Problem Formulation

Fresh Eye Approach:

Person #1: Roommate

• Using cameras might not be the best way to tackle the problem, but is down the right path

• RFID Chips

• Reduce the cost per foot of unit

Person #2: Roommate

• Barcode Scanner and divide up shelving so you can locate the item to a specific section

• Display on shelf rather than phone to make it one unit; have an app as an extra feature

• Use a simpler method of recognizing items and reduce number of cameras

Person #3: Roommate

• Look into a Kinect/depth sensor (~$100-$150) to create 3d model of the shelf to store and compare to a scan when looking to remove/replace

• Only stores one scan and can rescan whenever requested

• Accounts for all shapes of objects

• Kinect also has a camera can use more than one way to reference items.

• Doesn't need specified slots for items

• Can use the scan to display location of item on screen

KT Situation Analysis:

Timing:

With the increasing use of streaming services in the world and the licensing and quality issues that have arisen with those platforms, people have begun to revert back to listening to buying physical music and books. This situation is very time sensitive as the rapidly changing digital media marketplace could cause shifts in one direction of the other very quickly (e.g. with platforms now offering more high-quality streaming options, people may not buy as many physicals but on the other hand people may get even more sick of technology and licensing issues and just want to own a physical copy of music or books). Also, it is much more common for people to collect current media than to collect historic media and having an organized display would encourage that collection in the present. As collections rarely decrease in size, they only get harder to search as you collect more and more.

Trend:

The two important current trends are wanting to own physical media (music, books, games, etc.) rather than streaming them from the internet and collectors wanting fancy displays to show off their collections. The first issue can grow as people move away from internet-based media more and more and lean more into physical media as is already happening. To match the ease of using a streaming service, you need to minimize the time between wanting to access a piece of media and actually enjoying it. The second issue can grow in two ways: with in-person meetings increasing in a post-COVID world, and social media making people more inclined to try and show off to others online. A flashy display would aid in both of those.

Impact:

This problem may seem trivial for the average person but is very damaging for the specific target demographic. While a person with very little physical media may have no issue finding their items on a shelf, a person with large collections, or even a person with any kind of memory or attention issue may experience a large amount of trouble when they go to listen to their favorite album or read a book they've been working on. Struggling to find what you're looking for could turn what should be a relaxing time into a stressful affair. By easing the way in which you find your media, it makes it easier to relax after a stressful day and increase your enjoyment.

KT Problem Analysis:

What:

• It is easy for collections to become unorganized

• Most people do not want to spend time organizing/reorganizing their items

• When things are disorganized, it is often harder to locate certain objects

Who:

• Must get more information regarding cameras/sensors and sorting algorithms

• Anyone with a small to large collection could have use for this solution as it would be ongoing organization while only needing to think about it once

• Anyone already with a collection would see the use of something that could constantly help sort and locate their items

Where:

• All components can be found online - all need to be shipped from various locations

• Customers would be found anywhere, thus transportation of product would be important

• Customers would likely need to have a more permanent residence as the product may not be convenient for moving

Why:

• Many people accumulate collections of different media types, so there is always a demand for an easier way to organize and be able to locate any object on command

• The solution will only include a one time effort of inserting/logging the media that is inserted on the application, after this the problem of disorganization and misplacing will no longer occur

How:

• Problem arose when people began to accumulate more than they had time to take consistent care of and things became disorganized

• Solution can be implemented by creating a device that mixes a cabinet/shelving of some kind that is ingrained with an app and mechanization that will automatically register and assist in the locating of desired items