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Criteria & Constraints Worksheet

1. Watch the video below.

2. Complete the worksheet

3. Create your Criteria & Constraints Table for your robot arm solution

Criteria are attributes. It is essential to decide which criteria are critical for a design’s success and which are only desired. 

A few examples of measurements that can be made quantitative are listed below:

• Accuracy

• Amplitude

• Angle

• Cost

• Force

• Frequency

• Height

• Number

• Percentage 

• Precision

• Pressure

• Repeatability

• Width

When assigning a value, think in terms of ranges, as exact values may be unnecessarily constraining.

User-defined scales (UDSs) are a formal way for design teams to convert qualitative objectives to quantitative design criteria. Let's say a criterion is how easy or difficult it is to use. A scale assigns a score of 1–3 based on an individual's opinion of using the device. For example, a user could respond with “Agree” for the statement “It is easy to use”, and we would assign that criterion a 3. Neither easy nor difficult to use; neutral a 2, and Difficult to use a 1. This way, we can measure the success of the subjective criteria.

Constraints are binary and must be satisfied or the design will fail. 

Checklist

• I watched the full video 

• I completed the worksheet.

• I created my own Criteria & Constraints table