Inspired by Joris Laarman
While brainstorming ways to make this headset stand futuristic and organic, I realized there was an opportunity to include subtle branding to match the headset that was to be docked on it. I eventually settled on making the base of the arms of the stand the shape of the VIVE Logo. Here you can see this logo integration as well the initial choice to use a manikin head as the main structure with arms to hold the remotes of the headsets.
I loved how the arms looked from all different angles but the arms were not strong enough. I knew I needed another piece of supporting geometry in the arms, and I wanted it to be optimally placed. To solve this problem I turned to Finite Element Method simulations. With the combined help of simulation and real world testing I was able to perfectly place supporting geometry to make as strong of a part as possible without sacrificing the looks I was going for.
After presenting my work to the Multimedia Studio I received some feedback about the user experience of the stand. The stand was not intuitive to use. Many testers could not figure out how to correctly place the remote on the stand. I replaced the two pronged design shown above for a flanged cylindrical cap. This design draws users to place the remotes correctly on the stand and had a perfect score in testing. The two-piece design also means the high wear element can easily be eplaced or refinished as needed.
Meeting one last time with the client before production, we decided the arms would be printed out of Tough 2000 Resin for its durable and consistent prints when compared to ABS or PLA. After printing the arms and flanged caps, I sanded the surface smooth and applied several layers of clear coat to protect the arms against scratches. I designed the flanged caps to be press fit, and used glue to make sure they were properly attached to the stand.
Before delivery to the client, the stands were rigorously tested to ensure that all of the design criteria were satisfied. In addition, the stands have been in use for over 6 weeks without any failure or heavy wear. There has been only ONE instance where the remotes were put on the stand incorrectly before closing.
