Hello there!

I’m Linh Ho, digital experience designer.

I design digital products for the everyday life using rapid-prototyping techniques and empathy-led approaches.

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Hands-on learning.

Research – Concept – Prototype

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Freelance Work

SanDisk iXpand

Role

Front End Developer

Project Details
I had the opportunity to work with SanDisk in creating their holiday landing page. Page traffic would mostly be driven by TV spots scheduled to run throughout Thanksgiving on US networks.
One of the biggest challenges of the project was, more often than not, I was given un-specced Photoshop mockups designed at one set size (usually 1024x768) and had to create a site that would display well across multiple screen sizes.
I ended up having to re-layout all the textboxes to fit onto a 12-column horizontal grid and utilize flexbox to fine-tune vertical spacing between sections.

dashboard

Built w/ Bootstrap v4

phone_iphone

Mobile responsive

assessment

Analytics-enabled

40%

HTML

40%

CSS

20%

Javascript
Conclusion
SanDisk ended up using the landing page through the Thanksgiving holidays as originally planned AND THEN through the Christmas shopping season, with only minor copy updates.
View Project

Automobile Evaluation 2008 Saab 9-3 TurboX

Human Factors & Psychology

Getting from point A to B

Early Morning

Jerry leaves home early in the morning to avoid the heavy traffic. Unfortunately he has to suffer from glare heading Eastward on the 105.

System Constraints

The sun rises from the East.

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After Dusk

Jerry is often done with work around 5PM. However, he stays around a little longer to avoid downtown traffic. He usually starts driving home around 7PM.

System Constraints

Some parts of the highway are inadequately lit.

Highway Cruising

On his way to work, Jerry has to hop on several freeways, 405-N, 105-E and 110-N, each one has their unique pattern of traffic, road condition and drivers’ mentality.

System Constraints

Driver sits on the left side of car. Cars drive on the right and pass on the left.

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Urban Potholes

On his way past downtown LA, road conditions degrade significantly while congestion increases. This requires Jerry to alternate between different driving postures.

System Constraints

Jerry’s attention must focus on the road.

Early Morning

Jerry leaves home early in the morning to avoid the heavy traffic. Unfortunately he has to suffer from glare heading Eastward on the 105.

System Constraints

The sun rises from the East.

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Highway Cruising

On his way to work, Jerry has to hop on several freeways, 405-N, 105-E and 110-N, each one has their unique pattern of traffic, road condition and drivers’ mentality.

System Constraints

Driver sits on the left side of car. Cars drive on the right and pass on the left.

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After Dusk

Jerry is often done with work around 5PM. However, he stays around a little longer to avoid downtown traffic. He usually starts driving home around 7PM.

System Constraints

Some parts of the highway are inadequately lit.

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Urban Potholes

On his way past downtown LA, road conditions degrade significantly while congestion increases. This requires Jerry to alternate between different driving postures.

System Constraints

Jerry’s attention must focus on the road.

Cabin Height

Although the car’s cabin fit his 6’4” frame snugly in terms of hip and shoulder space, Jerry wishes it would had a little more headroom, since his field of vision while driving is partially limited by the roof and visor.

The sunroof is a nice addition to this line of vehicles, but shaving it off will add at least 2 inches to the car’s existing headroom.

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Interior Color Coding

Text and labels are clearly marked, with good contrast and not overly relying on color coding to communicate their functions.

Ignition Placement

Jerry thinks Saab made a right call repositioning the ignition position from above the driver’s knee to the car’s center console.

Having suffered from a knee operation due to sports injury, Jerry prefers a good amount of buffer zone around his kneecaps whenever possible.

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Visibility

Visibility is a huge issue for Jerry, as his journey eastward in the early morning are subjected to pervasive sun rays. When nighttime comes, his low vision relies 100% on the car’s illuminating headlights to guide him home on the freeway.

Cabin Height

Although the car’s cabin fit his 6’4” frame snugly in terms of hip and shoulder space, Jerry wishes it would had a little more headroom, since his field of vision while driving is partially limited by the roof and visor.

The sunroof is a nice addition to this line of vehicles, but shaving it off will add at least 2 inches to the car’s existing headroom.

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Ignition Placement

Jerry thinks Saab made a right call repositioning the ignition position from above the driver’s knee to the car’s center console.

Having suffered from a knee operation due to sports injury, Jerry prefers a good amount of buffer zone around his kneecaps whenever possible.

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Interior Color Coding

Text and labels are clearly marked, with good contrast and not overly relying on color coding to communicate their functions.

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Visibility

Visibility is a huge issue for Jerry, as his journey eastward in the early morning are subjected to pervasive sun rays. When nighttime comes, his low vision relies 100% on the car’s illuminating headlights to guide him home on the freeway.

Safety

Visibility impairments
clear

Driving eastward on the 105 almost every morning, Jerry suffers greatly from glare from the rising sun. Due to Jerry’s height (6’4”) his vision when sitting upright will be obstructed if he decides to put the car visors down.

check

To alleviate this problem, Saab can think about pushing the limit of the seat height, enabling it to go deep down (toward the floor) far enough so that the ninety-fifth percentile of males can have an unobstructed forward view through the windshield.

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B-pillar blindspot
clear

When Jerry pushes his seat back to accomodate his height, he encounters the risk of having the B pillar blocking his view of traffic on the adjacent lanes.

check

Since this will most likely to happen during a lane change, the manufacturer can include helper lights on the side mirrors that light up when another vehicle is in the car’s blindspot, further accompanied by a subtle audible sound in the cabin. Or Jerry can consider opting for the convertible variant of the same vehicle, so there would be no B pillar obstructing in his vision.

Driver's side knee space
clear

Jerry has just had his right knee injured due to a sports accident. Therefore sitting with his knees too close or leaning on the underdash section (near the steering column) makes him feel uncomfortable.

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Saab should consider expanding the driver’s footwell around the knee area and add knee-level airbags.

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Ignition position
check

Jerry really appreciates the different ignition placement that the Saab offers. He has less chance of jamming the key into his legs if a collision is to happen.

Visibility impairments
clear

Driving eastward on the 105 almost every morning, Jerry suffers greatly from glare from the rising sun. Due to Jerry’s height (6’4”) his vision when sitting upright will be obstructed if he decides to put the car visors down.

check

To alleviate this problem, Saab can think about pushing the limit of the seat height, enabling it to go deep down (toward the floor) far enough so that the ninety-fifth percentile of males can have an unobstructed forward view through the windshield.

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Driver's side knee space
clear

Jerry has just had his right knee injured due to a sports accident. Therefore sitting with his knees too close or leaning on the underdash section (near the steering column) makes him feel uncomfortable.

check

Saab should consider expanding the driver’s footwell around the knee area and add knee-level airbags.

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B-pillar blindspot
clear

When Jerry pushes his seat back to accomodate his height, he encounters the risk of having the B pillar blocking his view of traffic on the adjacent lanes.

check

Since this will most likely to happen during a lane change, the manufacturer can include helper lights on the side mirrors that light up when another vehicle is in the car’s blindspot, further accompanied by a subtle audible sound in the cabin. Or Jerry can consider opting for the convertible variant of the same vehicle, so there would be no B pillar obstructing in his vision.

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Ignition position
check

Jerry really appreciates the different ignition placement that the Saab offers. He has less chance of jamming the key into his legs if a collision is to happen.

Keyfob button mapping
clear

Aside from the well-represented buttons for locking and unlocking of the vehicle and the trunk operation button, there is another similarly shaped button with the symbol ‘-‘ that makes Jerry wonders. He later found out its function fidgeting with it one evening – the car alarm blared off!

check

The Panic! Button, in this case, should be more clearly labeled. Signifiers must be added: distinctive color, shape or styling.

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Rear door lock/unlock
clear

Most of the times Jerry has his kids riding in the backseats. The vehicle’s back doors do not have electronically powered buttons found in the front doors. Therefore the kids try to grab and pull the lock knobs up, which often ends up with broken nails and lots of crying. Little Johnny is the only one who manages to successfully negotiate with the evil lock – by using his teeth.

check

Make the electronic lock/unlock buttons available on all 4 doors, with safety controls put in place.

Passenger airbag light
clear

This is Jerry’s second-least-favorite light, just after the Check Engine Light. He simply doesn’t know what to do when the airbag is off. Not getting in an accident?

check

A natural tendency often done by drivers when seeing this light turned on is to immediately perform a visual check on the passenger seat, which temporarily steals attention from the road and risks causing an accident.

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OnStar button and light
clear

The 2008 Saab 9-3 comes pre-installed with OnStar, a GM-made roadside assistance and vehicle location retrieval service.

check

Whenever the green light is lit, Jerry knows he can connect directly with a representative on the other end. Super helpful for his peace of mind.

Keyfob button mapping
clear

Aside from the well-represented buttons for locking and unlocking of the vehicle and the trunk operation button, there is another similarly shaped button with the symbol ‘-‘ that makes Jerry wonders. He later found out its function fidgeting with it one evening – the car alarm blared off!

check

The Panic! Button, in this case, should be more clearly labeled. Signifiers must be added: distinctive color, shape or styling.

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Passenger airbag light
clear

This is Jerry’s second-least-favorite light, just after the Check Engine Light. He simply doesn’t know what to do when the airbag is off. Not getting in an accident?

check

A natural tendency often done by drivers when seeing this light turned on is to immediately perform a visual check on the passenger seat, which temporarily steals attention from the road and risks causing an accident.

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Rear door lock/unlock
clear

Most of the times Jerry has his kids riding in the backseats. The vehicle’s back doors do not have electronically powered buttons found in the front doors. Therefore the kids try to grab and pull the lock knobs up, which often ends up with broken nails and lots of crying. Little Johnny is the only one who manages to successfully negotiate with the evil lock – by using his teeth.

check

Make the electronic lock/unlock buttons available on all 4 doors, with safety controls put in place.

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OnStar button and light
clear

The 2008 Saab 9-3 comes pre-installed with OnStar, a GM-made roadside assistance and vehicle location retrieval service.

check

Whenever the green light is lit, Jerry knows he can connect directly with a representative on the other end. Super helpful for his peace of mind.

Steering wheel
clear

Also when Jerry pushes his seat back to accommodate his height, he has to reach for the steering wheel, which only telescopes out 1 or 2 inches from the end of the steering column.

check

A steering wheel with longer telescoping range may help. Beside telescoping, a steering wheel that can be raised or lowered will reduce fatigue on longer drives.

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Paddle shifter symbols
clear

For this model, Saab installed an automatic transmission along with a steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifter so drivers can manually control gear shifts. The problem is the Shift Up symbol looks too similar to a medical emergency button.

check

Shifter
clear

On the shifter knob, unlike on other makes, there is no button press required. To shift between PRNDL, Jerry just needs to press the brake pedal.

check

Since this is different from other makes and models, driving this specific model of car requires modification to Jerry’s mental model of how an automobile gearbox shifter works. The lack of a button that acts as a security measure may also affect the safety of the driver and passengers.

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Steering wheel
clear

Also when Jerry pushes his seat back to accommodate his height, he has to reach for the steering wheel, which only telescopes out 1 or 2 inches from the end of the steering column.

check

A steering wheel with longer telescoping range may help. Beside telescoping, a steering wheel that can be raised or lowered will reduce fatigue on longer drives.

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Shifter
clear

On the shifter knob, unlike on other makes, there is no button press required. To shift between PRNDL, Jerry just needs to press the brake pedal.

check

Since this is different from other makes and models, driving this specific model of car requires modification to Jerry’s mental model of how an automobile gearbox shifter works. The lack of a button that acts as a security measure may also affect the safety of the driver and passengers.

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Paddle shifter symbols
clear

For this model, Saab installed an automatic transmission along with a steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifter so drivers can manually control gear shifts. The problem is the Shift Up symbol looks too similar to a medical emergency button.

check

Comfort

Seat position controls
clear

The seat controls feel finicky to Jerry. Due to the lack of differentiating tactile shape, a lot of trial & error is involved before Jerry can find his desired seating position.

check

Saab can take advantage of embossing/debossing of the button surface to help the driver ‘read’ the different functions without actually looking at the buttons.

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Lumbar support
clear

Jerry enjoys the leather seats of the car, however, he finds it difficult to maintain a more upright posture while sitting due to the lack of lumbar support.

check

An adjustable lumbar support element is extremely desirable due to Jerry’s changing driving condition: city driving generally requires more attention therefore better suited to an upright driving posture; on the other hand, highway cruising enables the driver to kick back (into the ‘slump’ position) to better endure longer stretches of driving.

Sunroof
clear

Jerry hardly opens the sunroof, he would like to save the precious 2 inches of headroom. On the other hand, Jerry finds the sunroof control button confusing, which features a push and pull model in stead of knob-turning.

check

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Beverage holder
clear

The car’s pop-open beverage holder features such a brilliant space-saving mechanism, however its thin plastic frame construction sometimes bothers Jerry especially when there’s hot content in the beverage container.

check

There are several other mechanisms that are more structurally sound while at the same time taking just about a similar footprint area as the current system does.

Seat position controls
clear

The seat controls feel finicky to Jerry. Due to the lack of differentiating tactile shape, a lot of trial & error is involved before Jerry can find his desired seating position.

check

Saab can take advantage of embossing/debossing of the button surface to help the driver ‘read’ the different functions without actually looking at the buttons.

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Sunroof
clear

Jerry hardly opens the sunroof, he would like to save the precious 2 inches of headroom. On the other hand, Jerry finds the sunroof control button confusing, which features a push and pull model in stead of knob-turning.

check

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Lumbar support
clear

Jerry enjoys the leather seats of the car, however, he finds it difficult to maintain a more upright posture while sitting due to the lack of lumbar support.

check

An adjustable lumbar support element is extremely desirable due to Jerry’s changing driving condition: city driving generally requires more attention therefore better suited to an upright driving posture; on the other hand, highway cruising enables the driver to kick back (into the ‘slump’ position) to better endure longer stretches of driving.

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Beverage holder
clear

The car’s pop-open beverage holder features such a brilliant space-saving mechanism, however its thin plastic frame construction sometimes bothers Jerry especially when there’s hot content in the beverage container.

check

There are several other mechanisms that are more structurally sound while at the same time taking just about a similar footprint area as the current system does.

AC controls mapping
clear

For the climate control system, there are 2 control dials completed with temperature numbers but no indication on which one controls the front vents and which one controls the back vents.

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Reference
check

Even without the digital screen, the AC controls of the Toyota Sienna is still better laid out and more clearly labelled. There is a driver side knob, a passenger side knob, and a knob for controlling AC flow in the rear.

AC vent dial
clear

Jerry often finds his fingers slipping on the open/close dial for the AC vents. Over time, the ribbed rubber texture on the dial deteriorates tremendously due to exposure to high temperatures inside the cabin.

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Reference
check

Wacoms’ electromagnetic-enabled touch sensitive strips contains no moving parts, are designed flush against the surface, and made from a material that can withstand more daily wear and tear and various weather effects.

AC controls mapping
clear

For the climate control system, there are 2 control dials completed with temperature numbers but no indication on which one controls the front vents and which one controls the back vents.

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AC vent dial
clear

Jerry often finds his fingers slipping on the open/close dial for the AC vents. Over time, the ribbed rubber texture on the dial deteriorates tremendously due to exposure to high temperatures inside the cabin.

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Reference
check

Even without the digital screen, the AC controls of the Toyota Sienna is still better laid out and more clearly labelled. There is a driver side knob, a passenger side knob, and a knob for controlling AC flow in the rear.

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Reference
check

Wacoms’ electromagnetic-enabled touch sensitive strips contains no moving parts, are designed flush against the surface, and made from a material that can withstand more daily wear and tear and various weather effects.

Storage

The trunk door
clear

The current design of the trunk door and trunk lock makes it very difficult to operate when loading bulky or heavy items. Most of the time Jerry has no hands available to unlock the trunk.

check

The trunk lid should be easily unlocked by other means (e.g. proximity + foot) whereas driver approaches car with keyfob in pocket, gently wave his foot under the back of the car to pop the trunk open.

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Center console storage
clear

Transmission shifter is located directly in front of center console storage, making it difficult to retrieve items, especially when the car is put in Park – when they need to use the storage area the most.

check

Shifter can be placed further back [Accord], in a different location [Prius] or reduced in size [BMW]

Door pouches
clear

On this 9-3, Saab has made the door storage flush against the door panel. While this makes sense aesthetically it also means that Jerry can’t store anything but a pack of cards there.

check

Design the door pouches large enough so users can at least fit their water bottle horizontally.

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Overall lack of storage space
clear

Jerry always carries an extra pair of bifocals with him when he goes out. The glasses must be put away in a protective container, in this case a wooden box, which will take up significant storage space in the car’s modest center console.

check

Furthermore, there is no storage compartment for sunglasses as often found on other make and models.

The trunk door
clear

The current design of the trunk door and trunk lock makes it very difficult to operate when loading bulky or heavy items. Most of the time Jerry has no hands available to unlock the trunk.

check

The trunk lid should be easily unlocked by other means (e.g. proximity + foot) whereas driver approaches car with keyfob in pocket, gently wave his foot under the back of the car to pop the trunk open.

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Door pouches
clear

On this 9-3, Saab has made the door storage flush against the door panel. While this makes sense aesthetically it also means that Jerry can’t store anything but a pack of cards there.

check

Design the door pouches large enough so users can at least fit their water bottle horizontally.

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Center console storage
clear

Transmission shifter is located directly in front of center console storage, making it difficult to retrieve items, especially when the car is put in Park – when they need to use the storage area the most.

check

Shifter can be placed further back [Accord], in a different location [Prius] or reduced in size [BMW]

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Overall lack of storage space
clear

Jerry always carries an extra pair of bifocals with him when he goes out. The glasses must be put away in a protective container, in this case a wooden box, which will take up significant storage space in the car’s modest center console.

check

Furthermore, there is no storage compartment for sunglasses as often found on other make and models.

Freelance Work

August
Smart Locks

Role

Front End Developer

Project Details
For their promotion, August wanted to build a landing page that would prominently feature the family-friendly aspect of their product. Driven by a light-hearted TV ad, the landing page was tasked with providing further information on the products and the options for purchasing.
The main challenge was to show how the locks work with various use cases and subtle animation. To ensure clarity, the animation should only be playing if it’s within view.
For that purpose, I utilized scroll event listeners that would trigger each animation as they come into the viewport.

dashboard

Built w/ Bootstrap v4

phone_iphone

Mobile responsive

assessment

Analytics-enabled

30%

HTML

30%

CSS

40%

Javascript
Conclusion
August is still using the landing page until the time of writing.
View Project

Reminder app for ArtCenter students.

Research – Concept – Prototype

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Horseback riding in VR.

Concept – Prototype

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Personal Project

s.w.a.t.c.h

Role

Front End Developer

Project Details
My data visualization project for the month of July. It was a special month in space exploration history (Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin — the first humans to set foot on the Moon) therefore I felt it would be nice to tackle a space-related dataset.
The data was served via an API provided by n2yo.com - a tracking website for satellites, rocket bodies and space debris alike.
Parsing the JSON-formatted data was relatively straightforward. I wanted to design a simple service where a visitor could see which Earth-orbiting objects were passing them by at any given moment.

data_usage

Data Visualization

sync

Realtime Updates

20%

HTML

20%

CSS

60%

Javascript
Conclusion
The result is a comprehensive table of objects, tracked at real-time, with their ids, names, launch dates and coordinates listed. The table also dims objects as they leave the user's cone of view (about 45 degrees overhead).
Sponsored Project

Dot Report

Role

Front End Developer

Project Details
A comprehensive statistical report intended for students and parents at ArtCenter.
During my time at the College, there was a surge in student demand for more transparency, especially in how the institution handle its funds. I felt it was the right time to rethink the way information about the College was served to the public.
My suggested strategy was to put student work into the highlights. Tapping into the immense appeal generated from the great body of work of ArtCenter students meaning giving the cold, hard numbers a new lease in life.

data_usage

Data Visualization

sync

Realtime Updates

40%

HTML

40%

CSS

20%

Javascript
Conclusion
The layout is simple, with a hero block that featured the main takeaway statistics of the section, followed up by relevant writings and/or articles by the staff, and then supplemented by a healthy dose of stats for more curious readers.

Digital assistant
that puts your privacy first.

Research – Concept

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Sponsored Project

Where’s Daryl?

Role

Front End Developer

Sponsored Project

Energí

Role

Prototyper

Project Details
Design and build a lightweight vehicle utilizing two different sources of power for propulsion and a non-linkage steering system.
Early sketches exploring the overall shape and form of the vehicle. It was also determined that a 3-wheeled vehicle would be easier to steer than a 4-wheeled one.
One of the requirements was that the vehicle must not be steered using direct manipulation of the wheels’ angles. Our solution was to distribute power between the main turbines to control steering.

assessment

Planning

build

Building & Testing

record_voice_over

Presentation

50%

Visual Design

50%

Prototyping
Conclusion
The result is a stealth electric vehicle that can run on solar and battery. The body is sculpted in a way that allows for maximum airflow and minimum resistance. Steering is achieved by capturing the input signal from an RF controller and relaying it into a pair of transistors by the use of an onboard microprocessor.

Get in touch

Send me an email at
hello@linhho.design