Design and Materials Module Coursework Assignment

How is the assignment assessed?

The first coursework is an individual assignment consisting of conceptual design exercises. It is designed to assess your knowledge and skills in applying the design process to solve a real-life world problem using your proposed solution. The focus of this assignment is on development, presentation of design (manual sketching using freehand, using CAD tools and your acquired drawing skills from the Tutorials). The assignment also focuses on your rationale for selection of design concepts or design solutions.

The assessment of this coursework is based on the following criteria and weighting:

1. Originality of the Design Concepts

This should focus on innovative, original, problem-solving ideas. Try to think of the design process and what steps you took to improve your own adaptation of the design process.

2. Clarity and quality of the manual and CAD sketching.

This should focus on the formatting of your sketching, quality of scanned images, and high-quality annotations that would help communicate your ideas to an external member

3. Evaluation criteria and its application to select the optimal or the best Design Concept

This should focus on your analysis of at least 3 different concepts you came up with and how you selected the best one, and on what basis? Try to include some reflection and critical writing.

4. Presentation of final design and sketches

This should focus on your visual presentation skills. Try to create high impact drawing sketches and renders to show off and differentiate your designed concepts and create visual impact.

Submission Guideline

The portfolio should tell the story of the design process you used to come up with your proposed concepts. For example, explaining how your particular design thinking which lead to your engineering design concepts, evolved from problem – discovery – definition – conceptual design following the Double Diamond process by Design Council that you’ve all been covering in the Design lectures.

The total pages of the submitted file should not exceed 10 pages, with cover page and references 12 pages. You should follow good design portfolio guidelines and produce it in an A3 Landscape format.

The Design Brief

The Problem Statement

COVID19 is a disease that had spread across the globe at a very rapid speed. It has affected many members of the society and caused fatalities amongst the vulnerable of us. Nations have been substantially affected by it, causing economic, healthcare, and educational strains and significant failures in reducing its spread. The result can be seen in some of the declining economic performances and political instabilities across most regions around the world.

Politicians have turned to the healthiest and relied on them to keep the economy striving. Several incentives have been launched to keep up purchasing and selling transactions, as well as funding support to keep the education sector in operation.

Schools, colleges, and universities have been asked to remain open and running with certain precautionary measures, to fulfil the needs of the national, and the international communities whilst improving safety from the causing virus.

Universities had to respond very quickly to this emergency by turning to simple yet ‘promised-to-be effective solutions’, such as installation of isolating screens, mandatory face coverings, sanitisation stations, printed directions, and enforcing one directional walkway systems.

Many of these solutions were developed under pressure and developed without enough time to fully consider ALL the students and staffs needs to effective, technology-enhanced learning, teaching and assessment practices.

The Design Requirements

As a design engineer, you are asked to design and develop a mobile (moving/portable) robotic system that is able to do one of the following tasks: 1) regulate the flow of people into and out of buildings, deal with emergency situations of buildings and direct people to safe zones where needed. OR 2) A mobile robotic system that can control internal environments in terms off ability to sanitise rooms, work desks, and work areas when students and staff return home.

Your first task is to consider this complex situation and understand the problem domain of this brief very well. You are required to show an understanding of the current manual processes in your choice of situation. You must think long and hard about how a new design of an innovative mobile robot could overcome these problems. You are presented with two choices which you have to select one option from and complete your assignment on.

(Option 1) An Outdoor Robotic System, that can use gesture control to direct the flow of people, cars, and pedestrians. Remember, it has to appear as friendly, non- threatening, and a way of helping people rather than cause burdens., it must be large enough to make its presence known.

(Option 2) An Indoor Robotic System, that can flow in and out of rooms to carry out maintenance and sanitisation tasks, it must be small enough to fit into door entrances and work its way during the nights to ensure everything is clean before the next working day where students and staff return.

Known Design Constraints

For Option 1 – The design must be able to accommodate all the required safety aspects of working on public footpaths and roads, you must consider the types of terrains it will be moving across based on the geography of the around campus. It must be able to signal stop, go, and hazardous areas as well as other gestures that human users can recognise in terms of taking instructions. The design must be robust, reliable, and low maintenance in terms of powering up without need to be connected to a power source when its being used. It must be able to consider different types of emergency situations and training to do its job efficiently without posing any risk on members of the public.

For Option 2 – the design must be able to fit into the campus environment really well, it must not be seen as an intrusion to people education when operating during teaching hours. The design must be nimble to navigate its way into and out of rooms on any flour level given, so you must study how this is currently managed using stairs and lifts to adapt your design. You must consider all the functional tools and handling equipment it needs to fulfil its cleaning duties without having to go back to a base to collect or drop anything off. Though, you must consider mechanisms that can be used for disposal of waste and object manipulation.

Continue your journey with our comprehensive guide to Demand, and Strategic Planning in the COVID-19 Era.