Visual Guidance Projection for Personal Care Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal care devices, such as photoepilation devices, lack visual guidance for users to ensure complete skin coverage during treatments, leading to under-treatment or over-treatment due to the absence of perceptible changes on the skin after applying light pulses.
Innovation Solution
A personal care device equipped with a projection unit that projects a light pattern on the skin to indicate the next treatment position, providing visual guidance for seamless movement and ensuring complete coverage without gaps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If no visual feedback is provided to the user, then the device structure remains simple, but the treatment coverage completeness deteriorates leading to gaps or overlaps
Solution Approach 1:
A projection unit is introduced as an intermediary component that projects a light pattern onto the skin to indicate the next treatment position. This mediator provides visual feedback without requiring complex internal sensors or feedback mechanisms within the personal care device itself, thus resolving the contradiction between providing information and maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection unit creates a visual copy or representation of the treatment area by projecting a light pattern that mirrors the treatment window's position and shape. This optical copy provides the user with intuitive visual guidance on where to apply the treatment, eliminating the need for complex feedback systems while ensuring complete coverage.
2Volume of moving object
If the treatment window is small relative to the device nozzle, then the device can be more compact, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users cannot easily estimate movement distance
Solution Approach 1:
The projection unit serves as a visual intermediary that bridges the gap between the small treatment window and the user's perception. By projecting a light pattern that visually represents the treatment area boundaries, users can easily estimate the required movement distance without needing to mentally calculate based on the small physical dimensions of the treatment window.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection unit uses light (optical energy) to create a visible pattern that changes position as the device moves. This optical indication provides real-time visual feedback on the treatment area location and size, making it easier for users to operate the compact device with precision despite the small treatment window relative to the nozzle size.
3Ease of operation
If manual positioning is required without visual guidance, then the device operation remains simple, but the treatment precision deteriorates resulting in under-treatment or over-treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The projection unit provides real-time visual feedback by projecting a light pattern that indicates the next treatment position. This feedback loop allows users to manually position the device with confidence, seeing exactly where the treatment will be applied next, thus achieving precise treatment coverage while maintaining simple manual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The projected light pattern acts as a visual intermediary between the user's manual positioning action and the actual treatment application. This intermediary provides intuitive guidance that enhances treatment precision without complicating the manual operation, as users simply follow the visual indication to achieve accurate coverage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the user's ability to achieve optimal treatment coverage by reducing the likelihood of gaps and overlaps, improving the effectiveness and user satisfaction of personal care operations.
Implementation Method 1
A personal care device equipped with a projection unit that projects a light pattern on the skin to indicate the next treatment position
Implementation Method 2
Through the use of an appropriate configuration of the light energy, i.e. in terms of wavelength, intensity and/or pulse duration (if the light is to be pulsed), selective heating of the hair root and subsequent temporary or permanent damage to the hair follicle can be achieved
Implementation Method 3
The photoepilation treatment uses intense light to heat melanin in hair and hair roots, which puts the hair follicles into a resting phase, preventing hair re-growth
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
According to an aspect of this disclosure, there is provided an apparatus (42) configured for use with a personal care device (2). The apparatus (42) is configured to provide visual guidance to a user on movement of the personal care device (2) across a body of a subject, wherein the personal care device (2) is configured to perform a personal care operation on a plurality of successive treatment areas of the body by successively moving the personal care device into a plurality of successive treatment positions on the body each corresponding with a respective one of said successive treatment areas. The apparatus (42) comprises a projection unit (22) configured to project a light pattern on to a surface of the body, and a processing unit (46). The processing unit (46) is configured to control the projection unit (22) to project the light pattern on to the surface of the body in a projection position indicative of a next treatment position on the body to which the personal care device (2) is to be moved by the user from a current treatment position on the body.