1. Planning

1.1 ENGINEERING DESIGN


DEEP DIVE VIDEOS

1. What was the problem the engineers at IDEO were asked to solve?

They were tasked to redesign a shopping cart for ABC’s Nightline.

2. Name two constraints that they had to deal with.

a. There was one point that the discussion was becoming chaotic and they were sidetracking. However, the time constraint forced them to eliminate the 100+ ideas as soon as possible and narrow them down to a handful.
b. Another constraint was that there was too much “freedom” they could have not met the deadline if they had not had a command decision about who was going to work on what. 

3. What were two of the major concerns/issues the teams discovered from their research?

a. One issue was safety. This was seen prominently in the beginning of the video when one of the members emphasised on the staggering number of children injured by the trolleys.
b. Another issue was customer’s experience. They wanted to improve the customers’ experiences when using the trolley. They went down to a supermarket and had experts to guide them. They had learnt a lot from the field trip and came back with ideas and solutions.

4. IDEO uses several methods, processes and ideas to generate alternative solutions. What two principles or approaches appealed to you the most? Why?  

a. The brainstorming. This allowed the members to express their thoughts and ideas without people criticizing their ideas.
b. Going out on the field to analyse current problems this allowed the members of the project to know the problem at hand and concentrate on it. 

5. How were the possible solutions prototyped and tested?


The ideas they had were drawn and pinned on a board by different people for ideation. The people were then grouped into teams to work on different problems of the current product. Then, possible solutions are brought forward to be presented by the companies, to explain their products and show their functions to the rest of the team and they would think and discuss. In the end, the products would combine as one into the great product they aimed for.

6. Was there a redesign step in the IDEO project? What was the final outcome? (Ek Hern)

Yes. They merged the ideas of various designs into one. They extracted the best ideas from every designed cart by the mini focussed group and implemented them into the final designed. They eventually fine tuned the design and came out with a trolley cart filled with baskets and hooks at the sides. They was also a scanner for the convenience of the customers. It was user-friendly and well-designed, covering different aspects of the shopping experience from entering the store to purchasing the items and then to the next phase of transporting the purchased groceries to the car (which happens most of the time). 


1.2 ASSIGNMENT OF ROLES

Project Manager (IC of the report and presentation)
- Responsible for all documentation and “care” of the mousetrap.
- Insures that all tasks are completed and documented on time.
- Has final say on any issue that cannot be settled by consensus
Designated Role: Irfan

Drivetrain Engineer (IC of the Analysis)
- Responsible for developing system to transfer energy from the “engine” to the wheels.
- Insures proper testing and documentation of all drivetrain components.
Designated Role: Warren

Wheel Engineer (IC of the Construction and Testing)
- responsible for wheel choice and design
- sources materials for wheels
- works with Drivetrain Engineer to determine wheel-to-axle ratio and attachment
Designated Role: Ek Hern

Chassis Engineer (taken by the 3rd member if it is a 3-member team)
- responsible for the look and function of the body (chassis) of the car
- sources all materials for the chassis
- works with Drivetrain and Wheel Engineers to insure function and look of wheels and drivetrain components
Designated Role: Metta




1.3 BRAINSTORMING

Engineering Goals
Develop a MouseTrap Car with the following specifications:
(a) Uses only the MouseTrap provided as the only energy source
(b) Has a maximum length of 30 cm, with of 10 cm, and a height of 10 cm
(c) Can travel a minimum distance of 5 meters carrying an egg (the egg will be provided by the teacher)
(d) All time-lines have to be adhered


1st Idea

The car has a pulley system can make full use of the energy provided by giving the system the maximum distance to pull. The extension increases the distance of the path taken by the mousetrap, which also increases the amount of string pulled by the mouse trap. There is also an extension to the side of the base, forcing the path taken by the string to be increased by forcing the string to go through a horizontal path before connecting back to the mouse trap. The pulley system used here is a redirect, giving no mechanical advantage, but redirects the path of the string to the extension before connecting to the mousetrap.

2nd Idea

The feature of this idea is to have a washer which allows the wheels to be in place (Balmer, 2012). The long lever arm maximises the amount of elastic potential energy to be stored in the wheel (Brown, n.d.). A layer of tape will increase the friction between the ground and the wheels. If the surface is too smooth, energy will be lost.
3rd Idea



The main idea of this design is the longer wooden rod. A longer wooden rod allows the car to move faster. This is because the extended length will allow more potential energy to be stored.

1.35 BIBLIOGRAPHY (At least 5 sources)

1. Balmer, A. J. (2012, January 18). Using cd/dvd for wheels. Retrieved 21 February 2014, from https://www.docfizzix.com/topics/construction-tips/Mouse-Trap-Cars/using-cds.shtml

2. Balmer, A.J. (2012, January 28). Mousetrap Racers and Friction. Retrieved 23 February 2014, from http://www.docfizzix.com/topics/design-basics/MouseTrap-Cars/mousetrap-racers-friction.shtml

2. Brown, C. (n.d.). How to make a mousetrap car go faster & longer. Retrieved 21 February 2014, from http://www.ehow.com/how_12114075_make-mousetrap-car-faster-longer.html

3. Ropebook .(n.d.) 
Pulley Systems. Retrieved 23 February 2014, from http://www.ropebook.com/information/pulley-systems

4. WikiHow.(n.d.) How to adapt a mousetrap car for distance. Retrieved 21 February 2014, from http://www.wikihow.com/Adapt-a-Mousetrap-Car-for-Distance 


1.4 DECISION MAKING MATRIX






1.5 Design rationale and notes


Wheels
- Discs are used for its thin shape, which cuts through air and reduces air resistance. 
- Cut balloons are used for the wheel's tires, providing it a smooth surface as well as sufficient friction for the wheels to move.


Lever arm
- Gardening metallic rod is used for the lever arm, providing it extra strength and preventing it from bending.


Chassis Material
- Plywood is used as it is a lightweight and durable material

Chassis Shape
- The chassis, the plywood, is smoothened out to have a triangular shaped head, allowing the car to be more aerodynamic and have less resistance from the air.

Location of Mousetrap
- It sits on the chassis, held down by cable ties, providing it stability as the spring pulls the lever down.


Axles
- Gardening metallic rod is used as it is a tough material and will not bend easily.


String type and attachment
- Nylon string used for beading is used for the string as it is a material that will not stretch and break easily


1.6 Materials used
Decisions before prototype

Decisions after prototype




1.7 Preliminary Sketch (Using Google Sketchup)





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