. The maintenance of the tube and accompanying system to administer the feeding is time consuming due to the fact that the whole system needs to be flushed with water several times a day to avoid obstruction. Besides, the tube is fixated with sticking plasters that need to be replaced two or three times a day as they don’t stay in place or cause irritation. Next to these problems, some also concern the removing procedure of the tube or inadequate knowledge of heath care professionals. During this project a concept of a tube holding device has been developed to improve the user experience of nasoenteral tube feeding. The concept focuses mainly on the daily use of the feeding tube as the problems that occur in this phase influence the user experience the most. Due to the new concept it is possible to fixate the feeding tube on the face of the pa- tient after it has been brought inside their digestive tract. Throughout the daily use of the tube, which can last for a few days or several weeks, the tube will now kept in place by means of the tube holding device instead of fixating the tube with multiple sticking plasters. The tube holding device consists of a clamp to fixate the feeding tube and a headband that can be placed on the head of the user. Together these parts make sure that the tube interferes less with the patient’s freedom of movement, which is a big improvement compared to the current situ- ation. Furthermore, the tube holding device avoids kinking of the tube, guides the tube naturally down to the administration system, captures the weight of the feeding tube and the fixation of the tube looks more subtle. Finally, the tube holding device makes sure that the patient wor- ries less about undesired movements of the tube as it is fixated quite tight inside the device and the maintenance of the tube is less intensive due to the fact that the sticking plasters are no longer necessary.

Weight Management:Many people in the world are dealing with overweight and this amount is still growing each year. Most people are not aware of their food intake. Literature indicates that people estimate their food intake 20% less then it actually is. To lose weight without a lot of effort, a simple awareness of what you eat is enough. A well used method for this is a self reporting daily food diary. However, this method has some disadvantages. It requires big effort of the user and underreporting of the daily intake is high. Graduation Project:Literature indicates that state of the art sensor technology is able to detect food intake. Based on this literature and several user studies, a product concept is developed, called ‘The Energy Balancer’. This product makes the user more aware of his/her food intake while it is more user friendly than a food diary. Product Concept:The product consists of a weight scale and on-body sensor. The on-body sensor should be worn on the belly in an elastic band. It measures the timing of consumed food/liquids as well as the portion sizes of it (based on bowel sounds, heart rate & skin temperature). At the end of the day, the sensor should be plugged into the weight scale. Then, the user should assign the food type category to the detected food/liquid consumptions. Three food type categories are determined (by the Voedingscentrum); GO - SLOW - WHOA! ‘GO’ means a healthy food choice, ‘WHOA!’ an unhealthy food choice and ‘SLOW’ is somewhere in between. To which category a food product belongs can be looked up in a table provided by the Voedingscentrum. When confronting the user with the categories, he/ she will be more aware of his/her food choices (mindful eating). Based on the measured portion size and food type category a rough estimation of the energy intake can be made. Next to the energy intake, the on-body sensor also detects energy expenditure through physical activity (and body processes). By means of an acceleration meter, a rough estimation of energy expenditure can be made. By comparing the energy intake with the energy expenditure, the energy balance can be calculated and shown to the user. This balance is seen as a useful information since it determines whether a person loses or gains weight.

What if you mix (indoor) gaming with outdoor play? Nowadays children spend much more time indoor instead of outside, playing with friends. Outdoor play is good for both physical as mental development of children, and this problem was the foundation of this design project. Two years ago the idea was risen by Auke Ferwerda to develop an outdoor game console, which in the end has led to ten working models. These products however were mainly developed to obtain functioning prototypes, without having to invest in mass production. The current product is a shoulder band that contains positioning technique, for which four external antennas are needed. The feasibility was leading in this design process, not the user. For this reason a new design track was started with focus on the end user, and that is what this graduation report is about. The assignment was to design a new outdoor game console, which invokes an outdoor game experience that is fun and appealing for children of the age 8-12, and is more physical active than playing indoors. Children should all have their own device to create personal feedback, to be differentiating from the current competition. The end product should be used in the existing neighbourhoods of the Netherlands. It should be possible to play many various games with the designed product, to address a broad target group and to make sure the console remains interesting over time. The to be designed experience will be a mix of the world of gaming as well of outdoor play. A design process was chosen that is based on designing a new experience. When you want design an experience it is important to know the user and its context. For that reason the ViP method was partly used, to research the context and to generate visions about how the product should interact with the user. Together with more conventional idea generation techniques, this resulted in four and ultimately one final concept. A large part of the design project was spend on the research; literature research as well as user research. Many hours of observations were carried out at a primary school, combined with in-depth interviews, creative sessions and play sessions. The goal of this qualitative research was to discover how children nowadays experience outdoor play and gaming; what makes it fun, what are the needs. A good understanding was gained about the context of the user, and the following interaction visions were stated: - encourage - simple - ‘cool’ - trustful - free - Analyses of the context eventually led to more concrete design directions like: the console should offer more complexity and depth than current outdoor games, it should trigger the fantasy and creativity of the children, it should not hinder social communication and should help to find playmates in the neighbourhood. After a long design track, with much focus on the appearance of the product, the communication of game signals and of course the introductory game, the final concept came into life. The end product is a handheld product named the ‘Blop’ and is a stick that communicates through a ring of LED light, sound and vibration. You can operate the stick with three buttons and a turning wheel for changing settings for example. The main operation of this device is however is done by making gestures with it. The final shape has been developed with feedback of the children. They seem to like organic shapes the most. The result is that the Blop has an organic design with an own identity, playful but mature enough to be considered as a console. The two buttons that are located at thumb and index finger are easy and fast to operate. The top button indicates that there is no need for delicate handling - just hit the top and start playing! The Blop has a soft ring to protect it from impact and the bottom has a soft and round shape as well. The organic body fits comfortably in a child hand, and can be firmly held in the fist while running around. To protect the Blop even more a strap is enclosed as well. There was chosen for a handheld product because the feedback of light, sound and vibration is well communicated this way. It encourages to interact with it, and gives the possibility to use gestures as an input. Besides, a stick can be many things in a child’s imagination - a sword, gun, racket, whip, paddle... you name it! The home station of the Blop is not only for charging the device, but is mainly the gate for connecting easily with your friends. The home station is provided with Internet access, so it will connect through your online profile with your friends. Once you arrive home, you press the main button while its in the station. The home station will check if your friends are home. If they are, your blop will light up and start making noises! You can call them over VoIP, or summon him to play through the blop. The game that will be sold together with the blop is an adventure game. First the children will adapt their avatar in front of the PC, and choose skills and powers - this will help them get through the mini challenges that wait ahead. Once they start playing, the children will have to move from home to home (plastic discs) and complete several mini-challenges to reach the secret treasure. At every home you can collect a star (a light that lids up), and if you’ve collected enough stars you can win the level! If you meet your friends at a home you can battle them or cooperate to win extra stars or even a secret key... Are you ready to row, fight, swim and puzzle your way through the levels??

Many professionals suffer from regular pain in the joints as a result of their work. In such cases, traditional light therapy, for example-Infrared light could be beneficial by enhancing blood circulation deep in the skin. Many of joint pain sufferers have used an Infrared lamp to relieve their pain after work at home. They are satisfied with the pain relief effects, but feel restricted in movement during the15-minutes treatment of the Infrared lamp. With the LED technology's development, several kinds of pain relief products which use LEDs instead of Infrared bulbs come to the market. These LEDs pain relief products are smaller and lighter comparing with traditional Infrared lamp, but they still cannot fulfill consumer's requirements on easy operation and high mobility. Users still have limitations due to electronic wires remote, or complex operation way. This need for more mobility and simple operation can be addressed with a wearable pain relief product for joints. By understanding how light acts, and leveraging its expertise in LED and textile technology, Philips has created a unique platform for the development of effective light-based therapies. The first conceptual product of these therapies is the BlueTouch Pain Relief Patch for shoulder and back pain sufferers which uses blue LED light to induce production of Nitric Oxide (NO) in the skin. NO is proven to trigger a number of protective and preventive processes in the body, helping to heal in a natural manner. Based on this blue light platform for pain relief Philips want to further discover the opportunities of this kind of blue light patch for joint pain users. This has been the start of this graduation project. Firstly, several research sessions with potential users were carried out to learn what the potential users need for joint pain relief and what characteristics of pain relief products they like according to their using experience. It appeared that, joint pain sufferers want to relieve their pain not only at home, but also at daytime when they suffer strong pain during work. A joint pain relief product should be very easy to operate and feels really convenient during light therapy. Generally people do not want to wear it the whole day, but preferably use it during breaks and relaxing time besides work time. They would like to use this kind of product to help them reducing the pain during recovery and speed up the healing process. LEDs can be integrated into textiles. The main challenge for this joint pain relief patch is to find what kind of appearance would convince consumers and which kind of form with relevant interaction would fulfill user's pain relief and ergonomics requirements. Several concepts were generated and evaluated with relevant experts and potential users. Three detailed concepts with rough models were made to gain users feedback on finding meaningful form and interactions. The design named "Enjoint" was designed and further developed according to the results from former studies. "Enjoint" is simple, flexible and intelligent, can be easily operated and provides high mobility for users. Its unisex design is for both male and female: The appearance has professional impression which can convince consumer to purchase, meanwhile it doesn't show unhealthy impression like traditional clinical tools (for example, the bandage). Several optical rubber covers were designed to provide micro-massage effects for improving pain relief effects. Users were especially enthusiastic about the mobility and ease of use of the product. The soft and breathable materials provides for a proper relaxing experience without overheating. Most of the users were convinced by the appearance of the product on its simple, professional and Philips' looking. Users can easily understand and operate the product themselves by the button on patch or APP in smart phone. The participants in user testing showed high interest on the blue lights, they like both how it looks and how it feels. They feel relaxing by the light's effect and think they are getting a professional treatment by the product's professional looking (especially with blue light turned on). The "micro-massage design" works by users unconsciously grasp during therapy, but it's also found it may leave patterns on the skin which arose user's worry. A next step for Philips, in the feasibility study of this concept includes quantitative consumer validation, functional proof of principle, and product's detailing.

Successful search and exploitation for hydrocarbons form the subsurface demands the acquisition of a thorough understanding of the basin’s geology, attainable by analyzing critically the stratigraphic framework and facies architecture of analog outcrops and mature fields with a dense network of wells. In this study Petrel was used to construct such a conceptual facies model for the Breathitt Group in the Central Appalachian Basin, with the aim of investigating the pattern of depositional environments and how they influenced the vertical and lateral distribution of facies in the foreland basin. The model provides excellent guidelines to the distribution of depositional energies in analogous subsurface progradational coastal-plain and fluvial-deltaic reservoir sequences. The study area is an appropriate analogue used by many oil and gas companies to understand and solve stratigraphic problems in subsurface coal mines and coal-bearing hydrocarbon reservoirs. Cored borehole data from 12 quadrangles in Eastern Kentucky was loaded into Petrel to generate vertical sedimentological logs. The logs were correlated using extensive coal seams and marine flooding surfaces to obtain stratigraphic columns of the strike and dip sections of the basin. 3D stratigraphic surfaces and isochore maps, embedded with pie-charts, were generated to quantify the proportions of lithofacies along every well that wholly penetrates any given isochore, including the determination, prediction and interpretation of lateral and vertical distribution of facies, depositional energies and paleo-environments. Basic principles of sequence stratigraphy were applied to explain the role and interactions of tectonics, subsidence and eustasy in the evolution of the delta system in the foreland basin. Results show that differential subsidence, including active tectonics (orogenesis) and quiescence gave rise to two broad depositional systems. The upper system, which is predominantly composed of immature sediments, was deposited by braided and meandering streams from the tectonically active thrust-front in the southeast toward the northwest in a fluvial-deltaic environment, whilst the lower system is composed of mature sediments whose deposition was mainly influenced by waves/storms and tides from the sea in the northwest that frequently transgressed the subsiding basin during the long periods of tectonic quiescence. The stratigraphy further shows a tendency to increase slope inclination and a series of anticlinal and synclinal structures, mainly in the upper system, which may provide reservoir traps or control the dynamics of fluid flow in the basin. The analysis shows that the fluvial-deltaic system has better reservoirs with a good vertical and lateral connectivity than reservoirs in the lower coastal-plain system, where vertical connectivity and permeability, is hindered by the thin laterally extensive shales between units. Nevertheless, this system could provide a good source region for the generation of hydrocarbons, due to its high content of organic matter and depth of burial, offering optimal pressures and kitchen (enough heat energy) for the generation of hydrocarbons. Facies analysis using isochores and pie-charts may be applied during both frontier exploration and exploitation phase to provide a simple and quick method of reserves estimates based on the predicted geometrical dimensions of reservoirs and non reservoirs. The method yields important petrophyical parameters that can assist reservoir engineers to design simulation models required for optimal well spacing and positioning, well numbers and better enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods.