Engineering Projects in Community Service

EPICS is a unique program in which teams of students are designing, building, and deploying real systems to solve engineering-based problems for local community service and education organizations. EPICS was founded at Purdue University in Fall 1995 and has since spread to a diverse group of K-12 Schools and Universities in the United States and abroad.

EPICS Core Initiatives

Engineers are uniquely equipped to develop solutions to today’s challenges, which ultimately allows them to change communities. EPICS facilitates that change now and for future generations by creating a world where engineering education is intimately connected to community service.
Access and Abilities

More than 15 percent of the world population (about 1 billion people) live with disabilities, such as hearing, vision, mental health, or mobility impairments. These projects solve accessibility issues within communities, enable adaptive services, establish clinics for those in need, and develop assistive technologies.



Environment

Every region of the world faces challenges with environmental sustainability. Projects in this area focus on developing new ways to use renewable energy sources to better serve communities, such as creating drinkable water and generating electricity as well as improving communication services. Students also gain exposure to careers in alternative energy and environmental solutions.



Education and Outreach

Millions of children all over the world lack sufficient education in STEM subjects. Projects in this area provide communities and schools new curriculums and facilities to improve STEM learning as well as provide hands-on experience in engineering.



Human Services

​Students involved in these projects leverage technology to address the tremendous scope of community needs. This includes homelessness prevention, affordable housing, family and children agencies, human trafficking, neighborhood revitalization, and local government.

https://epics.ieee.org/about/


​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?

DESIGN PHASE 1 - PROJECT IDENTIFICATION

  • IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PROJECTS & PARTNERS​ 
    • Who is a Project Partner?
      This is the main contact between the students and the stakeholder and gives important guidance concerning the needs of the stakeholder and the project. The stakeholder is the user of the project and the Community partner (if there is one) could be the parent organization of the project partner
    • Key Criteria for a Project and Project Partner
      • Project Partner Commitment:
        Would the Project Partner and Stakeholder be willing to meet with us to give us guidance for the project?
      • Significance of the Project:
        What Project Partner would benefit most from the project that you can provide?
      • Expected Duration:
        What is the expected duration of the project based on the resources and guidance available?
      • Student Expertise:
        Do we have enough expertise in our class and help in our community to be able to design, develop and deliver the project?
      • Student Availability:
        Do we have enough students with the right skills to be able to deliver the project?
        Availability of community expertise – Do we enough help from community experts to complete the project?
    • What are the next steps?
      • Communicate with project partner and plan a visit
      • Develop survey to get feedback from stakeholders
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.
  • 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)
  • 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.
  • 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:
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.
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.​
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)
  • 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
  • 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