Overview of Design Process, share final product, learning:
Final Product:
My final product is a pull-back aircraft carrier that moves by converting elastic potential energy into kinetic energy. (Picture attached), on top of the carrier is a launcher that can be used to launch small paper airplanes forwards, also by converting elastic potential energy into kinetic energy. My final product focuses on displaying the conversion of elastic potential energy into kinetic energy while being a fun toy to interact with.
There is a major deficit in my final product, though. The pull-back elastic bands would periodically break due to the carrier’s large size, and sometimes it would shoot out of the carrier with great force. There was only one kind of elastic band available in the design center, so to improve this product further, I should purchase larger elastic bands to fit the product.
Overview of Design Process:
I have been through three major stages when designing my product. The first stage was brainstorming and research, where I developed ideas about possible toys I could make. I explored many options before choosing my final concept. The second stage was planning the components needed, creating a prototype, and receiving feedback from peers to improve my design. This stage was the stage I spent the most time on since I wanted my creating process to be smooth to leave little room for errors, which needed a specific and accurate plan to happen. The last stage was creating and refining my final product, where I assembled all necessary components with hot glue.
Success Criteria:
Success Criteria:
The final product needs to:
- Clearly display conversion from elastic potential energy to kinetic energy.
- Be mobile.
- Be interactive.
- Not break.
My final product achieves about 80% of my success criteria. It clearly displays conversion from elastic potential energy to kinetic energy, it is mobile, and the wheels are smooth. Users can interact with the slingshot and even create their own airplanes, but the elastic bands for the pull-back mechanic periodically break from strain, which is a significant downfall.
Design Specifications:
Purpose:
A toy that shows energy conversion.
Achievement: The final product visually shows energy conversion through a slingshot and paper airplanes.
User:
Boys and girls ages 10-18, since the toy may be too childish for people over 18 and hazardous to children younger than 10, as there are tiny paper airplanes that can be a swallow hazard.
Achievement: From user feedback of ages 14-15 (about the median of 10-18), the final product is fun, interactive, and appropriate for their age group.
Reflection:
Proud:
I am proud to have created something fun and of considerable size in the design center. I had no experience before this, and it was a great learning opportunity about the design process at ISB.
Challenging:
Developing an idea of measurements was definitely the most challenging part of my design process, as I had no idea what 5 cm or 5 mm were before this project. It greatly impacted my planning speed since I was unsure of measurements.
Using the cutting knife. The cutting knives were a whole new experience for me, and I injured myself on multiple occasions. Cutting cardboard and foamboard was much more challenging than I thought. But with the support of my peers, I learned how to hold a knife properly, and I was able to cut out my components individually.