In this Product Design unit, we were asked to design a handheld smell detector and make a prototype of our design (the prototype will be mostly made out of foam and cardboard). To get inspiration for our smell detector design I searched up images of different handheld objects. I got inspired by the design of the temperature gun and the Ophone—which is a device that enables smell messaging. I took a few parts—that inspired me—from each design and added these ideas into my design, such as the idea of the display screen on the back of the temperature gun and the opening on the top part of the Ophone—which I believe is where the smells get in/out of the device. In addition, my favorite part of my smell detector is its handle. As shown in the above photos, the handle is designed to be in a curved shape so it will be more comfortable to grip on.
How it works:
In the photos that are attached to the post, you may notice that there’s a switch on the side of the handle. Sliding the switch downwards will turn on the device; it will then suck the smell in. The smell will first go through the opening on the top of the device—so it would be captured inside the detector. Thereafter, it will be detected and identified. When you turn on the display screen by pressing the black button, a signal will be sent from the detector to the display screen. It will display a picture of the smell that has been identified and provides the user some information about the smell.