FedDev Ontario s ARC Initiatives OCAD University Project # 11 Digital Easel

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1 As tablets become increasingly popular for artists and designers in the fields of digital painting, illustration and game design, there is a pronounced need to support more flexible conditions for these practitioners. SME Morphosis Design Studio Inc. is a multidisciplinary creative company that offers specialized design services such as Industrial Design and Graphic Design services. Morphosis uses design to create solutions that last over time functionally and aesthetically. The design philosophy lies in creating products that can be used and reused over time and is based on modularity to allow users to customize configurations according to their needs. The purpose of the Digital Easel Project was to research and design a digital easel prototype. Digital Easel functions in a similar way to a traditional easel that a painter would use in a studio or in the outdoors, however it is adapted to support a large Wacom Cintiq tablet. PROJECT BACKGROUND The easel has been in use as a support for image making and presentation dating back to the ancient Egyptian culture. The etymology of the word easel comes from an old German word for donkey and in various languages its equivalent is the only word for both animal and apparatus. As a device to hold, transport and present a working surface, easels have had a long history of aesthetic and functional innovation. The production of a digital easel could facilitate new approaches in the usage of tablets and allow artists and designers to have the mobility and accessibility to create their work in more flexible and diverse situations. Image 1: 2D Digital Easel Prototype 1

2 How can large tablet users create more flexibility for this tool and take it outside the traditional desktop digital drawing and painting applications? CuRRENT TRENDS Digital tablet technologies have been a fast growing and extremely competitive industry with tremendous potential for further commercial development in the art and design fields. Having early beginnings with Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) such as the Palm Pilot, digital drawing tablets have inevitably evolved and become enriched with haptic features. Wacom tablets, in particular, can respond to a wide range of refined inputs from the user. Receiving haptic signals from the pen, the tablet is able to finely replicate the analogue relationship between pen, pencil, chalk and brush with paper. Rather than only responding to simple 2D input, the tablet can record the roll, pitch and yaw of the stylus. This greatly expands the creative possibilities and easily supports user training. Commonly, tablets are kept on a stand on a desk. However, in order to fully harness the capabilities of a larger tablet, mobility is a feature that is necessary for changing creative conditions. Unlike tablets like the ipad, which are made for their lightness and portability, larger tablets are heavier and more cumbersome due to their sophisticated haptic technologies. This exempts the tablets from being used en plein aire (outdoors) and from being used easily for observational study. These particular reasons spurred this project. Market review In art and design colleges and universities, digital tablets are not currently used in figure drawing and painting classes. Students use the traditional easels that use a board to hold the paper in place. Students in illustration and game design courses have the option of using a large tablet but it is restricted to a tabletop. Image 2: Digital Tablet used on Wooden Easel. 2

3 research process Recognizing an industry need for a portable visualization device for a large tablet the research team started with our research question. There is a current disconnect in the way artists and designers learn how to draw from life in the classroom and the tablets used in their practice and industries. Digital Easel can bridge the gap between these practices by providing a digital painting support that students and practitioners can use in their respective areas of interest. With increased health and safety concerns in educational and work environments, this is an opportunity to support solvent- and paintfree creative exploration. In the long term this can prevent chronic health concerns for individuals and present potential cost savings for processes that require proper storage, maintenance and disposal of equipment and chemicals. After recognizing the need for Digital Easel, the task of designing and problem solving began. From the beginning, there were a number of key issues and features that were recognized and incorporated in the design process. Digital Easel worked with the SME on developing a design that included and/or supported the following elements: A computer console A rechargeable power supply Be collapsible Be sturdy Be lightweight Have rugged suspension Have the option to mount on a bike Be adjustable and customizable Be water-resistant To accept alternate technology and peripheral attachments Have a protective shell Image 3: Digital Easel, Virtual Placement, Institution Context 3

4 77 Quebec Ave. Unit 2035 Toronto, ON M6P 2T4 CANADA P P P These designs, plans, and specifications, and the copyright herein, are the property of Morphosis, wholly, and must not be used, reproduced, or copied wholly or in part without the express written consent of Morphosis. NO. REVISION DESCRIPTION DATE Issued for Approval CLIENT PROJECT NOTES DRAWING TITLE DRAWN BY SCALE PROJECT NO. CHECKED BY DIMENSION STARTING DATE DRAWING NO. PAGE OF REV NO. Early sketches of the product focused on the Digital Easel s ability to be used outdoors and in observational applications. Initial models used mechanical leverage in order to unfold and fold the structure for easy transportation and storage. Several 3D virtual iterations were rendered by Morpho-Synthesis to help with the problem solving process in the design and usability of the prototype. Concept Fine details of the digital easel were explored and alterations were made to the original concept through collaboration with Morpho-Synthesis. As a result, efficiencies were discovered through the designer s research and the team s brainstorming. Instead of using a series of mechanical leverage points to erect the frame and position the main input area, the suggestion to use a pneumatic piston was agreed upon. This crucial decision provided not only a more compact design, but also reduced the potential pinch points as well as increasing accessibility. Sliding Door with Look Wacom Tablet Wacom Tablet Sliding Door with Look Up & Down Handle Lithium Battery Compartment Standing Up Leg Wacom Support Laptop Holder Up & Down Handle Laptop Holder Adjustment Wheel Brake Lid Standing Up Leg Laptop Compartment Electrical Compartments Brake Image 4: Digital Easel Concept Sketches Stability Leg Adjustment Wheel Stability Leg Tray Lock Utensils Tray Laptop Compartment Pull Handle Utensils Tray Design & Development A major advancement that came about through consultation with the designer was the development of the casing and the MORPHOSIS OCADU Digital Easel extension arm. It was found that by storing the tablet device at a 90-degree angle to the post would permit the casing to be approximately 6 inches thinner. Digital Easel Components Additionally, this allowed the tablet to swivel Imperial so that one could position it for sitting on one 2 3 side of the chassis and simply extending the arm to its fully erect position where the tablet could be used in a standing position. This was a crucial requirement of the design since it increases accessibility and permits users to Issued for Approval interact with the easel in familiar ways. J. Camacho OCADU 1: /10/ A Earlier accommodations for this functionality OCADU were observed to restrict the freedom of the Digital Easel design resulting in an overall bulky construction. Exploded View J. Camacho OCADU 1:12 Imperial /10/ A 4

5 It was established though this later phase that the base of the central chassis would be made to accommodate a rechargeable power source. After reviewing the draw for the Wacom Tablet and a Apple MacBook, it was established that a 600 Watt (peak)/480 (max) output power supply would accommodate the ~165 Watts required for a potential 2 hours of powered working time. This duration was established after consultation with a peer who has had extensive experience painting outdoors on location ( en plein air ). This component of the design has not been fully developed and will require consultation with an electrical engineer. Overall, addressing the design and concept challenges for the Digital Easel included research on how the product could be used in different situations, indoors and outdoors. Prototype The research team agreed on one particular design that was aesthetically pleasing and was able to accommodate all of the technological challenges and parameters that came with the project. Juan Camacho of Morphosis Design prepared a digital 3D model of prototype at 1/5 the actual size that was sent to the 3D printing facility at OCAD University. Image 5: John Monet Painting by the Edge of the Wood. Component parts have been 3D printed and assembled in order to test the abilities and limitations of the design. This testing was the last phase of the Digital Easel project but the research team looks forward to furthering the prototype. Commercialization Digital Easel can be used by a wide number of business sectors. The Arts and Design sectors are immediate uptakers. Clients that require mobility could be expected to purchase as well as clients with accessibility barriers to traditional materials and practices. Sectors include: Illustration Graphic Design Fine Arts Architecture Landscape design Environmental Design Mobility Computing Adaptable Accessibility Computing 5

6 Prototype 1) Digital Easel Lock Down 2) Open it 3) Rotate it 4) Use it 5) Open Upright 6) Digital Easel Fully Opened with Laptop Image 6: Digital Easel unfolding Prototype 6

7 research Team SME John Deal Project Lead Academic Technician-Drawing & Painting OCAD University Luke Painter, Principal Investigator Assistant Professor, OCAD University Juan Camacho Morphosis Design Studio Inc., SME Morpho-Synthesis Inc: OCAD University: OCAD University Research: 7