PROJECT REPORTSino-Finnish Centre & Tongji University2013-06-18

Axel ErikssonChristian KoopmannElina Lindqvist Eljas LinnaFredrik Johnsson Huiming Zhou Kevin WuKristian Bernström Ma XiaoWang Fei

This report presents the process and result of the innovAIR project done by an interdisciplinary student team at Tongji University. The project was initiated and sponsored by Panasonic, an international company manufacturing consumer electronic products.

The aim of the project has been to create a breakthrough and life-enhancing solution for improved indoor air quality in urban China. The final goal has been to develop a concept and produce a functioning prototype.

In the project’s initial phase research phase was aimed at getting to know the users, find out how they manage IAQ now and where their greatest concerns and frustrations lie.

During the concept development phase the team created a number of ideas and concepts, which after an evaluation and elimination phase was reduced to a number of six concepts which then were presented to the Panasonic at a mid-term presentation.

Together with Pananonic representatives the team selected the final concept for further development.

The last phase of the project was the development of the final concept and a functioning prototype. The final result was presented both at the Product Development Project Gala at Sino-Finnish Shanghai and at the Panasonic head office in Osaka, Japan.

1.1 The innovAIR teamThe innovAIR project has been carried out by an interdiciplinary and mulicultural team of students. Their educational backgrounds include industrial design engineering, mechanical engineering, geotechnical engineering, architecture, industial design, business and environmental engineering. The members come from China, Finland, Germany, Indonesia and Sweden. During 9 months the team worked on the project, from the first design brief in September until the presentation of the final concept at the end of May. The team consisted of 10 members during the first half of the project, which was reduced to 8 students during the second half due to two members ending their exchange studies in China.

ELINA LINDQVISTProject managerIndustrial Design

Engineering

HUIMING ZHOUEnvironmental

Engineering

AXEL ERIKSSONIndustrial Design

Engineering

MA XIAOGeotechnical Engineering

ELJAS LINNAMechanical Engineering

& Business

KRISTIAN BERNSTROM

System Engineering

FREDRIK JOHNSSONSystem Engineering

WANG FAYEIndustrial Design

KEVIN WUArchitecture

CHRISTIAN KOOPMAN

Mechanical Engineering & Business

1.3 Design BriefThe team was given the mission to “create an breakthrough and life-enhancing solution improved indoor air quality for condominium and apartment reseidents in urban Chinese homes”.

1.4 Aim and goalThe aim of the project has been to create an innovative solution for improving the indoor air quality in urban Chinese homes, based on research of how the residents manage their IAQ now and where their greatest concerns and frustrations lie. The goal has been to develop a full concept, presented and visualised in a functioning prototype.

1.5 Limitations and scopeThe focus for the project as well as the scope of the research has been the development of a solution for upper-income, urban residents in condominium and apartments in tier 1 Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. The project has focused on creating a new kind of product solution for improving indoor air quality rather than developing new technologies for air purification.

1.6 Indoor air pollution in ChinaAir pollution is currently a severe problem in China. According to the World Bank 16 of the world’s 20 cities with the worst air are in China and according to Chinese government sources about a fifth of urban Chinese are breathing heavily polluted air1.

The outdoor air pollution is a well-known problem, however the indoor air quality can often be 5-10 times worse than outdoor. Gases such as formaldehyde and other volatile organic gases (VOCs) are released into the air, a problem that is extreme in China due to the lack of regulations and low awareness of healthy construction methods and materials. Without proper ventilation and filtration, the concentration of pollutants build up in the air and the concentration of individual air pollutants can be as much as 100 times higher than outside.

1.6.1 Sources of pollutionThe main pollutants of indoor air in urban homes are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are chemical gases emitted into the air from various solids and liquids. Examples of sources are paints,

1. http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=392

2.1 Process overviewDuring the past academic year the project has undergone a both complex as well as challenging process, which started from the rather general question of how to improve indoor air quality in China, to a final product concept and functional prototype. This process can be divided into a total of four phases and was spread over two semesters. The picture above show the main phases of the project.

During the Autumn Semester 2012/2013 the project team was predominantly occupied with researching a variety of topics in the area of air quality and related user needs, as well as based on this research developing the first product concepts. The beginning of the second semester was marked by the phase of evaluating the different concepts, as well as selecting the best concept for further development, which was done in cooperation with Panasonic representatives. Throughout the spring semester of 2013 the selected concept was then further developed into a final concept, which laid the foundation for design and construction of the prototype.

Even though the process followed a structured time plan with clear deadlines for each phase, the phases showed above were not executed in a linear sequence. The transition from one phase to another has been overlapping and certain phases which were thought to be finished had to be revisited after certain problems or potentials were discovered. This was especially true in the context of the the development of the final concept and the prototype, since the to phases have been carried out almost entirely parallell to each other. Changes in the final concept led to changes in the prototyping and vice versa.

2.1.1 Gantt schedulesFor each semester a gantt schedule was created in which the subphases and specific tasks were defined. The gantt schedules served as approximate time schedules, however due to time limitations during the spring some phases had to be skipped or shortened down. See Appendix 1 for Gantt schedules.

2.2.2 Benchmarking To get a view of the current markets, to recognize the level and amount of competition and to understand the related scene it was important to set foot to the retailer stores. The biggest electronics and home appliance stores were visited and the staff were interviewed about the air purifiers. Information about the sales of different product types was gathered as well as the staff members’ opinions about trends in air purification. Online stores were also included in the benchmarking; many of the largest online electronics stores as well as online reviews were closely examined. Benchmarking research provided vital data regarding the most popular purifier types and the situation in the current markets. With this information it was possible to start planning the target customer group and the goals of the product.

2.2.3 Purification technology Researching the technical solutions for air purification was necessary due to the lack of previous experience on the subject within the team. Researching the subject continued throughout the project during different stages. The research had to be continuous since the concept was constantly evolving. Information was mostly found in the internet from various websites.

All of the more or less common methods of removing particles from the air were studied, their strengths and weaknesses determined and their suitability for our purposes evaluated. Research on existing solutions was needed to make sure everyone has the knowledge of the working principles of purifiers. It also gave an idea of the possibilities of current technology and set the bar for innovativeness.

Please see Appendix 2 for results of existing purification solutions.

2.2.4 Interface solutionsWhile the mechanical aspects had been locked down on for the choice of technology, a suitable solution for the interface of the prototype, a transparent touch screen, still had to be found. Different display types and their possibilities were examined as well as options for touch screens. The display technology we found most suitable, OLED, seems perfect for the product but due to its high price and limited availability in bigger dimensions it was out of reach to be included in the prototype.

2.2.5 User researchThe aim of the user research was to investigate the needs of the users. This was done by examining the current situation of indoor air quality (IAQ) in urban cities, find out what the users think and feel about the topic of indoor air quality as well as how they handle the problem today.

The research was done using four different kinds of data collection methods; interviews, questionnaires, home visits and a workshop.

2.2.5.1 Interviews & QuestionnairesThe aim of the interviews and questionnaires was to get a quick insight of the opinions and awareness level of local residents. Previously unknown people were interviewed face to face and questionnaires were handed out to people in offices. Please see Appendix 3 for interview form and questionnaire. The

2.2.5.4 Summary of key findingsVENTILATIONDuring the research the team asked the users what measures they currently take to improve their indoor air quality. The team found that a majority of users are accustomed to opening their windows to ventilate and let fresh air inside as a way to improve their indoor air quality. This would normally be a good solution, however considering that the outdoor air in Chinese cities is heavilly polluted this solution will worsen the indoor air quality rather than improving it.

CHILDREN’S ENVIRONMENTInterviews have shown that users with children see their child’s environment as the most sensitive area regarding indoor air quality. Children in their early stages of development are particularly sensitive to polluted air and it can have long term effects such as chronic diseases and allergies. Interviewees have also shown high willingness to invest money in the children’s living environment.

AWARENESSThe user is aware of the problem of pollution and he thinks of it from time to time, especially when there are articles in the newspaper or information on the news. According to him the outdoor pollution is the biggest threat. He does not know or care as much about his IAQ.

SPACE EFFICIENCY The user has a limited amount of space in the apartment and does not want to have big, clumsy purifiers everywhere in his home. Most of the air purifiers he and his wife have seen in the cyber stores are big and bulky, and must be placed on the floor.

INTEGRATIONThe user does not want a big bulky machine standing in the middle of his room. He and his wife care about home styling and can’t really picture one of those machines in their home. He wants the purifier to fit his style and be integrated into the home, like a piece of furniture or art.

FLEXIBILITYThe user expriences that the IAQ varies in different rooms of the apartment, for example that it is worse in the kitchen and bathroom due to odors. However at the same time he prioritizes to keep the air quality good in the bedroom, where he spends the most time. He is not convinced that one purifier alone could improve the air quality in the whole apartment, and the user does not want to buy one for each room. The exsisting purifiers are stationary and difficult to move, he wants a more flexible solution.

LACK OF OBJECTIVE INFORMATION The user experiences a lack of trustworthy and local information. The user does not know is she can trust the souce of information, and the air quality might vary between her location and the point of measurement. Therefore the user does not know when to ventilate and how to keep pollution from entering her house.

STRESS AND WORRYSince the user does not know for sure if the indoor air quality or outdoor air quality is good, it causes stress and worry.

NOISEMost users consider noise to be one of the biggest factors why they do not want an air purifier in their home. It disturbs their life and causes problems with sleeping.

PERSONAAs a result of the research a persona, a fictive representation of the targeted user, was created. It gives a description of who the user is and what problems and needs he or she has regarding the indooor air quality.

PERSONA - MR. LIU

Mr. Liu is 38 years old and lives with his wife and seven-year old son in a big apartment in Pudong, Shanghai. He and his wife wanted to live in Pudong since the air quality is better in that area than in the rest of the city, and also because it has nice living areas with parks nearby. Mr. Liu works as a financial manager at a big Chinese company and earns around 500 000 Yuan per year.

To Mr. Liu, good air quality means a blue sky and a nice, fresh feeling. He and his family sometimes go to the countryside or a park to get some fresh air. He and his wife are concerned about

the air quality, especially for their child. His wife also complaints about getting dry skin because of the AC machine and he himself sometimes experience some bad feelings in his throat because of the bad air quality.

Mr. Liu usually opens the window once a day to get some fresh oxygen into the apartment. He is aware that there are unhealthy particles outside but he is doing it anyway. In the winter he mostly uses the AC machine, which he believes works as ventilation. To the family, the bedroom is the most important room when it comes to good air quality, as well as the living room where they spend a lot of time together.

e family sanitized the newly furnished apartment before they moved in, in order to remove VOC’s coming from the paint and furniture. ere are still some unpleasant smells from the furnishing but they have gotten used to it, says Mr. Liu. He doesn’t think it is necessary to get an air purifier. However they use a humidifier in order to keep the air from getting too dry.

e family’s house keeper does the washing and cleaning, and she oen cooks as well.

Mr. Liu exercises to keep his health, and also think getting good sleep it’s important in order to remain healthy.

2.3.3 The fist ideas Some of the first ideas that were documented in pictures or text or are shown below.

A purifier that moves around the house automatically. It releases clean air and leaves your home dust free. Cleans floor and air, humidifies, small scale temperature, can be kid friendly, remote control, sensor in different rooms for dirty air

The purifier is placed at the top of the bed. It’s concealed in a textile cover. At its ends on the sides of the bed it has small pockets for storage. It also works as a bed table. It detects the user’s movements and adjusts to the user’s sleep. The clean air gently blows out above the user’s head and the purifying mechanism is hidden under the madrass.

The humidity storage device is using the AC hole. It stores humidity on humid days and releases it in the apartment on dry days. It releases the humidity only when its needed.

HUMIDITY STORAGE BED PURIFIER ROBOTIC CLEANER

A product shaped like a grass straw that moves like grass moves in the wind. It traps particles in the same way the “stigma” part of grass collects pollen. It is decorative and can be used everywhere in the home.

Stands next to a bed and gently blows air in the users face. The canon wakes the user up by mimicking the light of the sun. The light beam also works for visualizing the amount of crap in the air.

The interaction table is a huge touchscreen that can be used for education about air quality and games for children. It’s has a purification system inside. The interface is in the touchscreen.

PURIFYING GRASS BED CANON INTERACTION TABLE

2.5.7 Concept screening with Panasonic representatives The team also wanted to get input from Panasonic to make sure the final concept would fit into their portfolio and meet their interests. During the midterm presentation at the Sino-Finnish Design Factory in Shanghai the six top concepts were presented to the Panasonic representatives, followed by a new Pugh matrix evaluation by the Panasonic representatives and team members. The Panasonic representatives and innovAIR team members were split into groups of two to fill in the matrix. Each group had one innovAir member as well as a Panasonic attendee. This ensured full understanding of the concept as well as the consideration of view points from both Panasonic and the innovair team. Even with the help of a matrix the choice was difficult. Eventually one concept, the purifying window, was selected as the final one.

3. FINAL CONCEPT

3.1 Overview The final concept, the innovAIR window, is an intelligent window with an intergrated purifying and sensoring system. It allows the user to let fresh air into the apartment while at the same time keeping particles and other polltants outside. It’s built-in sensors provide the user with objective, local measurements at all time and enables the user to improve the indoor air quality in an easy way.

During the research the team asked the users what measures they currently take to improve their indoor air quality. The team found that a majority of users are accustomed to opening their windows to ventilate and let fresh air inside. This would normally be a good solution, however considering that the outdoor air in Chinese cities is heavily polluted this solution will most likely worsen the indoor air quality rather than improving it. At the same time, statistical data shows that the lack of proper ventialtion and circulation cause indoor air pollutants to build up in the air and reach concentrations that are 100 times higher than outdoors.

The InnovAIR Window concepts takes advantage of the Chinese residents’ habit of opening th window to ventilate the indoor air, and changes it into a safe and effective way of improving the indoor air quality. Instead of opening the window at the cost of letting other harmful pollutants inside at the same time, the innovAIR window enables the user to purify the outdoor air before it enters the apartment.

Secondly, a lack of access to objective information about the air quality was identified as another prominent problem. The lack of reliable data resulted in either stress and worry or simply ignorance and unawareness. It was therefore important for the team to develop a solution that would provide the user with information that can be trusted and that is easily accessable.

In comparison to exsisting , conventional purifyers the innovAIR window is extremely space efficient and completely integrated into the users home.

3.2 FunctionalityThe user can chose three different options when purifying the air. The three options are ventilation, circulation or automatic mode.

With the ventilating function the window sucks in outdoor air, filters it in the frame and blows it out into the apartment. The circulatng function means that the window sucks in air from inside the apartment, filters it and blows it back into the apartment. Lastly, the window’s automatic mode means that the window optimises the air purification based on the data from the sensors, and chooses either ventilation or circulation mode.

The window provides measurements from the two sensors, displaying both the indoor air quality status and the outdoor air quality status. The user can easily access local and constantly updated data. Apart from it’s own measurements, the window also provides data from other sources. It downloads air quality data from official sources such as embassys or the government and also collects air quality from other innovAIR Windows in the city. The user can compare the different sources which makes it easier to make own judgements and trust the information. The user can compare the air quality in

3.4 DesignThe design features that have been used to give the InnovAIR window its desired expression will be described in more detail below.

3.4.1 Frame 3.4.1.1 BevelsSince the frame of the InnovAIR Window has to be a few centimeters thicker than conventional window frames in order to fit the technology inside, it has been designed to look more sleek. This has been accomplished by adding a soft bevel around the edge of the frame closest to the window pane, which makes the frame look thinner. At the top and bottom of the frame the bevels are extended onto the plates that covers the air intake and outlet. Extending the bevels across the plates makes the parts look more integrated and gives the whole frame a softer expression. At the sides the bevels are smaller to provide space for the filter containers. Bevels is also one of the design features identified in the Panasonic DFA, and threfore it is lso a way to integrate the InnovAIR window into the Panasonic portfolio.

3.4.1.2 Hidden innner frameIn order to make the frame look like a unit rather than an assembly of different parts, the inner frame which the glass panes are attached to is hidden behind an edge sticking out from the major frame. Hiding the inner frame makes it look as if the window only has a single frame, which gives it a simple and clean expression.

3.4.1.3 Air intake and outletThe shape of the air intakes and outlets are made to blend in to the window frame. They have a rectangular shape with big radii at the corners, which mirrors the shape of the frame itself. Both the air intake and outlet are curved at the ends closest to the window pane to continue the bevel on the frame. When the airflow is on the plates are situated a few millimeters out from the frame, and when the windo is turned off they are in the same level as the rest of the frame. The outside air intake is constructed to prevent rain or snow from entering the frame.

3.4.1.4 MaterialAll parts for the frame of the window are designed in a way so that they could be manufactured as either vinyl or aluminium extruded profiles, with the exception of the plates covering the air intake and air outlet, which has to be mamufactured with a method that allows for the creation of double-curved surfaces.

4. PROTOTYPING

The concentration of particles in the front of the lasers decreases the strength of the lasers. Therefore, there is a connection or formula between the concentration of particles and the strength of the lasers. The sensor was bought online 5. Two sensors are put in the prototype of the window One is measuring the dust outside and the other is measuring the indoor air quality. The sensors send data on the dust concentration every 30 seconds.

4.6.1 Connecting Sensors with Arduino & PCIt is a hot topic among the makers to build something for the living environment. Pioneering work has been done by a man called Chris Nafis’s on detecting particles via Arduino and the Shinyei Dust Sensor and the whole process has been put on his website6. Everything on the website is open source, which means people can use it for free.

He also compared different sensitivity of the dust sensors, concluded that Shinyei Dust Sensor is better. The core code used in the prototype is based on Chris Nafis’s work.

4.7 ArduinoWithout any previous experience, the engineers in the team learned how to connect electronic hardware and software in order to connect the sensors and electronics. Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It is specifically developed for the use of designers to create electronic prototypes. Arduino made it possible to connect sensors to the computer and control the fans of the prototype. A great amount of time had to be spent to study the functions of Arduino to make it serve the team’s and purposes. Third party help was also utilized as the team gained knowledge from others interested in electronics and computer sciences in Hackerspace which is a place in Shanghai where people with common interests on the subject can meet. The Arduino hardware can be purchased online7 and the software can be downloaded for free 5. http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/grove-dust-sensor-p-1050.html?cPath=25_276. http://www.howmuchsnow.com/arduino/airquality/grovedust/ 7. http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/arduino-uno-rev3-p-694.html?cPath=6_7

controlled through internet.

4.9 Components and connectionsThe prototype of the innovAIR Window consists of a touchable and transparent LCD screen, a plastic window frame, an arduino, two dust sensors and two fans.

The connections between the electronic parts are illustrated in the following picture.

4.10 InterfaceThe process of choosing the most suitable display solution for the prototype was not straight forward. Different solutions were ruled out due to limitations in their availability, price and ease of use. At first, head-up displays were studied since they were the most obvious technology when considering transparent data displays. However, they were quickly found to be unsuitable for our needs and the research continued on other types of transparent displays. OLED was the most desired technology but using it in the prototype turned out to be impossible due to very low availability, high price and complex programming requirements.

Eventually the research resulted in a certain vital piece of information; an ordinary LCD screen can be turned semi-transparent if the backlight component is removed. A semi-transparent LCD display seemed suitable for the prototype due to its wide availability, low cost and simple HDMI connection to a computer. The LCD screen was not going to be touch-interactive though so the touchscreen solutions also had to be evaluated. The most suitable one seemed to be a touch-wrap; a thin plastic layer with touch-sensors which is placed on top of the display.