Project Selection Notices

1
Project Selection Notices

• Next week you need to deliver a signed Project
  Title/Faculty Supervisor Form
• No delays allowed
• Today you need to make preliminary decision on
  project selection
• After my presentation we will have another
  project selection session
• List of projects on the blackboard
• Annotated by preliminary selections

2
Requirements Specification and Analysis

• Requirements specification identifies those
  requirements that the design must satisfy
• Drives all subsequent stages of development
• Should identify all important requirements, yet
  provide enough flexibility for the deign team to
  develop innovative solutions
• Requirements describe the whats (not hows)
• Must be measurable and demonstrable
• Obtained through an interview with a user(s)
• Requirements analysis deals with tradeoffs and
  priorities in defining the final set of
  requirements

3
Requirements Specification Development Process
Raw requirements
Customer
Feedback
Develop System Requirements
Customer Representation
Feedback
Technical Representation
Technical Community
Environment
Constraints and Standards
4

• Operational Requirements
• Identify primary mission, and alternative or
  secondary missions
• What is the system to accomplish and what
  functions must perform in responding to the need
• Definition of the basic operational
  characteristics or functions of the system
• Definition of parameters (range, accuracy, rate,
  etc)
• Critical system performance parameters needed to
  accomplish the mission
• System components and geographic distribution
  constraints
• Technical Performance Measures
• Quantitative measures the system must behave
  accordingly
• Primary and secondary quantitative requirements
• A list of wishes for the system performance

5

• Example requirements
• The robot must navigate autonomously with the
  aid of only landmarks in the specified
  environment
• The robot must operate for 1 hour on a single
  battery charge
• The robot must have an average speed of 0.5m/s,
  and top speed at least 1m/s
• The system must use PIC microcontroller
  technology
• The cost of parts and material should be below
  600
• Peak power consumption should be below 3W
• The system should be operated by untrained
  adult
• The robot must have a remote safety OFF-switch
• The system must be easily maintained by updating
  on-board software
• The system must fit 2x3x2 space and the
  hardware must have professional finish
• The system must be operational and waterproof up
  to 30feet
• See Chapter 3 for details and case studies !!!

6
Concept Generation and Evaluation

• A top-level design at conceptual level
  (conceptual design)
• Exploration of many potential solutions and
  selection of one from them
• Use creativity and judgment
• Creativity involves the generation of novel
  concepts
• Judgment is applied to evaluate and select the
  best solution for the problem
• This step is not simple and most frequently is
  based on previous experience but you have to
  start somewhere
• Read Chapter 4 !!!

7
Concept Sketching

• Its a simple fist-step to jump-start designing
• Start from taking three blank pages
• Use a single page to briefly sketch your
  solution/system, interaction with the
  user/environment, a way it function,
  architecture. Look from a user perspective and
  operational functionality.
• Use each page for totally different concept.
  Refine them later just sketch freely. Use
  imagination. Dont be afraid of risky and
  innovative ideas.
• During refinement, redraw your concepts closer to
  the technical reality, available parts, budget,
  main requirements, time frame, budget.
• If you really want to learn designing, follow a
  concept car design process (on Discovery Channel)

8
Conceptual Design Approach 1

• Based on a notion that Concept Sketching is best
  done individually
• Each team member should prepare three design
  sketches at refined level
• During a team meeting, all members show and
  explain their sketches
• Best sketches should be selected and discussed
  providing the feedback for further refinement
• Follow with the second refinement of best design
  sketches this follow-up relies on smaller teams
  of 2 people
• Final team meeting is devoted to selecting the
  final design and alternatives

9
Conceptual Design Approach 2

• Brainwriting Still based on individual work
  but arranged into a single group session. Will
  result in three designs.
• Used for fast designing at a very high
  (less-technical) level
• Each person generates three ideas over a limited
  time period. Clearly describes these ideas using
  sketches and written description on paper.
• At the end of time period, each team member
  passes the ideas to another team member
• The next person reviews the ideas of the teammate
  and adds three more buy building on them,
  developing new ones, or ignoring as necessary
• This process continues until all members have
  reviewed all papers
• Next, all team members discuss and vote on final
  three designs

10
Strategies to Enhance Creativity

• Have a questioning attitude
• Questions stimulate creativity use WHY? HOW?
  WHERE?
• Most frequently asked question IS THERE A BETTER
  WAY.?
• Practice being creative
• People improve creativity by conscious effort
• Keep thinking about your design continuously
  throughout the entire day
• Suspend judgment
• Early criticizing immediately dismisses ideas
• Creative concepts can be developed by taking a
  concept and modifying it or combining it with
  other seemingly related concepts
• Allow time
• The human mind needs time to work on problems
• Think like a beginner
• New solutions often come from novices
• Use knowledge during refining only

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SCAMPER

• Many creative ideas arise from novel combinations
  and adaptations of existing techniques
• Substitute Can elements be substituted?
• Combine Can existing entities be combined in a
  novel way?
• Adapt Can this be adapted to operate
  differently?
• Modify What can be modified to provide a
  benefit?
• Put to other use Are there any other
  applications of this system?
• Eliminate Can a part(s) be eliminated?
• Rearrange or Reverse Can elements of the system
  be rearranged differently?

12
Concept Evaluation

• Exercise engineering judgment and use customer
  needs and technical factors to drive the decision
• Initial Evaluation
• Results in a rejection of designs based on
  reasons a design may be deemed infeasible, i.e.,
• Far too costly
• Will take too long to develop/implement
• Involves too much risk
• Will not meet requirements

13

• Strengths and Weaknesses Analysis
• This step is needed for the final evaluation
• Build a table of three columns Method,
  Strengths, Weaknesses
• Each team member works independently and assigns
  strengths and weaknesses on his/her evaluation
  sheet
• Discuss in a group all entries, their validity,
  and build the final table
• Final Evaluation
• Do it as a group
• Step 1 Determine the selection criteria
• You can use strengths and weaknesses determined
  previously
• Or, look at Chapter 4.3.3 for decision matrices
• Step 2 Determine the criteria importance (assign
  weights should sum up to 1.0)
• Step 3 Rate designs according to specified
  criteria
• Step 4 Sum the score and order the design
  according to the score
• Step 5 Review your decision

14
Engineering Knowledge ? Engineering Practice

• All technical solutions must be based on the
  background knowledge you learned
• Math, physics, EE methods and practice must be
  embedded into your project no exception
• This is particularly true during the design phase
• Make sound selection of system components, system
  parameters
• You need to demonstrate this in your
• Design Document
• Final presentation of ECE-493
• Ad hoc solutions are not acceptable
• Use simulation when needed

15
Top-Down Design Model(Another View)
Identification of Need
Proposal Phase
Requirements Analysis
System Feasibility Analysis
Research
Operational requirements Technical perf.
measures Functional analysis and
allocation
Technology Development Application
Preliminary Design
Preliminary Experiment Planning
Detail Design Phase
Experiment Planning
Detail Design