During my Masters I did one last group semester project. With two other students, I designed and 3D printed a light bulb in order to improve the clarity of speech during conversations at the dinner table. This way hard of hearing can be more engaged in social communicative situations. As our client, Eriksholm Research Center provided feedback and expertise regarding hard of hearing people. The Lila, short for Listen Lamp, light bulb gives visual feedback on how clear you speak, which is also beneficial for normal of hearing people. The intensity and color temperature of the light changes according to the understandability, in a unobtrusive manner. Lila can be interacted with through a controller object.

During this project, I especially further explored SolidWorks, and learned to model the 3D print with mechanical details like threads to open it through turning and exact constraints for instance for the microphone. Besides, I improved my presenting skills and my soldering skills. I also gained insights into the design perspective around growing systems and products, and moreover designing rich and meaningful interactions, also taking into account privacy issues resulting from the data flow.