Data Is Yours Toolkit: Assembly Instructions

The Data is Yours Toolkit is a design probe intended to study how constructionist practices can engage children to create visualizations in a playful, creative manner. It is a toolkit made out of everyday materials (i.e., paper, cardboard) and fiducial markers to help children create physicalizations, and in turn, use them to author visualizations using a mobile device. This instructable is part of a research paper that will appear in IEEE VIS 2022.

Note: This is part two instruction documents, and discusses the assembly of all the components to build the toolkit. 

Make sure to have all the components as discussed in the Fabrication Instructions.

If you already have the components via the research team, your school, or your after-school program, this is the only instructable you need to follow.

Tools

Joining: Double-sided tape, glue sticks

Components list

You can also follow along with the assembly videos created for the Data is Yours Toolkit

1. Box Assembly
2. Bar Chart Assembly
3. Line Chart Assembly
4. Pie Chart Assembly

Schematics summarizing the construction can be found below:

Cardboard Structure

Begin by folding the front and left side of the main base panel, and inserting the front cardboard portion into the provided slot on the left side.

Then fold the phone mount section into an “L” shape and insert it into the corresponding slots on the left side panel.

Attach one mirror to the rear panel, and then slide the rear panel into the slot at the back of the left side panel.

Fold up the right side panel and slide all the corresponding pieces into the open slots.

That completes the structure of the underlying box.

Next, slide the panel into the slot as shown below.

Slide the base mirror in via the slots provided at the bottom.

For 3D printed parts:

First attach the fiducial markers to the base of all the sliders.

Pass the top of the control token through one of the channels on the front of the combined panel.

Flip the panel around, and insert the colored bar paper strip such that the token passes through the hole at the top.

Snap the bottom of the control token to hold the bar in place.

Repeat the same with the remaining sliders. You can choose to fill any number of sliders, each with the same or different colors.

For cardboard parts:

1. Stick paper strips to the bottom of the cardboard block (Cardboard Handle Bar Chart.mov)
2. Place markers on the paper strips (Cardboard Handle Bar Chart Markers.mov)
3. Insert the cardboard block into the channel from below

For 3d printed parts:

Attach the fiducial markers to the base of all the sliders.

Fold the line strip along the creases in an accordion-like (mountain and valley) structure.

Pass the top of the control token through the hole on one end of the strip, and insert it through the channel on the top of the panel.

Fix the bottom of the control slider to hold the strip in place from one end.

Repeat the same procedure for all other strips and slides. Note that the middle sliders will have 2 sets of strips attached, while the extremes will have one each.

For cardboard parts:

1. Stick markers to the bottom of the cardboard block (Cardboard Handle Line Chart Markers.mov)
2. Insert the cardboard block into the channel from below

Stick the ends of the paper strips to the side of the cardboard block (Cardboard Handle Line Chart.mov)

For 3d printed parts:

Stick the 3D printed handles to the circular cardstock pieces, and affix the fiducial markers on the other end of the cut and at the opposite face of the piece.

Slide the cardstock circles into each other such that the handles line up in the front, and all the markers are visible in the back.

Collect all the ends of the discs which do not have a handle, and pass them through the slot on the pie chart panel.

Hold the discs in place using the center snaps.

For cardboard parts (Pie Chart Alternative Handles.mov):

1. Stick cardstock pies to the bottom of the cardboard block
2. Slide the cardstock circles into each other such that the handles line up in the front, and all the markers are visible in the back.
3. Collect all the ends of the discs which do not have a handle, and pass them through the slot on the pie chart panel.
4. Use the center column to pass through all the disc and the plastic sheet, use the tape to attach the column to the plastic sheet, and then attach the marker to the tape.

You have now completed constructing all the physical components of the Data is Yours Toolkit.

Configuration

Place your mobile device on the mobile mount position such that the camera is looking through the slot and at the rear mirror.

Workflows

You can follow along with all the app workflows using this video - Data Is Yours App Workflows.