Product Design and Development:
The last few years have seen a number of devastating natural disasters, ranging from the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean to the Kashmiri earthquake. Each of these disasters requires a huge expenditure to ensure the minimum loss of life. The acute phase of recovery is the most widely publicised, but the ongoing, chronic, phase can last months or years where people need to live in poorer accommodation without the facilities that would normally be taken for granted. Your project is to research, design and (at least) model a product that can have a positive humanitarian impact in the aftermath of a natural disaster. This may range from a hand-powered mini-crane for rescue teams to a solar powered water purifier.
An alternative design project would be to look at a product to support the Physically Disadvantaged, such as motorised attachment for wheelchairs etc
You will be expected to draw on all aspects of this course and be able to demonstrate this in your assessment. You will be expected to research the product (need, potential market and competition) thoroughly and use sound design principles to reduce a number of possible solutions down to one that will be developed fully. Including Stakeholder Analysis and a Communications Strategy.
Report should include minutes of project review meetings as the project progresses. The report should contain all of the above elements with clear drawings and text. You should try to use as many of design tools as possible for this project.
The investigation should include: –
Project Plan for the project for the group
- Market research
- Assessment of the market
- Appraisal of the competition
- Design specification
- Criteria by which the product is to be judged and placed in ranking order.
- Safety requirements etc (regulation or standards)
- Consider IPR
- Possible solution and evaluation
- Final Design proposal
- Product Design Specification.
- Manufacturing Methods
- FEA Analysis – Product Verification
- Full design and detail of the product. (3D models and detail drawings) together with possible prototypes.