Silu

Silu is a device that helps kids training the skill of decision making.
It allows the kid develop a visual story by using silhouettes.
Target age: 6-10
Made in collaboration with Silvia Natale, Shiran Hirshberg 

Abstract

Now-days in the 21st century, the skills required by the society are a bit different from the one required some decades ago and they must be trained from the youth to keep up with the lightning-pace of today’s modern markets. The project of the Design Advanced Artifacts course allows us to choose what kind of skill we would like the kids (age 6-12) to improve. We analysis the decision making skill with the goal of letting kids training on this fundamental skill. In our life, both we are kids or adults,  we always need to take decision where the output often is based by experience and even cultural and education background. Sometimes there is no right or wrong but it’s just a matter of pick up a choice when we are in front of two or more options, which can lead into different scenarios and conclusion. The project allows kids to train their decision making skills, by using both digital and physical product. Silu is a device, a game for kids ages 6-10 that allows kids to read a story through an app on an iPad and let the kid take decision on how to continue the story, choosing characters and places. Kids can draw the scene using a transparent card supported by the iPad and play with the shadow which is then projected by Silu, keeping the story alive. 

Experience and interaction modality

Silu is composed by a digital component and a physical one. The digital component is an app which run on Apple device where kids need to interact with. The app allows kids to read, listen, draw and take decision. The physical component is a portable wood device, with inside an Arduino one circuit, a board and a light connected with the possibility to adjust the intensity of the it. The interactions kids have to perform with the two elements are the following: the kid starts reading the story after he has selected characters and places. Based on which character and place kid chose, the application starts different stories that the kid need to read. At a certain time, kids needs to solve a dilemma, which is a question kids can answer taking a choice of how to continue the current story. There are different choices and once kids has taken one of them, they can draw a scene and the characters on a card just putting it on the iPad. The physical devices allows kid to insert these transparent card through three slots to create different layers and play with shadows. The layers are the background and character added during the decision making action. The kid can turn on Silu, pushing the button on the back and adjust the intensity of the light depending on the distance from the wall.

Process and tools

The screens of the app are made with Sketch and prototyped with Flinto.The physical device comprising by the box and the drawer has been made by wood. The white handle on the top has been made by 3D printer.  Cards are made in plexiglass and cutted with the lasercut machine. The light has been taken from a professional electric torch, unmounted and connected to an Arduino which allows to turn it on and off and to calibrate the intensity of the light. The drawer has some magnetic that allow to be safety closed when the device is transported.