iPod Watch [Hex2 + C6Pro] - Polyloop

EricD · 7th March 2008, 03:58

Here is a model I created for Mac|Life's "Next Big Thing" 3D
Product Design Contest (http://www.maclife.com/3d_design_contest). It made it into the runners up (no C4D for me

).

It's an idea I've had for a few years, and the contest was the best motivation to do it.

The modeling was rather simple and most of the work was in texturing and lighting.

Eric

Grendel · 7th March 2008, 07:02

Looks great Eric, I'll have to check out the other entries.

-ash- · 7th March 2008, 20:17

Great stuff Eric. Though I'm wondering, where do the earphones plug in?

Markku · 7th March 2008, 20:32

Good looking gadged! Maybe the earphones are wireless?

jbshorty · 7th March 2008, 20:38

nice work Eric. I believe the player sends the signal directly into your body. But you have to get "wired up" at your local Apple store...

jonah

-ash- · 7th March 2008, 20:57

Or perhaps it generates a sphere of sound that only the wearer can hear.

jbshorty · 7th March 2008, 21:29

does the user appear as a black silhouette to the non-users?

EricD · 7th March 2008, 21:36

Thanks. Markku wins the prize: the earphones are wireless. Or you can use the dock connector to plug it into a sound system and recharge it. Here is the text that accompanied the submission:

Quote:

The iPod Watch

Features and price point place the iPod Watch between the iPod Shuffle and the iPod Nano. It has more control than the Shuffle, but is smaller than the Nano. Its main audience is the active user who doesn't want to carry extra accessories or wires, and wants to listen to music, audio books or podcasts.

A 1.5" LED display (240 x 180 pixels @ 200ppi) is large enough to navigate through your music list, but is not intended to watch photos and videos.

The interface is very tactile. The mechanical ring lets you adjust the volume and navigate through menus. Four small paddle buttons around the display respond to your input with a satisfying click. With a little practice, you should be able to use the basic functions without taking your eyes off your task.

Wifi and Bluetooth antennas are hidden inside the wrist band. To avoid wire entanglement, this product uses Bluetooth headphones. The wifi connection allows you to receive music from any shared library on your wifi network. One end of the band can be opened (by squeezing the sides) to reveal a full-size dock connector, which allow you to connect to any dock device for recharging or playing music on speakers.

And... yes... it can tell time! When not in use, the iPod Watch display the clock of your choice, and can synchronize to Internet time via wifi.

And here's a wireframe view. I used a 120-sided cylinder for the ring, selected every other point along the edge and scaled down the selection. For the body, I used a couple of cylinders joined with the bridge tool. The buttons and screen are yet another cylinder that was hacked and chamfered.

Eric

3webjam · 12th March 2008, 14:53

Very impressive! The idea of the product and the model - both! Too bad that you did not win, but being in the runner ups, your work has been noticed by the experts and appreciated! Enough reasons to be proud of yourself!!!

Jacqueline

EricD · 12th March 2008, 19:57

Thanks. I'm curious to see what the winner and the other runner-ups came up with. They all will appear in the June edition of MacLife. So I'll have to wait a while.

Eric

rickei · 13th March 2008, 01:19

nice job Eric.

you would have had a better chance of winning if you had used the word "Airport" instead of WiFi in your description

JuST · 13th March 2008, 20:54

Good idea! I'd like to have a watch like that!

bitserve · 16th March 2008, 17:09

Nice concept work. You should patent that connector type for wearable data devices.

EricD · 18th March 2008, 01:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by bitserve

Nice concept work. You should patent that connector type for wearable data devices.

Considering it's a simplification of the iPod dock connector, which is itself using common retractable fingers, I don't think there's much to patent!

Eric

EricD · 2nd May 2008, 20:36

All the entries are online now:
http://www.maclife.com/article/reader_reinvent_apple

Eric

rickei · 2nd May 2008, 20:46

"Eric Dubois’s design for an iPod-oriented chronograph was by far the most sophisticated of the entries we saw, to the point where it looks like it’s ready to be shipped to an Apple Store near you."

Congrats, man... thats a great writeup about your design!
it's much more realistic than the iRing (though the ring would be pretty cool)

EricD · 2nd May 2008, 21:46

I think the iRing has more of the Apple "look" (no visible buttons, smooth). I wanted mine to have a more tactile feel, so you could operate it without looking at it. That's not the direction Apple's heading to (look at the iPhone/iPod Touch).

That said, it's time to update my website with this great quote!

7th March 2008, 03:58	#1 (permalink)
EricD Extrusion Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Rhode Island, USA Posts: 154 My Photos: (0) Images: 1	iPod Watch [Hex2 + C6Pro] Here is a model I created for Mac\|Life's "Next Big Thing" 3D Product Design Contest (http://www.maclife.com/3d_design_contest). It made it into the runners up (no C4D for me ). It's an idea I've had for a few years, and the contest was the best motivation to do it. The modeling was rather simple and most of the work was in texturing and lighting. Eric Attached Thumbnails

7th March 2008, 20:17	#3 (permalink)
-ash- Pixar want to hire me! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Over the road, round the corner, out of the noise. (Scotland) Posts: 697 My Photos: (15) Images: 9	Great stuff Eric. Though I'm wondering, where do the earphones plug in? __________________ Regards Tony

7th March 2008, 20:57	#6 (permalink)
-ash- Pixar want to hire me! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Over the road, round the corner, out of the noise. (Scotland) Posts: 697 My Photos: (15) Images: 9	Or perhaps it generates a sphere of sound that only the wearer can hear. __________________ Regards Tony

16th March 2008, 17:09	#13 (permalink)
bitserve Vertex Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5 My Photos: (1)	Nice concept work. You should patent that connector type for wearable data devices. __________________ - Mark A. www.bitserve.com - Secure, reliable hosting for your design business.

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7th March 2008, 07:02	#2 (permalink)
Grendel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 1,201 My Photos: (25) Images: 23	Looks great Eric, I'll have to check out the other entries.

7th March 2008, 20:32	#4 (permalink)
Markku Studying 3D at nights Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Finland Posts: 83 My Photos: (3)	Good looking gadged! Maybe the earphones are wireless?

7th March 2008, 20:38	#5 (permalink)
jbshorty proud to be a nurb Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: only in your mind Posts: 1,294 My Photos: (1) Images: 1	nice work Eric. I believe the player sends the signal directly into your body. But you have to get "wired up" at your local Apple store... jonah

7th March 2008, 21:29	#7 (permalink)
jbshorty proud to be a nurb Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: only in your mind Posts: 1,294 My Photos: (1) Images: 1	does the user appear as a black silhouette to the non-users?

12th March 2008, 14:53	#9 (permalink)
3webjam Extrusion Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Holland Posts: 167 My Photos: (0)	Very impressive! The idea of the product and the model - both! Too bad that you did not win, but being in the runner ups, your work has been noticed by the experts and appreciated! Enough reasons to be proud of yourself!!! Jacqueline

12th March 2008, 19:57	#10 (permalink)
EricD Extrusion Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Rhode Island, USA Posts: 154 My Photos: (0) Images: 1	Thanks. I'm curious to see what the winner and the other runner-ups came up with. They all will appear in the June edition of MacLife. So I'll have to wait a while. Eric

13th March 2008, 01:19	#11 (permalink)
rickei Respect the Dawg! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: USA - Conway, South Carolina Posts: 760 My Photos: (13) Images: 1	nice job Eric. you would have had a better chance of winning if you had used the word "Airport" instead of WiFi in your description

13th March 2008, 20:54	#12 (permalink)
JuST Pixar want to hire me! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Braunschweig, Germany Posts: 500 My Photos: (1) Images: 5	Good idea! I'd like to have a watch like that!

2nd May 2008, 20:36	#15 (permalink)
EricD Extrusion Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Rhode Island, USA Posts: 154 My Photos: (0) Images: 1	All the entries are online now: http://www.maclife.com/article/reader_reinvent_apple Eric

2nd May 2008, 20:46	#16 (permalink)
rickei Respect the Dawg! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: USA - Conway, South Carolina Posts: 760 My Photos: (13) Images: 1	"Eric Dubois’s design for an iPod-oriented chronograph was by far the most sophisticated of the entries we saw, to the point where it looks like it’s ready to be shipped to an Apple Store near you." Congrats, man... thats a great writeup about your design! it's much more realistic than the iRing (though the ring would be pretty cool)

2nd May 2008, 21:46	#17 (permalink)
EricD Extrusion Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Rhode Island, USA Posts: 154 My Photos: (0) Images: 1	I think the iRing has more of the Apple "look" (no visible buttons, smooth). I wanted mine to have a more tactile feel, so you could operate it without looking at it. That's not the direction Apple's heading to (look at the iPhone/iPod Touch). That said, it's time to update my website with this great quote!