Design Techniques Used Throughout the Year

AGILE/Scrum: Students used scrum techniques throughout this course in order to complete their design projects on time and ensure clarity in assigned work per group member. To follow scrum techniques, students held Stand Ups at the start of each class period and Final Fives at the end of each class period. Stand Ups clarified what each team member would be doing in class, what impedes them, and gave the opportunity for any unanswered questions to be answered. Final Fives commenced in the last five minutes of class so team members could discuss what they finished in class and will be working on at home. In addition, students created task boards throughout the year for each sprint (a duration of 3 weeks) and assigned point values to tasks that would be placed on the task board to complete throughout the sprint. At the end of each sprint, students completes a sprint retrospective and review to evaluate what worked well and what did not work well over the course of the sprint. This review period would also be a time for teams to talk about what needs to be done or changed moving forward.

LEAN: Students used LEAN techniques such as ensuring their solution had a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) and was the Minimally Viable Product (MVP) in order for the solution to be competitive in the market of their design. After completion of the design criteria and current market solutions, students ensured that the design they selected to pursue was the most logical solution that met all of the criteria and solved the problem statement they were solving. Students had to keep in mind throughout the year that their product must have a UVP. A UVP ensures that the solution being made to their specific problem statement is unique and has features that are worth value and make the solution different from current market solutions. 

Mentors: Students referenced two engineering mentors assigned by their instructor throughout this course. They referred to their mentors when they were in need of recommendations or had any questions regarding the assignments completed during the design process.

Problem Statement

Vehicle operators often struggle to identify roadway objects in low visibility conditions, especially at night. Disability glare, defined as light scatter in the eyes that reduces retinal image contrast, causes automobile drivers to have difficulty identifying roadway entrances to parking lots of business establishments.

Statement of Purpose

Increase the visibility of parking lot entrances for public establishments to automobile drivers in poor visibility conditions.

Problem Justification

The group conducted problem interviews to ensure that the problem selected was a common difficulty. The results are shown below:

It was found that 83 percent of the drivers interviewed experience disability glare most often when driving on two-lane roadways and highways, with the most problems being experienced at night. This statistic does not vary based on the vehicle the driver is operating. It was found that as the intensity of oncoming headlights increases, disability glare obstructs the view of objects on and along the roadway more, increasing reaction time to the objects.

Design Criteria and Constraints

Criteria
Safety/Legality. What legal standards must the product satisfy?

• The solution must provide the driver with an unobstructed view of the road.
• If the solution is enforced, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Motor Vehicle Association need to be contacted to gain federal and legal approval for the product to be put into use. 
• The lights on the solution requires a light, it must be white or yellow and not flashing, unless given permission by the Maryland Department of Transportation.

Performance. What must the Product Do?

• Must allow users to see with a visibility contrast of at least 2.5% on the roadway when driving at night (between 8 PM–5 AM).
• Must allow users (without any pre-existing eye conditions) to have an unobstructed peripheral and central vision when driving.   
• The product should not be easily removable from where it was applied.
• The solution must be reflective so that drivers can see the solution clearly after twilight.

Product Life Cycle. How long is the product expected to operate properly without repair?

• The solution must stay intact (be able to perform as it is intended) in temperatures of  0°F to 100°F.
• The solution must last at least three years outside.
• The solution must be able to withstand 55 inches and 130 days of rain a year without rusting or significant water damage that prevents the solution from functioning.
• The solution must be able to withstand 240 sunny days a year without sustaining substantial UV damage.
• The solution must be able to withstand wind gusts up to 55 mph.

Cost. How much should the product cost for consumers?​

• Foundation should not cost more than $250.
• Reflectors should not be more than $5 per reflector.
• A sign with LED lights should not exceed $30,000.
• Batteries should not cost more than $4.00 per battery and $900 per kWh.

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Constraints

• Limited number of people involved in the team. There are six group members, with two mentors to serve as a resource.
• Funds limited to $75.00 provided by Severna Park High School (SPHS) for Engineering Design and Development (EDD) projects. Additional funds only provided by six group members.
• Approximately 2 months to finalize a prototype, test it, and present.
• Construction is limited to 3D printers, laser engravers, and work by hand.
• Lack of expertise in the automation industry.
• Laws concerning automobiles and highways vary from state to state.

The Solution: The Illu-Mushroom

The Illu-Mushroom is a multi-part solution to illuminate the entrances to commercial parking lots, so drivers can pinpoint entrances to parking lots more safely and easily. These devices will line the curb of an entrance, shining a light downward to a radius of 18 inches to highlight the curb location. The photocell in the Illu-mushroom detects whether it is in a dark or light environment. When the photocell recognizes that there is a large presence of light, the LED lights turn off. When it becomes nighttime, the photocell senses the absence of light so the LED lights will turn on, illuminating the ground. Once the sunlight returns in the morning, the LED lights will switch off again, and the batteries will be charged by the sunlight, from dusk to dawn.

Further Product Description:  With features such as retroreflectivity, LED lights, rechargeable batteries, waterproof properties, durability, and a low cost, the Illu-Mushroom was the most marketable and effective solution for our new set of criteria.The top shade has a fan angle that allows the light to illuminate the ground one and a half feet from the base, allowing the light to show where the curb is located. The shade cap will hold the electronic components inside the shade, using screws to hold it in place, and the LED light strip will be wrapped along the post of the shade cap. The shade cap can be screwed into the post, which has a conical shape. Rubber washers will be used to keep water from seeping into the electronic compartment from the hole exposed on the top of the product. Retro-reflective stickers will be placed along the sides of the shade and post to increase visibility. The Illu-mushroom operates with four electrical components: a solar panel, battery pack, photocell light sensor, and LED light strip. The solar panel recharges the battery pack which then powers the LED lights. The photocell also connects individually to the LED lights and battery pack.
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Note: The group did not have a solar panel at the time of construction so this version of our prototype does not have a solar panel on it. 

Testing

Inventor Stress Test: After completing stress test analysis on Autodesk Inventor, it was found that the Illu-mushroom could withstand the force of 55mph winds and the force of an average-sized car moving at 15mph. The maximum amount of stress felt by the solution in either scenario was 110 MegaPascals which did not exceed the yield point of acrylic.

Fan Angle Test Procedure:  The projected radius of light from the solution must be at least 18in. With a height of 6.475 inches and fan angle of 79 degrees, the solution provided a suitable light radius.

Field of View Test Procedure:  The device's functionality was also tested to ensure that the driver’s line of sight is never exposed to the direct light source by calculating the driver’s line of sight perception angles. The device passed the test, as the light shines only down on the ground and not in the line of sight of the vehicle operator.