Parasite Checkpoint 1 – Ziyu Li

Background

I am a fairly introvert person, and it takes approximately three months for me to get acquainted with a new group of people enough to not tremble a little when speaking to them. I try to hide it as much as I can though, and most of the time no one will notice.

Parasite Concept

The theme that inspired me to make this design is: what if there exist a parasite that, instead of harming the host physically, makes the host suffer emotionally by exposing their social awkwardness.

Taking direct inspiration from one of my last prototype, the little cardboard “suspending” in mid air, and professor Olivia Robinson’s comment on how the cardboard magnifies my trembling even when I try my best to hold it still, I created this parasite that will inflate itself whenever it senses its host is feeling nervous but is playing cool, and uses several suspension unit that will vibrate involuntarily to the host’s will.

The idea is how do I visualize the nervousness that originates from social awkwardness as a form of “parasite” that is constantly trying to drag me down whenever I want to make meaningful connections with others.

The Design

The current design features four of these suspension units, two on the shoulder, two on the hand.

The two units on the shoulder have an additional chamber underneath it that will also inflate when activated. The idea is I want to life the two shoulder units closer to the host’s face so that people will pay more attention to the parasite and less attention to the host.

Finally, the shoulder unit and the hand unit are connected using an additional tube.