Outcome

INSPIRATION:

As an international student myself, I have been adjusting to new cultures and customs my whole life. One thing that I have noticed from being around other international students, talking to my American-Chinese friends about their parents, and when I go back home to Thailand is that there are some habits that are acceptable or even sometimes, welcomed, in our culture, but are looked down upon in other cultures. One of the most common habits that I have noticed is loud chewing, and just bad table manners in general, since in a lot of Asian cultures, enthusiastically eating your food (loudly) is viewed positively, and in some countries, it is rude not to slurp loudly:

"In fact, every culture has specific ways of showing appreciation of the meal. In Saudi Arabia, diners burp after eating to compliment the cook. In Hong Kong and Japan, loudly slurping your noodles demonstrates your enjoyment of the food; literally, that it is so delicious you cannot even wait until it cools off." - (https://cultureandfood.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/to-slurp-or-not-to-slurp/)

Some of these habits that are just embedded into one's culture makes it really hard for the more modern generation to get rid of. It is also uncomfortable for others to be around them or to attempt to make them aware of their bad habits, since that could be rude to mention.

From this starting point, I wanted to create some device that would send the user some kind of output reminder that would make them aware of their bad habits without it being obvious to others when dining outside of their home. 

PROBLEM:

Ever had a friend that was just too embarrassing to go to a fancy restaurant with? Or are you that friend? Or is it one of your family members? Some bad habits are just so hard to fix, especially when you have grown up in an environment where those actions were known to be normal, and not a bad thing. 

I have focused my problem space to being loud during meal times; placing your cutlery/plates down carelessly, trying to speak with food still in your mouth, arguing ... etc. This was so that I would be reaching out to a wider group of users, and not just targeting immigrants in the States or just people who are studying abroad. This problem would deal more with children with busy parents, or just anyone who is trying to grow out of their bad table manners so they are able to integrate better at more formal settings. 

SOLUTION: 

I decided to create a simple pot plant that on the surface would just look like a normal piece of home decoration, so that it does not embarrass the users when there are guests over at the house. What this little plant does is that whenever someone places their cutlery down too loudly, clashes plates together, shouts at each other on the dinner table, its two leaves will drop off the stalk, expressing its sadness. I chose this movement since it was subtle enough to not be a nuisance to the user and also so it does not interrupt the overall dining atmosphere, but would be noticeable enough so that the user is aware that they have done something wrong. 

Initial idea brainstorming and sketches

Coming up with different problems, picking the problem that I want to focus on, and coming up with different ways that the sound input can be translated into an unobtrusive output. Sketching ideas of casing, and visual representation of the data.

Development sketches of Sprout, and manufacturing plans

Figuring the best position for the microphone to be at, and how to get the servo to be at a fixed position at all times.

Testing out different ways to color the frosted acrylic leaves with spray paint.

HOW IT WAS MADE:

I created the casing by turning High Density gray foam on the lathe into a pot plant shape, and hollowed it out using several drill bits. I cut and etched the pattern on the leaves with the laser cutter, and bent it using a heat gun. I then spray painted the pot part with brown spray and colored the leaves by spraying underneath it (on the smooth, not frosted side) with green spray. The 'lid' part is made from a laser cut piece of frosted acrylic also, and the stem is a brass tube, band-sawed to length and then secured in place through cutting slits and folding them over after force-fitting it into the laser cut hole in the acrylic lid.

HOW IT WORKS:

The small microphone sensor that is connected to the arduino inside the pot plant takes in amplitude inputs, and through my code, I got it to convert the amplitude inputs into frequency. What the code then does is that it will move the servo so that it is at 180 for 10 seconds, whenever it detects high frequency noises (>2000Hz) that are over a certain amplitude (>80). The servo arm is connected to the leaves by strings, and once it moves from its original position (0) to 180, it makes the string go from taut to slack, and therefore makes the leaves drop from the stem. When that certain range of sounds is not detected anymore, it goes back to its original position (0) again.

(Servo not in the photo since it has been permanently attached to the casing)