The Polaroid 660 Autofocus is a wooden camera that allows users to create memories by taking pictures directly with their phone.
Through its user-centered interaction, users will be able not only to take photographs, but also to print them: with a bluetooth printer incorporated into the body of the Polaroid and connected with the phone’s camera, it offers the possibility to share moments by printing photos right after taking them.
Through its user-centered interaction, users will be able not only to take photographs, but also to print them: with a bluetooth printer incorporated into the body of the Polaroid and connected with the phone’s camera, it offers the possibility to share moments by printing photos right after taking them.
INTERFACE AND INTERACTION MODALITY
The product combines both technological and analogue features. The Polaroid maintains the shape and the color of the classic Polaroid Sun 660 Autofocus, and the interaction with the user is kept as simple as possible: the user can interact with the camera by using two buttons placed on the front of the camera.
It is required an additional setup in order to use the Polaroid: place the phone inside the Polaroid’s phone support and connect the bluetooth printer to the phone.
It is required an additional setup in order to use the Polaroid: place the phone inside the Polaroid’s phone support and connect the bluetooth printer to the phone.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT
The project is developed in the context of photography, and it’s inspired by one of the most iconic cameras designed by Polaroid, the Sun 660 Autofocus, originally made in 1981 and the fist one with an Autofocus technology.
We tried to keep our version of the Polaroid as faithful as possible to the original one and make it recognizable by adding the Polaroid’s logo both on the flash and on the front of the camera.
FABRICATION PROCESS
The first step of the fabrication process was to understand and design the buttons’ mechanism. We started working on the buttons’ movement by sketching and testing it with cardboard. After several tests we designed the buttons on Fusion 360, together with the body of the camera, the back and front doors and the flash.
To make the flash work, we tested the optic fiber and, once we understood how to make it interact with the light of the phone’s flash, we designed a cable that connects the flash of the phone with the camera’s flash, where we placed aluminum foils in order to make the light brighter.
Finally we assembled the camera and the flash bodies and we painted them in black, in order to preserve the original color of the Polaroid Sun 660 Autofocus.
To make the flash work, we tested the optic fiber and, once we understood how to make it interact with the light of the phone’s flash, we designed a cable that connects the flash of the phone with the camera’s flash, where we placed aluminum foils in order to make the light brighter.
Finally we assembled the camera and the flash bodies and we painted them in black, in order to preserve the original color of the Polaroid Sun 660 Autofocus.
References
Polaroid Sun 660 Autofocus
Video and melodies used for the projects are taken from the mention sources not considering any licenses as for NC academic project.
Team
Sara Paganella, Alexandra Ponjee
Sara Paganella, Alexandra Ponjee
Teacher
Marco Lurati
Marco Lurati
Course
Digitally Designed Objects for Fast Prototyping
Year
Sep 2021
