Embedded Files
Presentation and justification of the problem (M1, M2)
The central problem at hand is the creation of a subassembly for a class wide a Rube Goldberg machine. The main job that this subassembly must perform is taking an input function from the previous machine, and translating it to a different output function for the next student in line.
The success of any resulting design will be judged on how effectively it is able to fulfill the needs of several stakeholders, each of which have different priorities.
These stakeholders can be split into three different categories:
1st tier stakeholders, who are users of the product, including other students
2nd tier stakeholders, who are people connected to 1st tier stakeholders
3rd tier stakeholders, which are regulatory bodies.
1st tier stakeholders:
Students ahead of and behind me in order
—> Need the product to be clearly communicated to them, so that they can design theirs accordingly, need the product to be reliable to interface with their assemblies
Older users
—> Needs the product to require minimal physical effort to use
Thrifty users
—> Needs the product to be repairable/ easily maintained, Needs the product to be inexpensive
Medical sector RG machine users
—> Needs the product to have a very high degree of reliability
Independent RG machine users
—> Needs the product to be moved and used by one person
Commercial users
—> Needs the product to be reliable/durable/ have a long lifetime
2nd tier stakeholders:
Families of the students ahead and behind me in order
—> Need the student that they are related to to pass the class
Observers watching the Rube Goldberg machine
—> Needs the product to look interesting
3rd tier stakeholders:
Dr. DuPont
—> Needs the product to teach me the engineering design process during its design
OSU Dean of students
—> Needs the product to comply with code of academic conduct
I will narrow down the identified stakeholders to the three most important that I have selected for this project using a house of quality diagram. I have selected one from each stakeholder strata, settling on the students before and after me, Dr. DuPont, and spectators watching the machine.
Fellow students: The biggest need that my fellow students have is for my design to be highly reliable. The student after me in order is relying on my subassembly performing it's function exactly as specified so that the chain can continue. My fellow students also need proactive communication and feedback to ensure proper cooperation.
Dr. DuPont: The biggest need that I have identified for Dr. Dupont is that my design and it's iterations must help me learn develop my understanding of the engineering design process.
Spectators: Spectators are the last key stakeholder that I have chosen, as the main idea behind Rube Goldberg machines is to be a spectacle.
What success will look like:
My subassembly can be relied upon to successfully perform it's function every time, facilitating consistency for subassemblies #36 and #38.
The design process of my subassembly incorporates iterative techniques that we learn to use from this course. My final design should be something that I would not have been able to create before taking this course.
The end product should be visually and conceptually interesting to watch while it is running, ideally incorporating multiple different mechanisms that will engage viewers.
Multiple check ins and feedback exchanges with #36 and #38 throughout the design process to ensure functionality
Timeline for success:
Below is a Gantt chart, which represents the rough roadmap for success
Page updated
Report abuse