As of April 2020, we redefined project goals because of the COVID-19 situation. Previously, our project was to culminate in the four student engineers building a final prototype in the UC San Diego MAE Machine Shop, but this aim could not have been achieved because the lab was to stay closed due to the pandemic. With the direction of Professor Nathan Delson and our sponsors, we tremendously changed our scope.
Changes to our project
The changes are summarized here:
1. Instead of fabricating the lockbox ourselves, we decided to rope in a small manufacturing firm that fabricates and even manufactures prototypes in small batches.
2. Instead of meeting in person to develop our designs, we decided to work individually on SolidWorks, Fusion 360 etc. and compare our models every three or four days.
3. Instead of coordinating via emails and messengers, we decided to use a workplace communication platform (Slack) with higher functionalities that aids in remote collaboration.
The goals and deliverables that have been constant even after the quarantine developments are summarized here:
High Priority Deliverables
Research and optimize:
Strong looping wire that goes around a handle or car mirror. Our sponsor has enlisted this as a firm feature that they do not want to do away with.
Rigid, hard shell that can resist blows by hammers or point pressure by screwdrivers and drills
Ergonomic, scratch proof design of outer shell to protect car paint and other surfaces like mirrors, number plates, wheels etc from scratching
Second Priority Deliverables
Attractive industrial design and optimization by applying DFM principles
Water-, sand- and dust-resisting, sealed lock box
Researching locking mechanisms (number, other combination locking mechanisms such as dial, button etc.)
After some discussion within the team, we determined that we could achieve these goals in ten weeks, even after being confined to our homes. Hence, we calcified them into our project objectives.
WOW Design Solution
Iconic design
This product is to be sold to surfers and outdoorsy folks. These customers typically tend to be from the X, Y and Z generations who grew up in a world of iconic products like Nike AirMaxes, iPhones and Hydroflasks. We would love to add that characteristic functional and formal edge on our product to make it lovable and thus, advertising-friendly.
Intuitive usability
The cornerstone of 21st century design thinking is "usability". Typically, usability is traded off when the target user is an expert in the field. But here, our target user is not an "expert" in anything but an average surfer seduced by the waves who just wants to hurriedly shove their keys somewhere safe, grab their surfboard from atop the car and rush to meet their friends inside the water. We want that person to love Tebra because the simplicity of use.
Hammer-resistant
While we understand that there is no such thing as fracture-proof, we hope to make Tebra strong enough to resist hammer blows for at least a few minutes, so that vandalistic and thievish activities draw attention and are hence, disincentivized.
S/ Week 1
compile design concepts for locking mechanisms and begin to cut down on current designs to 2.
S/ Week 2, 3, 4
contact vendor on best option with our designs and choose materials;
analysis on locking mechanism, outer body
contact other vendors
S/ Week 5, 6
optimization of locking mechanism, and outer shell
S/ Week 7, 8
optimization of handle/loop, contact vendors for compiling final cost data
S/ Week 9, 10
Further optimization, tweaks in design, addressing future iterations