Testing and User Feedback
Testing
For testing the AdjuSTATION, we compared it to our benchmark, the Dartmouth College dorm room desk.
Weight Tests - Easier to Lift
Testing Procedure:
Having two people lift the desk and carry it at least a distance of 10 feet. It is very important that people can maneuver the AdjuSTATION around their room more easily than the Dartmouth desk.
Benchmark Results:
Elaine and Posie: dropped desk en route
There is no easy/comfortable way to pick up the desk and move it
Final Prototype Results:
Elaine and Posie could easily pick up the system
It is much easier to pick up and move the desk
Size Tests - 14% Reduction in Floor Space
Testing Procedure:
Recording the size dimensions of the item and seeing how much floor space it occupies
Benchmark Results:
42" x 24" x 30" (l x w x h)
Floor space surface area: 7 ft^2
Final Prototype Results:
43” x 20.5” x 7’3” (l x w x h)
Floor space surface area: 6 ft^2
Capacity Tests - Almost 4 Times the Storage Capacity
Testing Procedure:
Measure the volume of storage capability
Benchmark Results:
Drawer Volume:
Total: 2.5 ft^3
Final Prototype Results:
Total: 9.33+ ft^3
Greater capacity to store different types of items
Note: Have additional storage room below desk
Strength Tests - Desk can Support 1-2 People, More than Twice the Weight per Shelf
Testing Procedure:
Measure how much weight the desk can withstand, measure the weight that the drawers/shelves can withstand.
Benchmark Results:
Desk can support >400 lbs
Drawers can support 14.3 lbs each before impaired
Final Prototype Results:
Desk can support >170 lbs
Shelves can support 35 lbs each
User Feedback
We surveyed students living in dorm rooms about the AdjuSTATION and had them try out the product in person.
100% are satisfied with the size, aesthetic, desk surface area, and amount of storage when asked about our product
100% of respondents are neutral or like our product more than the current Dartmouth dorm desk
Comments:
“The mechanism is noisy”
“Better utilization of space”
“I like the customization”
“Better for a garage”
Analytics
Desk
The following figure shows calculations for the bending stress on the desk. Since we propped up the desk on two L-brackets, we wanted to make sure that applying a force would not break the desk. By using the pound-force per square inch (psi) for wood and a pressure of 50 lbs, we found that the psi due to the pressure applied was well below that of the psi for wood. We then knew that we could apply significant pressure to the wood without it breaking due to the bending stress.
Pulleys
We wanted to calculate the force required to pull up our storage system. We ended up experimenting with around 7-8 different pulley systems as we realized the physics on paper does not always align with what happens in person. There is a lot of friction. Our initial calculations, however, did show us that the weight we wanted to pull up was too much. Based on the projected weight of the desk and storage loads, we realized that the load would be too much and would require too many pulleys. From these calculations, we realized that attaching the desk to the storage system would lead to an unfeasible load and force needed to pull the system upwards.
