Manual Mood Ring

Motivation:

I was inspired by the mood ring trend that came about in the 1970s. The mood ring has a thermochromatic sheet that changes color according to temperature. The theory behind the mood ring is that when the surface of your skin is a certain temperature, this corresponds to a certain mood, so the color reflects the wearer’s mood. I am critiquing the arbitrariness of this process by allowing the user to select the color and therefore select their “mood” for themselves. The colors I used for the discs correspond to those in mood ring color charts. My device is meant to reference the mood ring trend, but most importantly, encourage play for the wearer.

Design Evolution:

As soon as we were handed the assignment to 3D print a ring, I immediately thought of the mood ring. I have been a fan of the trend for a while, and last year, I created a device called “Mood Tagging,” a spray paint can that allowed users to spray the color of their mood virtually on a screen. My prototype did not implement the mood technology, so I would ask users to choose from eight moods, which each corresponded to a different color. The Manual Mood Ring was inspired by Mood Tagging, which simplified mood into eight categories and allowed users to choose one for themselves. I knew I wanted to create a ring with a box on it that would be able to hold several colored discs and have a hole to display the top one. I began by creating a band and adding a pre-designed hexagonal box that I scaled down, added a hole on the top, and attached to the ring. My first print was a black ring, which did not size exactly right for my finger. Also, the box I was using had a lip to clip shut, but the resolution was too small to be printed out, so the box could not close. Because I attached the bottom of the box to the ring in the design, the print was not very clean, and filler material prevented my ring from having a clean finish. For my next iteration, I decided to scrap the predesigned box and create my own one, this time with a round shape. I created a cylinder and added a hole in the middle to hollow it out. I copied it and added a round hole in the top. I decided to print the ring in three separate parts: the ring, the bottom of the box, and the top of the box. I also decided to add a gap in the ring, so it would fit fingers of different sizes. To create the box that would close and shut, I added two notches that fit together on either side of the box. For this print, I used clear plastic which looked a lot nicer. The ring turned out well, and I used this for my final. The box was a bit large — it extended too far away from the finger, and wouldn’t shut tightly. The top would easily slip off. I needed to add notches on the other end to hold it in place in the other direction. For the next iteration, I added these features and scaled down the box, so it would sit thinner on the finger. I made sure to get my measurements exact on the notches, so they would fit together perfectly. This print worked well, and the box opened and shut properly. I next glued the bottom of the box onto the ring with acetone and secured it later with super glue. To create the discs, I measured an approximate proper size on a piece of paper. I then cut out eight identical ones and painted them with different colored acrylic paint on either side. To create a nice finish and water proof them, I painted them over with nail polish. Finally, I put them into the box, choosing my favorite color-mood, and shut the box. Manual Mood Ring was ready for wearing.

STL Files:

Final Product:

Possible Next Iterations:

I was really happy with how my ring turned out, but want to consider more iterations for future projects. I was thinking I could create higher quality colored discs out of a slightly thicker plastic material and laser cut them. Also, my box is quite difficult to open and shut, so it would be worth investigating other designs that would allow the user to more easily open the box and change the color. From feedback I received, it would also be interesting to explore a ring that just contained a box without an opening to be used as a tiny, secret compartment. I will hopefully get to explore these possibilities in future versions of my ring.