Ocha 2.0: The Personal Tea Maker

Customizable Tea Brewing Experience

Brewing the perfect cup of tea requires a delicate balance of tea dust, infusion rate, milk quantity, and sugar. Ocha 2.0 takes all these factors into account, offering a cocktail of conventional brewing experiences. It redefines the rule of design, where art follows technology. Loaded with options for customization and scheduling, Ocha 2.0 is based on the Internet of Things.

Ocha 2.0 was designed based on extensive field research. The insights gathered revealed that brewing tea varies based on location, culture, and personal preferences. Many people only need a few cups of tea at a time, and they prefer using milk and milk powder over capsules. Additionally, brewing tea involves certain risks, making it difficult for children to prepare. The amount of tea dust, sugar, time, and temperature are all skill-based factors that affect the flavor. Furthermore, people often feel too lazy to brew a cup of tea in the morning or evening, and the flavor of tea can be influenced by their mood.

Ocha 2.0 is made using ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and PC (Polycarbonate) through an injection molding process. The design is sturdy, lightweight, and visually appealing. It comes in two colors: matte black and pearl white.

Operating Ocha 2.0 is a breeze. Users can choose between the mobile application or the embedded user interface on the device itself. The central display console features a display button for menu selection, a control dial, and two push buttons. The mobile application allows users to operate Ocha 2.0 remotely using the Internet of Things.

The Ocha 2.0 project started in February 2015 at IIT Kanpur in India and was completed in January 2016. The design process involved extensive user-centric research, including visual ethnography, interviews, observations, field studies, contextual inquiries, human action cycle analysis, and task flow analysis.

One of the most challenging aspects of the design was creating a stirring mechanism that replicated the efficiency of using a spoon. Ocha 2.0 overcame this challenge with a rotating platform and an electromagnetic groove that holds the glass jar in place. The eccentric path of the jar ensures thorough stirring of the ingredients within.

Ocha 2.0 is a testament to the personalization of tea brewing. With its striking design and advanced functionality, it ushers in a new era of tea brewing. This design was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Home Appliances category in 2016, recognizing its outstanding creativity and resourcefulness.