Side Project: Hermes

1/4/17 
Client-Work, Ashman Razaruddin
Side Project - Concept/3D Work
HERMES Holographic Projection Module

Introduction
In this project, my client is working on a concept for a universal, holographic projector called 'Hermes', which is an attachable device connected to the visor of a motorbike helmet. Hermes projects a HUD (Heads Up Display) onto the rider's visor, displaying GPS information and safety alerts.

Figure 1. Opening slide of the Hermes' concept presentation.

The goal of this product is to give the rider a distraction-free riding experience, lowering the risk of accidents from having bike riders check their phone for directions.

My task is to come up with possible concepts for the product, and create a 3D model which can be used in presentations to showcase Hermes.


Specifications

• Attaches to the upper edge of a bike helmet's visor
• Main feature is an optical projector that displays a HUD onto the helmet's visor
• Features four buttons:
• One to turn the device on/off
• Three to configure the device's settings and navigate menus
• Is charged via a micro-usb port
• Relatively small, does not hinder vision

Reference images
Hermes Pinterest board
Attachable helmet bluetooth


Concept work
I began with the conception process by looking at a variety of different objects for references; motorbike helmets, hinges, pivots, handheld electronics, GoPro stands and etc. I decided to base the general shape of the Hermes device on the GoPro camera.

The essential design for Hermes itself was a box-like device that featured an optical lens, three buttons for configuration, an on/off button, and a charging dock (the same one used by Samsung smart phones). Two small LED lights indicate whether Hermes is charging and turned on/off.

Figure 2. The main concept sketches for Hermes. Slightly different configurations and looks for the Hermes product were drawn, but the sketches above are generally representative of the final product's design. 

The Hermes projector is connected to an armature, which has three hinges. The armature can be manually adjusted by the user to suit their needs. The base of the armature is affixed to the upper part of the helmet's visor, and is held in place through special adhesives.

After presenting the initial concept to the client, I was given the go ahead to proceed with creating the general blueprint on Adobe Illustrator, which I will then use as a reference for the final 3D model.


Blueprint work
The visual plan for Hermes is created on Adobe Illustrator. I started out by creating the general shapes for the projector, armature and lens. I then proceeded to  detail the edges and create contour lines to better show off the curvature of the armature's hinges.

Figure 3. First draft of Hermes' blueprint.

The armature has three hinges that rotate at fixed increments because of notches in the armature's pivots. It is connected to the bottom of the projector, which has the shape of box for simplicity of production. Three buttons for analogue configuration of Hermes are located to the right of the lens, and the power button is located on the rear.

Small insets in various facets of the projector were put in to allow the user to remove the projector's outer panels in case of repairs. A Micro-USB port was placed on the bottom of the projector, next to the hinge for charging. Further notches were added to the armature to break up the shape of the design.