Eco Calculator: Exploration in Sustainability in Consumer Electronics

by Ezra Vanderjagt

Project Description

The current consumer electronics market is facing an exponentially growing problem of e-waste, as smart products become increasingly common. Due to the heavy reliance on non-renewable materials such as fibreglass and injection moulded plastics, the industry is limited in its capacity for sustainability.  

This calculator has resulted from an exploration into sustainable materials and low-waste manufacturing methods, which could replace traditional counterparts and showcase the potential for timber as a staple material in the electronics industry. 

Eco Calculator features a LiPo battery with onboard USB–C charging, and a 128x64 graphical OLED display, mounted and driven through industry standard components and soldering methods. The keys and switches are created and assembled without the need for injection moulded plastic. The interface it features, displayed on the OLED, was designed to provide a smooth and intuitive experience when performing calculations.

The finished product accomplishes the initial goal of demonstrating the possibilities of timber as a material which is more than capable of providing a solution equivalent to that traditionally achieved by injection moulding. The example it sets should encourage current manufacturers and designers to begin exploring how products created through sustainable alternatives are a viable, achievable, and beautiful option.

Bio

This project was formed out of my desire to satisfy my two (previously opposing) passions – sustainable design and electronics. It is the product of a meticulous nature, a love of human -centred products, and skills in both analogue and digital craftsmanship. The exploration into sustainability and consumer electronics has allowed me to further develop my proficiency in embedded design, interface creation, ergonomics, mechanical prototyping, coding, and timberwork. I love to grapple with difficult design problems to find innovative, beautiful and sustainable solutions. In my down time, you can find me out the back of the beach waiting for the next wave, or behind the drumkit playing along to my favourite number.

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