Manya Gajwani

Undergraduate

I am Manya Gajwani, a sophomore majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Born into a family of artists, I have always loved art and design, and I want to combine that with my interest and skill in technology and science to create products or smart products. I love designing and go through many different ideas and a lot of background research before I start working on a product. I am proud of the amount of hard work I put in. My skills include UX thinking, problem solving and AutoCAD. I work well in a team and before I finish a product I always make sure to take care of every part of the product and ensure it all makes sense and is complete.

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FitMAT

FitMAT

FitMAT

Class: ID 2024  |  Instructor: Kimberly Snyder

The FitMAT is a mat that helps people fix their posture mainly for people who are new to working out and want to workout from the comfort of their own space. The mat is portable and light and can be paired with any device like a TV or IPad so you can workout at home or even in the park. I made an online survey and many people said that they struggle with posture while working out and experience neck and back pains often; bad posture can result in an injury or even mean that you do not get the results you were hoping for. I created a product that uses distance sensors to scan your posture and compare it to the ideal posture and has inbuilt speakers that tell you what to fix while you’re doing the exercises. I did not want to use X-rays or Radio waves, which are used to scan your body as constant exposure can cause body tissue to tear. I also added IR detectors which create heat maps of your body and you can see which muscles you are working out and track areas of muscle gain and loss over time. Due to the technology I realized the product would be more expensive which is why multiple users can use it and the app will keep track of each user separately (like Netflix). The app also suggests workouts based on your body type and targeted muscles.

RaH

RaH

RaH

Class: ID 2024  |  Instructor: Kimberly Snyder

‘Rah’ is a night floor lamp that is a decorative artistic lamp portraying a burning candle that subtly highlights the outline of the environment so that the user can navigate his/her path in the darkness and also gives a feeling of calmness. The task is to provide enough light to help you navigate the room at night. Night lamps can also set the mood. The goal was also to create a lamp, which gives a calming feeling, and comfort those afraid of the dark. A lamp that is decorative and creative, yet simple and doesn’t distract from the furniture during the day. A night lamp is used in a bedroom or hallway to illuminate one’s path at night meant more simple and modern environment. I used a flickering light bulb and the flickering flame portrays burning coal or an actual candle. Looking through the sides or the top of the lamp, one can see light through the curves that give the impression of a lit path. Candles are said to symbolize a path of hope in the darkness. In fact, even in my Indian culture there is a story about how everyone lit candles on the street to help the deity ‘Rama’ find his way back home after his war. Using electricity, a modern source of light, to portray a more dated source was the element of surprise and humor.

AutoMATE

AutoMATE

AutoMATE

Class: ID 2024  |  Instructor: Steve Chininis

AutoMATE is an automated pot stirrer which makes cooking in the kitchen easier for people with arthritis. People with arthritis have weaker joints and would struggle to stand in one place and stir a pot as some dishes require constant stirring for a long time. This product can also be used to stir dishes while the user can focus on other tasks so the user can multitask in the kitchen without worrying about their food getting burnt. The AutoMATE can be adjusted to fit pots with a radius ranging from 3-6 inches. The stirrer also self adjusts to fit cooking pots of depths ranging from 2-4 inches. This covers the dimensions of most pots. It also has 3 different speed settings - intermittent speed, slow and medium as the type of stirring depends on the type of dish. The AutoMATE is easy to store. It is a single piece stirrer and is compact. The end is made flat to let the stirrer stand in place.

Fidget Spinner

Fidget Spinner

Fidget Spinner

Class: ID 1012  |  Instruction: Wendell G Wilson

Fidget spinners are toys designed to rotate around their axis with minimum effort. The toy has been promoted as helping people who have trouble focusing or those who fidget to relieve nervous energy, anxiety, or psychological stress. There are claims that a fidget spinner can help calm down people who have anxiety and other neurological disorders like ADHD and autism. I wanted to make the ring like a fidget spinner that will always be on you. Something easily portable and something one wouldn’t forget. I made the blades in a more curved and delicate shape so they would give a floral look and also be visually appealing. The goal of this project was to make functional jewelry and I thought it would be interesting to create a ring with a fidget spinner. It’s just a fun product to fidget with while you’re doing your work or watching something or just getting bored as well.

Salt Shaker and Pepper Grinder

Salt Shaker and Pepper Grinder

Salt Shaker and Pepper Grinder

Class: ID 2101  |  Instruction: Timothy Purdy

For this salt shaker and pepper grinder I made the body out of tinted glass and metal and the holder out of wood. I enjoyed experimenting with the shape and I wanted to make something organic. I finally settled on this shape where the curves of both the products match each other.