chameleo.
chameleo.
Senior Capstone Project
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023
Couloucouondis Prize - Best Presentation
Team:
Terence Lin, Sharon Kuo, Daryn Golub, Greg Tasik, Razaq Aribidesi
86%
7.5
minutes
of stakeholders polled can’t mix desired colors
design goals.
initial concept sketches.
Skills:
Solidworks, Blender, Rapid Prototyping, User-Centered Design, Design for Manufacturing, User Research, System Validation
spent matching a color
overview.
Chameleo is exploratory paint dispensing tool that reimagines small-scale paint mixing and enhances the color matching and mixing process by being efficient, accurate, and user friendly.
Two rounds of surveys, extensive user research, and stakeholder outreach were conducted to identify design specifications.
Replicate colors accurately and precisely
Aid in mixing paint efficiently and easily
Portable and compact solution
Below are various sketches that display the team’s early thinking in how to design Chameleo.
Amateur and advanced painters alike desire a way to replicate colors in their work that they may see online, in other pieces, or in physical objects and landscapes.
However, mixing paint to achieve a specific color is often difficult and time consuming, regardless of skill level.
for who.
Painters of all skill levels
Experimental artists willing to try new tools to enhance their creative process
Restoration artists
Colorblind artists
the need.
initial prototype.
The team first prototyped one syringe pump before fully scaling to five functional ones working in tandem. The pump featured attachments to keep the syringe secure and allow precise control of the dispensed paint. Rods were used to prevent misalignment when the syringe plunger is moving up and down.
testing.
Experimenting with the initial design internally led the team to realize a need to redesign for manufacturability and easy maintenance.
Despite issues in design, the repetitive experimentation led the team to break down our user interaction process into three main parts.
user feedback.
Conversations with stakeholders and constant usability testing led to important user feedback that led the team to uncover major insights and make final design changes.
Custom paint palette for all users
Want different amounts of paint
dispensing mechanism.
The user interface tells the motors how much to spin, which controls the volume of paint dispensed.
The mechanism controls five different syringes containing the colors red, yellow, blue, white, and black to create a wide array of colors.
Each syringe pump features attachments open on one end to allow users to easily replace cartridges. There are no fasteners or tools needed, as all you need is to open the lid, lift up the pump unit, and replace the cartridge. This was a major redesign as it led to more efficient testing, easier maintenance, and a better user experience.
“
“
This would help me keep up with my painting hobby!
-fine arts student
I don’t even paint and I would buy this.
-engineering student
housing.
The housing of Chameleo can be broken down into five parts.
The main body consists of all electronics and motors to actuate the syringe pumps and power the touchscreen display.
The syringe tray aligns the 5 syringe pumps in a circular formation, where the nozzles then slot into a nozzle tray to provide further support.
The stand not only serves as the structural base of the machine, but it incorporates a pass-through design to allow easier handling and the use of our custom acrylic paint palettes.
The modular design of this housing was intentional to maximize accessibility to internal components. Ease of maintenance and cartridge replacement were major considerations.
stakeholders’ thoughts.
“
“
Insights
Difficult to replace syringes
Difficult to reassemble
Paint palette size can vary
Design Change
Attachments have one side open to allow syringe to slide in and out
Fastener free housing
Volume control in paint dispensing
final design.
The final design of Chameleo involves three main components that align directly with the user interaction process.
user interface.
The user can select a color from a gradient map, or directly enter a color code if it is known from a graphic design or a color scanning app.
From there, the machine displays a preview of the desired color and the three closest colors in our library in terms of RGB values. The user can then pick the color and specific volume to dispense.
This would definitely make my color prep process easier. I love painting portraits, which need very accurate and precise color matching. Chameleo is truly a game changer for artists like me!
-advanced colorblind artist
I would get this for my young children, it looks neat and mess-free!
-mother of 2 kids
full scale prototype.
