Willy is an air purifier for children designed in response to the new reality we are living. He is able to control the quality of the air inside an environment, to react to changes in domestic pollution and to adapt to different times of the day, and to do it independently. The kid does not perceive this complexity, which operates independently, while the parent can keep the parameters under control and have a complete picture of the quality of the home environment. In addition to the purification side, Willy is also able to develop an empathic relationship with the kid, reacting to the movements around him as to represent an outlet for his social needs for moments in which they are confined within the domestic walls.
Given the type of product, I focused on the search for forms and methods to best blend a necessary element such as the air inlet and outlet grille with the total concept on which the interaction with the user is based. In the best products, this detail is designed together with the rest of the body, in order to minimize the visual impact on the object or alternatively so as to exaggerate it, to make it the main characterization mark.
Finally, from the combination of the previous categories, I have identified the perfect intersection: the choice of details and the strategic positioning of them are able to create anthropomorphic results and generate extremely empathetic objects. In this case, more than the choice of a specific element, it is a wise game of proportions and balances between the size of the shapes, colors, distance between the key points.
Through small details, such as the choice of positioning screens, or sensors, or characteristic elements of the product in order to return a human feeling, or at least of vitality and presence. It is an extremely thin and delicate thread to walk on, because exaggerating in the characterization of the product leads to clumsy results, but when the details have been carefully chosen the effect obtained is that of a credible, attractive, blood-like object, in a few words alive.
Air filtration
Willy uses a HEPA H13 technology, capable of filtering most of the common allergens present in the home: dust, harmful gases and improving the quality of the home air, reaching filtration levels up to 99,95%. With this method it is possible to filter particles with a minimum size of 0.3 μm.
Interaction
If a large part of the air filtration apparatus is located in the lower part of Willy, the head is the control center as regards the emotional and behavioral side. The brain of the product is located at the top, where all the smartest functions of the product are controlled with a single card.
Thanks to two microphones positioned in correspondence of the eyes, Willy is able to perceive the sounds around him and also to place them in space. In fact, the position of the sensors simulates the functioning of the human ear, measuring the different intensity of the sound and identifying the origin of the source at 360°.
This, combined with the electric motor present at the base of the head, leads Willy to turn his attention directly to what he considers the source of sound in the room, which is often represented by the child moving all around. This therefore allows physical interaction, much more meaningful for the child than that with a display or with simple buttons.
