The current leading activation systems for e-cigs are simply not as error free as traditional cigs, and until a more user-friendly system can be designed, e-cig users will have to decide between a too-sensitive automatic battery and a clunky button manual battery. I prefer the manual myself, because I live in an area of constant, annoying wind. I like to drive and vape with the windows down without fear of burning out my atty, as I'm sure many of us do. The question is:
How can we build a better e-cig, without adding prohibitively large costs to the parts?
Sadly the technology is just too expensive and rare right now to do much in the way of auto-batts. I read some users suggesting that microphones with noise-cancellation be installed in the battery. I'm not sure how easy this would be to implement, but unless an active-cancellation system (battery-hungry) is used, the battery would become bulky.
I think we just need to be more clever about this. Instead of asking how to improve the current system, we may need to be asking how to achieve the same effect using other, more clever ways. What is it that people usually do when they smoke?
1. They put thier lips to the end of the cig
2. They sometimes hold the cig while inhaling
a. They use two fingers to hold the cig or
b. They bite down on the cig to hold it in place
3. They inhale
4. They use two fingers to hold the cig idly, letting the "cherry" catch up to the burning paper
5. Repeat
Next we need to ask how to use this information to design a more intuitive system.
Some people have already suggested using the biting method to activate the atomizer, and #3 is already being utilized in current auto-batts. This is preferred by some people because they don't have to deal with pressing a button, and can potentially hold the cig in the mouth while doing things with both hands (typing comes to mind). This would be perfect if the system was able to discern between inhaling and exhaling (leading to wasted equid and burned lips), or even from loud noises and wind interference. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Manual batts use #2.a as their method of activation. This method is a bit clumsy, as the button is often difficult to position between the two fingers people usually use when smoking, so there is a bit of a learning curve when figuring out how to hold it. Some suggestions? Lower the size of the button (almost flush with the battery) and make it easier to push down, make it so that two "buttons" must be activated in order to send power to the atty.
Something to possibly solve both problems would be a hybrid of the two current systems. For example, the user can hold the atty directly to the wind without activating it until sensors detect contact with the fingers or lips of the user (near the mouthpiece). Just an example of how multiple existing methods can be used to solve the problem of limited resources and budgets.
The question is: is there another way to use the habits of everyday smokers (or vapers) to design a more intuitive system? Thoughts? Comments?
How can we build a better e-cig, without adding prohibitively large costs to the parts?
Sadly the technology is just too expensive and rare right now to do much in the way of auto-batts. I read some users suggesting that microphones with noise-cancellation be installed in the battery. I'm not sure how easy this would be to implement, but unless an active-cancellation system (battery-hungry) is used, the battery would become bulky.
I think we just need to be more clever about this. Instead of asking how to improve the current system, we may need to be asking how to achieve the same effect using other, more clever ways. What is it that people usually do when they smoke?
1. They put thier lips to the end of the cig
2. They sometimes hold the cig while inhaling
a. They use two fingers to hold the cig or
b. They bite down on the cig to hold it in place
3. They inhale
4. They use two fingers to hold the cig idly, letting the "cherry" catch up to the burning paper
5. Repeat
Next we need to ask how to use this information to design a more intuitive system.
Some people have already suggested using the biting method to activate the atomizer, and #3 is already being utilized in current auto-batts. This is preferred by some people because they don't have to deal with pressing a button, and can potentially hold the cig in the mouth while doing things with both hands (typing comes to mind). This would be perfect if the system was able to discern between inhaling and exhaling (leading to wasted equid and burned lips), or even from loud noises and wind interference. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Manual batts use #2.a as their method of activation. This method is a bit clumsy, as the button is often difficult to position between the two fingers people usually use when smoking, so there is a bit of a learning curve when figuring out how to hold it. Some suggestions? Lower the size of the button (almost flush with the battery) and make it easier to push down, make it so that two "buttons" must be activated in order to send power to the atty.
Something to possibly solve both problems would be a hybrid of the two current systems. For example, the user can hold the atty directly to the wind without activating it until sensors detect contact with the fingers or lips of the user (near the mouthpiece). Just an example of how multiple existing methods can be used to solve the problem of limited resources and budgets.
The question is: is there another way to use the habits of everyday smokers (or vapers) to design a more intuitive system? Thoughts? Comments?
