EPICS Core Values
- CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
- Service learning is a teaching and learning stragegy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.
- Why is it important to give back to the community where you live with your time, talents, and skills?
- DESIGN THINKING
- The iterative design process means you research, identify a need, generate ideas to meet that need, develop a prototype, test that prototype, amend the design, create a new prototype and begin the process all over again.
- What is a prototype, and why is it such a valuable part of this process?
- How do we benefit from real learning with real projects?
- PROJECT PARTNERS
- Who are the members of our community that would benefit from an EPICS project?
- TEAMING SKILLS
- What are the characteristics of good teamwork and how will we implement these in our project?
What is Human-Centered Design?
EPICS Vocabulary
Process: A process is simply a collection of activities that are arranged in a pattern. All engineering teams use some sort of process to guide them through a project, though different teams use different patterns. For example, the EPICS Design Process has seven phases (which we will discuss later), and is cyclical.
Cycle: Sometimes, activities in a process are arranged into patterns that have loops or cycles (which makes those processes “cyclical”). This means that instead of simply moving in a straight line from the first step to the last step and then stopping, engineers who use a cyclical process move in loops, and may go back to revisit places they have already been. For example, the EPICS Design Cycle is a kind of loop found in the EPICS Design Process.
Model: A model is a simpler (or smaller) guide that can be used to help us think about something more large or complex. For example, a model of a car has smaller or fewer working parts than the actual car that it represents, because this is easier to handle during the design process. The patterns that engineers use to organize their design processes are models too, since they provide a simple skeleton of the phases that the team will go through to finish the project—filling in the rest of the details is up to the team.
Phase: In the EPICS design process, engineering teams go through seven phases to complete a project. Each phase includes a number of tasks or steps, which we will discuss later in this lesson.
Advancing: Moving forward to a later phase in a cycle is called advancing.
Iterating: When the designer is working through the design process and discusses the information with the stakeholder then moves through the phase again, it is called iterating. The review of information and the discussions that arise with the stakeholders, project partners and community partners is iteration.
Divergent steps: Creative steps in which teams brainstorm and think of new possibilities are called divergent steps. This term comes from the word “diverge”, which means to move apart.
Convergent steps: Decision-making steps in which teams narrow down their options are called convergent steps. This term comes from the word “converge”, which means to come together.
Cycle: Sometimes, activities in a process are arranged into patterns that have loops or cycles (which makes those processes “cyclical”). This means that instead of simply moving in a straight line from the first step to the last step and then stopping, engineers who use a cyclical process move in loops, and may go back to revisit places they have already been. For example, the EPICS Design Cycle is a kind of loop found in the EPICS Design Process.
Model: A model is a simpler (or smaller) guide that can be used to help us think about something more large or complex. For example, a model of a car has smaller or fewer working parts than the actual car that it represents, because this is easier to handle during the design process. The patterns that engineers use to organize their design processes are models too, since they provide a simple skeleton of the phases that the team will go through to finish the project—filling in the rest of the details is up to the team.
Phase: In the EPICS design process, engineering teams go through seven phases to complete a project. Each phase includes a number of tasks or steps, which we will discuss later in this lesson.
Advancing: Moving forward to a later phase in a cycle is called advancing.
Iterating: When the designer is working through the design process and discusses the information with the stakeholder then moves through the phase again, it is called iterating. The review of information and the discussions that arise with the stakeholders, project partners and community partners is iteration.
Divergent steps: Creative steps in which teams brainstorm and think of new possibilities are called divergent steps. This term comes from the word “diverge”, which means to move apart.
Convergent steps: Decision-making steps in which teams narrow down their options are called convergent steps. This term comes from the word “converge”, which means to come together.
What is Engineering?
- Engineering is the application of science and math to solve problems. Engineers figure out how things work and find practical uses for scientific discoveries. Scientists and inventors often get the credit for innovations that advance the human condition, but it is engineers who are instrumental in making those innovations available to the world.
- Engineering is one of the cornerstones of STEM education, an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to motivate students to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
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What do engineers do?
- Mechanical engineering involves design, manufacturing, inspection and maintenance of machinery, equipment and components as well as control systems and instruments for monitoring their status and performance. This includes vehicles, construction and farm machinery, industrial installations and a wide variety of tools and devices.
- Electrical engineering involves design, testing, manufacturing, construction, control, monitoring and inspection of electrical and electronic devices, machinery and systems. These systems vary in scale from microscopic circuits to national power generation and transmission systems.
- Civil engineering involves design, construction, maintenance and inspection of large infrastructure projects such as highways, railroads, bridges, tunnels, dams and airports.
- Aerospace engineering involves design, manufacturing and testing of aircraft and spacecraft as well as parts and components such as airframes, power plants, control and guidance systems, electrical and electronic systems, and communication and navigation systems.
- Nuclear engineering involves design, manufacturing, construction, operation and testing of equipment, systems and processes involving the production, control and detection of nuclear radiation. These systems include particle accelerators and nuclear reactors for electric power plants and ships, radioisotope production and research. Nuclear engineering also includes monitoring and protecting humans from the potentially harmful effects of radiation.
- Structural engineering involves design, construction and inspection of load-bearing structures such large commercial buildings, bridges and industrial infrastructure.
- Biomedical engineering is the practice of designing systems, equipment and devices for use in the practice of medicine. It also involves working closely with medical practitioners, including doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists and researchers, in order to determine, understand and meet their requirements for systems, equipment and devices.
- Chemical engineering is the practice of designing equipment, systems and processes for refining raw materials and for mixing, compounding and processing chemicals to make valuable products.
- Computer engineering is the practice of designing computer hardware components, computer systems, networks and computer software.
- Industrial engineering is the practice of designing and optimizing facilities, equipment, systems and processes for manufacturing, material processing, and any number of other work environments.
- Environmental engineering is the practice of preventing, reducing and eliminating sources of pollution that affect air, water and land. It also involves detecting and measuring pollution levels, determining sources of pollution, cleaning up and rehabilitating polluted sites and ensuring compliance with local, state and federal regulations.
DESIGN PHASE 1 - PROJECT IDENTIFICATION
- IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PROJECTS
- Communicate with project partner and plan a visit
- Develop survey to get feedback from stakeholders
- DEVELOP A PROJECT CHARTER
- EPICS Project Charter - add this to your Engineering folder
- Example: 2018 EPICS Project Charter_PopUp Shop
- EPICS Project Charter - add this to your Engineering folder
- RESEARCH PRIOR ART
- EPICS Prior Art - add this to your Engineering Folder
Prior Art in Engineering is the gathering of information that is attainable by the public about any product that is on the market for consumer use. This includes any patents that are related to the product, any published articles about the design or any open demonstrations. The main reason for exploring Prior Art in Engineering is to make sure that we do not violate patent law or existing products. It is also used to determine if there are other products that are already on the market that will suit the needs of our stakeholders. The products are analyzed to determine specifics including the cost, ergonomic aspects, aesthetics of the product, and the general safety. Engineers then use this information to make further evaluations concerning the features of the product and why it does not meet the needs of the stakeholder. This helps them be able to better focus their attention on details that will make their project unique and feasible.
- CREATE FIRST PROTOTYPE
- Download file from link, print, and scan finished work into Google Drive folder.
- MAINTAIN A PROJECT WEBSITE
- Add the EPICS Google Site to your engineering folder.
Add the following pages to cover the first 5 design phases:- Home EPICS team introduction and final project delivery (Design Phase 5)
- Project Identification & Specification Development (Design Phase 1-2)
- Conceptual & Detailed Design (Design Phases 3-4)
- Add the EPICS Google Site to your engineering folder.
- SET UP EPICS NOTEBOOKS
- Create a new Google Doc in your Engineering folder and share it only with your instructor.
- PREPARE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS REVIEW (SDR)
- Edit the project website and arrange to present to the project partner and stakeholders.
- Edit the project website and arrange to present to the project partner and stakeholders.
- DETERMINE TEAM ROLES
- Construction Manager takes the lead on the design and construction of projects to which she is assigned. She is responsible for the Design Drawing, Prototyping, Equipment Training, and Building.
- Financial Officer is responsible for researching materials along with developing and managing the team’s budget. She develops the Project Material List, User Analysis, and User Manual.
- Project Leader & Liaison oversees and manages all communication between the team and the project partner and other stakeholders. She is responsible for developing the Gantt Chart and delegating responsibilities. She is also responsible for developing Decision Matrices, coordinating Design Reviews, and preparing a Delivery Checklist.
- Investigative Tech & Webmaster is in charge of researching and evaluating both the project constraints and user needs. She is responsible for the Prior Art, Project Specification and Requirements, Testing Protocol and DMFAE Matrices. She will also be documenting the team's progress and maintaining the project website.
PHASE 2 - PROJECT SPECIFICATION
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER:
- CREATE SECOND PROTOTYPE
- Download file from link, print, and scan finished work into Google Drive folder.
FINANCIAL OFFICER
- ORGANIZE A MATERIAL LIST
- Create a new Google Sheet in your Engineering folder and share it with your group.
- COMPLETE USER ANALYSIS
In the design process, User Analysis is the means by which scientists, engineers, and technical writers determine the characteristics of the users which will influence the development of software systems or other technological products.
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PROJECT LEADER & LIASON
- OUTLINE TASKS IN GANTT CHART
- Create a new Google Sheet in your Engineering folder and share it with your group
- Number Tasks down Column A, Start Date Column B, and End Date Column C
- Begin Numbering Weeks 1-18 across Row 1
- Highlight cells in different colors for each team member and include key at the bottom of the chart
- Include Status in last column (Active = 0% Complete, Complete = 100% done, or list 25%, 50%, 75%)
- OUTLINE A DECISION MATRIX
- Create a new Google Sheet in your Engineering folder and share it with your group.
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INVESTIGATIVE TECH & WEBMASTER
- OUTLINE SPECIFICATIONS FOR SELECTED PROTOTYPE
- Create a new Google Sheet in your Engineering folder and share it with your group.
- Identify specific needs based on SDR
- DEVELOP TESTING PROTOCOL
- PREPARE PRELIMINARY DESIGN REVIEW (PDR)
- Add to your Design Review Google Slides in your Engineering folder.
- Arrange to present to the project partner and stakeholders (IF POSSIBLE - or send URL)
- EPICS PROJECT EVALUATION RUBRIC
- Make a copy of this Google Doc, add it to your Engineering folder with [YYYY-DD-MM] LASTNAME at the front of the filename, and share it with your instructor when you have finished your self evaluation.
PHASE 3 - CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
- APPLY SCAMPER METHOD TO IDENTIFY POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS
- PREPARE CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW (PDR)
- Add to your project website and arrange to present to the project partner and stakeholders (IF POSSIBLE - or send URL)
PHASE 4 - DETAILED DESIGN
- DETERMINE POTENTIAL FAILURES WITH DFMEA MATRIX (Design Failure Mode Effect Analysis)
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- DEVELOP TESTING PROTOCOL
- PREPARE USER MANUALS
- CONDUCT SAFETY ANALYSIS
- PREPARE SYSTEM ACCEPTANCE REVIEW (PDR)
- Add to your Design Review Google Slides in your Engineering folder.
- Arrange to present to the project partner and stakeholders
FINAL DESIGN REVIEW PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
- How did you use the Specifications document to form the plan for your project and drive your testing and the building of your prototypes?
- Describe the DFMEA information and how it improved the project design.
- Explain how you have been breaking down the specifications into tasks and sub-tasks, or functions. Review your DFMEA chart to ensure the criteria of “What” is being accomplished, not “How”.
- Explain how the updates and redesign to the prototype have been made through the new information you have gathered through the DFMEA, and the additional testing. How has this improved your project?
- Explain the different prototypes that were created and how your working prototype evolved through these designs. Be sure to include sketches and photographs when the original prototype is not available.
- Include the additional information about your prototype and the redesign process through information from the field testing, the usability and reliability testing along with all other testing.
- Explain the updated materials information and the total cost of the project.
- How you created the User’s Manual to give the stakeholder important information that will sustain the project after the design process is complete.
- Conclusion: Give an explanation of how the working prototype met the needs of your stakeholder and how the project will be sustainable.
- ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS INCLUDE:
- Project Charter
- Gantt Chart
- Specifications
- Decision Matrix
- DFMEA Matrix
- Testing Data: Testing Plan, Safety Analysis, Field Testing
- Updated Budget and Materials Cost
- User’s Manual
- Working prototype
- ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS INCLUDE:
- EPICS PROJECT EVALUATION RUBRIC
- Make a copy of this Google Doc, add it to your Engineering folder with [YYYY-DD-MM] LASTNAME at the front of the filename, and share it with your instructor when you have finished your self evaluation.
PHASE 5 - DELIVERY
