Problem Definition

Table of Contents

1 Team Vision for Problem Definition Phase
2 Project Summary
3 Use Cases
4 Project Goals and Key Deliverables
5 Customer Interview
6 Customer Requirements (Needs)
7 Engineering Requirements (Metrics & Specifications)
8 Constraints
9 House of Quality
10 Design Review Materials
11 Plans for next phase

Team Vision for Problem Definition Phase

Team Plans:

Review project readiness package for basis of understanding
Brainstorm use case scenarios for product
Interview customer on topics of importance
Brainstorm key stakeholders
Lay out team values and norms
Create a list of Engineering and Customer Requirements
Define benchmarking parameters for concussion detection products
Research power management options for longer lasting and rechargeable device

Accomplishments:

Our team was able to identify major stakeholders
Our customer was interviewed and brainstormed questions of importance were answered
The team sat down together and laid out a list of norms and values to follow
The project was benchmarked through analysis of other similar products
The product was analyzed for potential risks and solutions were discussed
A list of requirements from an engineering standpoint as well as from the customer was written
The future direction of the project was laid out into a three week plan

Project Summary

Problem Statement:

Athletes that play contact sports always run the risk of receiving concussions. One of the issues with concussions is that after an athlete receives a concussion, if they suffer another force to the head it will make the concussion severely worse. There is currently no widely marketed solution on the market that integrates a concussion monitoring solution into the helmet and allows the coach/team trainers to view the impacts that all of the athletes on the field are feeling.

The goal of the project is to create a wireless real time analyzing device to monitor an athlete during his/her game in case of a concussion.

The expected end result would be a functional prototype which can send data to an easily interpreted interface, which can be monitored and a concussion can be instantly recognized.

Use Cases

Use Case for Football/Hockey Game

Alternative Use Case for racecar driver

For a full list of use cases, click here.

Project Goals and Key Deliverables

Project Goal:

The end result of the project would ideally be a marketable prototype to calculate the g-force an athlete feels in a given collision. The device will also feature a computer interface allowing medical teams to track collision forces to detect the occurrence of a concussion in real time.

Customer Expectations:

The customer can expect to receive a working prototype helmet which will send data to an fully implemented interface. Ideally, the helmet will be able to operate through any collisions throughout a full season without being damaged or running out of energy.

Goals and Deliverables for each Phase

To view the Goals and Deliverables document, click here.

Customer Interview

Date	Customer	Document
September 5th, 2017	Tony Frumusa	Doc

Customer Requirements (Needs)

Initial Engineering Requirements

The working Customer Requirements can be found here

Engineering Requirements (Metrics & Specifications)

Initial Engineering Requirements

The working Engineering Requirements can be found here.

Constraints

Design Limitations:

The device fits inside or on existing helmets. The current focus is on football or hockey helmets, but compatibility with other helmets will be considered.
The device is lightweight and does not impose any restrictions on an athlete's ability to perform.
East to use and shows a clear indicator for when a flag is raised.
Be fully functional for at least 10-12 hours to ensure operation through the entire duration of sporting events.
Can withstand extreme impacts.
Fall within the allotted budget: Board Fabrication ($1000), Components ($1000), Board Assembly ($1000), Hardware Enclosure ($500)
Meet the safety standards used for sporting equipment.
Attempt to keep the price per unit bellow $20.
Uses an accelerometer for g-force measurement.
Uses the Zigbee Protocol for data transmission.