Kepner-Tregoe (KT) Analysis

Problem Analysis:

What: It is a known fact that common household pollutants, such as mold, radon, and smoke, cause respiratory issues and that these pollutants are hard to detect. It is important to be able to constantly detect these pollutants so they can be cleared to prevent health issues.

When: Household air quality has been an environmental concern for the past 100 years

Who: This issue is target to everyone concerned about their household air quality and the solution would allow them to constantly monitor any chemicals in the house that may cause respiratory issues. This issue affects everyone, especially babies and children who do not have developed lungs yet and are very susceptible to pollutants

Where: This problem occurs in indoor spaces, mainly houses and is caused by cigarette smoking, fires, mold caused from dark wet spaces, and radon from soil, rocks, and groundwater.

Why: This problem is important since it is a common issues that affects someone's respiratory system, which is needed for survival and good quality of life. This problem exists because of how household pollutants can easily cause illness and are very hard to detect and keep track of, as many do not have a smell and are hard to manage.

How: This issue develops on its own, where pollutants like mold and radon can easily accumulate in a house by natural factors and can go unnoticed by people while still causing harmful health affects.

Solution Development

Design goals:

1. The detection sensor can be placed in multiple rooms in the house

2. All sensors are connected to a main device that allows the user to see if any pollutants exist in any rooms

3. Overall system should be easily installed in any household

4. Should easily notify the user if any harmful amounts of pollutants are detected in any room

5. Can be used by people of any age group

Intellectual Properties

Trademarks

• Air Quality Monitor

  • 442,000 search results for this trademark from U.S Patent and Trademark Office

Patent

• https://patents.google.com/patent/US7302313B2/en

Abstraction and Modeling

Process Model

System Model

Synthesis

Ethics and Liability

Product Liability: Broken sensors that can result in a misreading -- no detection of a chemical that can harm the user

Ethical Issues: Misusage of data from the sensor by the seller; can include collecting data from consumers and selling to third parties

Social Impact: Should be designed to last a long time and usage can be extended by selling/donating after. Materials used to create product can be unsustainable

Failure and Hazard Analysis

Eliminate product liability: require excessive testing in different environments to see at which temperature sensors stop working, whether product is water resistant, and how physically damaging a product can affect the sensors readability

Eliminate Ethical Issues: Require consent from the user before using data

Eliminate Social Impact: Use materials that can be recycled and are most environmentally friendly (materials that have the least environmental impact in production and that are biodegradable or recyclable)

Design Analysis

Design Diagram

Gantt Chart

Senior Design Plan

• Decide whether to continue with this project or change topics

• Design physical prototype based on 4 different rooms

• Purchase sensors, raspberry pis, screen, and other materials