• The Beginning

    This is the first sketch of the Bigshot camera.  Most of the features envisioned in this initial concept ended up in the final version.  The circular wheel was conceived to have several lenses that produce different types of images.   The rectangles on the wheel are the viewfinder stencils that correspond to the different lenses.  The dark spot in the middle is the camera’s flash.  The power generator's hand crank is on the camera's left.  In this section, we show a few more of the initial sketches made by Shree Nayar.   The sketches can be magnified by clicking on them.
    Beginning
    Beginning

  • Design for Assembly

    One of the major challenges in Bigshot's design was making sure it can be broken down and manufactured as a simple set of building blocks.  As students put them together to assemble the camera, they get a firsthand look at how it works on the inside.  Each building block can be used to teach an important scientific concept.  This sketch shows an exploded view of the initial design.  Since it is impractical to have students solder all the electronic components without using any special tools, the circuit board comes as a single pre-assembled building block.  However, the power generator, the flash module, and the lens wheel have mechanical parts that are easy to handle and assemble.

    Assembly
    Assembly

  • A Green Camera

    A unique feature of Bigshot is that it is designed to be “green.”  Although it can be powered with a single AA battery, it can continue to function if the battery is absent or if it runs out of charge during a photo shoot.  This is made possible by the power generator shown in this sketch.  The hand crank is coupled to a dynamo through a set of gears.  The power generated by the dynamo is stored in a capacitor for use by the camera.  About 5 rotations of the hand crank are enough to produces enough charge for the user to take a photo.  Bigshot’s power generator exposes a student to mechanics and electromagnetism.
    Power
    Power

  • The Lens Wheel

    A key innovation in Bigshot is the lens wheel, which is similar in spirit to the Swiss Army Knife™.  By simply rotating the wheel the user can choose from a set of different lenses.  The three settings in the lens wheel are seen in the lower half of this sketch – normal view (small circle), panoramic view (large circle), and stereo view (rectangle).  The three rectangles seen in the upper half of the wheel are stencils used in front of the camera’s viewfinder to convey the fields of view captured by the three lens settings.   The images captured by the wheel are distorted (or coded) and are processed by software to produce the final images.  In short, Bigshot is a computational camera.
    Lens Wheel
    Lens Wheel

  • Shape and Size

    Several form factors were explored during the design stage.  Three criteria were used to arrive at the final physical form of the camera – it should be easy for the user to assemble and operate, it should be aesthetically playful, and it should fit into a shirt pocket.  This sketch shows some of the forms that were considered.  While the circular and triangular ones are interesting to look at, they were deemed difficult to operate.   Eventually, the rectangular shape at the bottom was chosen.  The placements of the handcrank, lens wheel, viewfinder, shutter button and mode knob were critical in arriving at the final design.

    Shape
    Shape

  • Two Faces

    The appearance of Bigshot’s front side has been designed to pique curiosity.   One sees the hand crank on the left and a busy looking lens wheel on the right against a bright camera body.  The arrangement of lenses, viewfinder stencils, and the spring-loaded rotation mechanism on the wheel evoke intrigue.  In contrast, the back cover of Bigshot is transparent, exposing most of its electronic and mechanical components.  The back side is meant to spur discussion – a student can rotate the hand crank to show and explain the working of the power generator.  All the edges of the mechanical components are rounded to give the camera a softer, welcoming look.

    Front Face
    Front Face
    Back Face
    Back Face

  • Colors

    Unlike a typical consumer camera, Bigshot comes in bright colors that draw attention to it.   Our goal was simple – to make the camera look like candy.  To this end, the colors of Bigshot are similar to those of M&Ms™.  The handcrank, lens wheel, shutter button, and mode knob are kept pure white to highlight them.  This color scheme was also used to design the Bigshot website.

    Colors
    Colors