Xylo Dome growing instrument
rugged construction
Design Intent To design a creativity toy for Fisher Price. This toy would serve as a tool to encourage the child to create and to make their own discoveries.
What is Fisher Price? Fisher Price is a producer of children’s products with an emphasis on learning, creativity and role playing toys. Fisher Price creates toys for a wide range of ages, from 5 months to 5 years. To design concepts for Fisher Price provided me with the opportunity to study the creative and curious needs of children throughout their rapid development.
SANDCASTLES!!
1 Xylodome
project-a-sketch
filtered telescopes
Initial Thoughts Initially I wanted to find new ways for children to see the world. A series of light-based concepts followed. This then led me to look at new ways to interact with sound and music telescopic spirograph
w/o spiroscope
with spiroscopic overlay kid tough digital camera with ice lens molds
electro magna-doodle
inkjet armband tattoo printer
revolving rocket xylophone
xylodome movements
Xylodome 2
Xylodome With the Xylodome, I took the tactile musical elements from classic Fisher Price toys and expanded upon their play pattern, allowing it to grow with the child.
metal notes
mobility
3 Xylodome
mallet head
Primary Components
toggle spring mallet handle
control interface
note mounts note bars
body shell
note actuators/mallets
pc board motors wheels
batteries base shell
battery door
actuators allow the Xylodome to physically strike its own notes which open up a wide variety of game types
Xylodome 4
Freeplay/ Power Off In Freeplay mode the child simply toggles the mallet and is free to play however they wish. This function also doubles as the off switch.
mallet toggles and extends while stowing in body for storage
5 Xylodome
Simon Mode During Simon mode, Xylodome will play an increasingly large chain of notes which the child will have to repeat. When a mistake is made, a descending series of notes are played and the game starts again.
Sensei Mode In Sensei mode the Xylodome assists the child in playing a tune by presenting the proper notes. First the child strikes a note which lets it know which direction to face the child. After striking the correct note, Xylodome spins in place to present the following note.
Xylodome 6
Maestro Mode In Maestro mode, the child’s tune is recorded by the Xylodome and played back. This is done through the red and green record and play buttons.
Record
Marching Band Mode Marching Band mode is identical to Maestro mode except that a certain movement is mapped to each note. During playback, Xylodome ‘marches’ to your tune. As the child grows and begins to make the connection between the note’s sound and color with its movement, the child can begin to ‘program’ the Xylodome to dance.
Play
various dance moves
7 Xylodome
Xylodome 8