Luke Shen
Resume
Projects:
About
Sketching
Hand Prototyping
SolidWorks
Blender
Keyshot
Adobe Suite
DaVinci Resolve
Figma
Python
Teamwork
Communication
Systems Thinking
User Research
Study
2 weeks
Laser Cutter
Adobe Illustrator
SolidWorks
Soldering
3D Printing & Slicing
Sheet Acrylic
White LED
Reed Switch
9V Battery
Gray Primer
Bondo
within a predefined 5” x 2” x 0.75” 3D printed box. Design with a meaningful interaction in mind.
Shapes can be laser cut from 0.125’’ mirrored acrylic, 0.125’’ white acrylic, and 0.25’’ clear acrylic
Predefined Box:
To make the box, the model was exported from SolidWorks, then sliced and 3D printed. For a better finish, I applied bondo spot putty, sanding and gray primer. I repeated this process several times. At the end, it eliminated the 3D printed layers on the surface texture. Brass heat set inserts are used to secure 10-32 screws into the box.
Initial Sketching and Conceptualization:
My initial sketching iterations generally included a squeeze or singular handed interaction because of the predefined form dimensions.
Working with my Nerf x The Witch From Mercury personal project in conjuction heavily inspired me to pursue a Gundam-esque flashlight. I wanted to study and incorporate the mechanical form language found on Gundams to break past the initial box shape.
Final Interaction:
I settled on a hand-squeezing mechanism, where squeezing the flashlight into a closed position turned it on. The shape accounted for the grip angle and flashlight direction when closed.
Prototyping and Iteration:
The products lab laser cutter runs on Adobe Illustrator, so all of the laser cut files are .ai files. Any vector above 0.01 pt are considered engravings, and anything below are considered cuts. Each prototype adjusts to the ergonomics, aesthetics, or mechanics of the form.
To make sure the parts fit tightly, I tested cuts the parts to determine the kerf of the laser. The kerf ended up being 0.004pt in Adobe Illustrator. It was this testing that allowed the laser cut finger joints to fit together, minimizing the acrylic glue used. Knowing the kerf also reduced the tolerance of the hinge mechanism, keeping the opening and closing mechanism smooth.
Final Shots: