Totally Normal Couch

Inspiration

When I saw the theme, my mind jumped immediately to mental recovery. In MIT’s grueling academic environment, I’ve seen more than enough how much of a toll it can take on students, especially when it comes to sleep. I have too many friends who refuse to sleep in the name of finishing a pset or a project due the next day. I wanted a way to guarantee them an 8 hours every once in a while, and I saw no choice but to trap them in a couch and force them to recover.

What it does

I built a couch that eats people. You trick a friend into lying down, and then you flip a switch that makes it chomp down.

How we built it

Ironically, sleep deprived. I hinged two wooden boards together, used a bunch of 80/20s for the base, added a bungee cord on one end, as well as a locking hinge made out of 4-hole 80/20 connectors. The string unlocking the brace is attatched to a servo, that pulls the couch shut when the a button is pressed. To user test it, I laid down, someone tugged the brace, it fell on top of me, and I proceeded to take a 20 minute nap on the couch. I then realized that I had to submit this form.

Challenges we ran into

Not knowing how to use an arruino, Not knowing how to use a servo, Barely knowing how to program, but learning enough from googling to find and modify existing code Not knowing how to sew large pieces of fabric, using duct tape instead Hinge was not high enough, couch collapsed at a 45 degree angle, not quite enough.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Learning how to use a servo! Learning how to use a servo enough to make a robotic arm as a side project Learning how to use 80/20s(never use one before) Building a whole ass man-eating couch in a day

What we learned

Improvisation Sleep is important Arduino and breadboarding basics Servo motors! User testing is important How to maintain structural integrity Ease of use (of product)