When approaching a new design, engineers and designers usually start either with the function, which defines what the technology is meant to do, or with the form, which determines what the technology should look like. In the case of the interactive air quality map, the emphasis lies firmly on the latter.
Designing a unique air quality logger helps me achieve three main objectives: efficiently connecting the technology from the previous mobile logger, reducing its size, and addressing mounting requirements. Volunteers who will carry the logger may not appreciate permanent attachments to their vehicles, especially considering that the logger will be deployed in sensitive areas. In the video, I talk about my solution to this temporary but secure mounting requirement.
My solution draws inspiration from YouTube videos created by Andrew Klein and the action lab. These videos demonstrate how permanent magnets can be switched off using ingenious mechanisms that manipulate the orientation of the magnets to control or contain their magnetic flux. Implementing this concept in my logger design not only informs the form factor of the logger but it also means the logger will be able to deploy quickly and discreetly.
Follow Ahmed's weekly progress in developing the Interactive Air Quality Map 2.0 across Lagos.
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