BEEP
Winning project aims to promote healthy computer usage in children
BEEP
BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University junior Justin Lund has won a Gold Award at the 2009 Northwest Design Invitational for BEEP, a timer designed to help children make successful transitions to and from the computer.
Lund, an Industrial Design major from Waterloo, Iowa, said the genesis of the idea behind BEEP came from both his own experiences at home with his 6-year-old daughter, Vega, and through work his class had done with Bellingham-based computer-products firm Allsop to design concepts for a new line of products that would produce a healthier digital lifestyle.
In Lund's home, "screen time" was already becoming a factor with his daughter, which, coupled with his knowledge that giving warnings ahead of time that a transition was about to occur - in this case, ending a session on the laptop - makes those transitions easier, gave him the idea for BEEP.
"The existing methods of timing computer usage are inefficient, and parents often end up negotiating with kids when it's time to get off the computer," said Lund. "Often, this led to arguing or begging - and none of this seemed like stress-free behavior, and didn't seem to facilitate good habits regarding computer usage."
This is where BEEP comes in.
BEEP plugs into one of the laptop's open USB ports and perches on the back of the laptop's screen. At the start of the half-hour session, BEEP's eyes are wide open and alert; after 15 minutes, BEEP's interest wanes, and its eyes glance around the room, informing the child that the session is halfway done. At 25 minutes, BEEP's eyes become lidded and almost closed, signaling the session is nearly complete; finally, after 30 minutes, BEEP's eyes close and it falls asleep - and through the USB connection, BEEP also puts the laptop in sleep mode.
Lund competed against students from nine other states and three Canadian provinces.
"It's very encouraging to know that an unbiased jury of people I don't know appreciated the work I'm doing," said Lund.
For more information on the Northwest Design Invitational or WWU's Industrial Design program, contact Jason Morris at (360) 650-2514. For more information about BEEP, contact Justin Lund at mysterlund@gmail.com.