Team Vision for System-Level Design Phase
Summary
During this portion of the project, our team plans on laying out numerous designs and flowchart layouts to plan the functionality of the major aspects of the project. Finalizing details such as the type of sensor being used, which helmet we will being working with, as well as planning out how the flow of the sensor, and notification system will work. As well, identifying any possible roadblocks that would be encountered with the selected design we could run into, and how we plan to solve them. This phase encompassed creating a functional decomposition of the project as a whole, to identify what is needed. From there, brainstorming of possible solutions to use, from possible to lofty ideas. After that, a selection matrix was created to choose which solutions to use. And finally, flowcharts for the direction we are aiming towards.Team Plans
- Choose Sport Focus
- Research – Concussions, Sport constraints, Head vs Helmet impact
- Functional Decomposition
- Benchmarking – Processors, Sensors, Competitors, Power Options, Database Options
- Concept Development
- Concept Selection
- Feasibility/Roadblocks
- Systems Level Flow
- Subsystem Flow
- Risk Assessments
- Bill of Materials
- Preliminary Design – Power usage, estimated weight, sensor mounting options/locations, brainstorm database communications, set up raspberry pi
- Phase 3 Plan
Accomplishments
- Chose Ice Hockey and Football for helmet design
- Created functional decomposition for project
- Additional benchmarking was done for sensor type
- Brainstorming of concepts for the project
- Morphological chart was designed for project
- A concept selection matrix was created to find the most optimal solution
- Feasibility questions were brainstormed for possible roadblocks
- Flowcharts of multiple aspects of project were designed
- An updated risk assessment was created
- Three week plan for the next phase was created
- Bill of Materials
- Finally, pieces of the next phase have began
Functional Decomposition
The Functional Decomposition shows how each problem is broken down into smaller problems. Some problems require multiple subfunctions, and some subfunctions apply to multiple problems.Benchmarking
In order to better inform our design, it is necessary to research other solutions to the problem, if they exist. There are already devices similar to what we are designing, and we have gathered what data we can to guide our search for the best solution. The projects general device benchmarking as well as benchmarking fo rthe device to use for the project can be found below The links to the Device Benchmarking as well as the Sensor Benchmarking can be found here.Concept Development
In order to decided on a specific concept for the project, our team first brainstormed a list of all possible concepts across all aspects of the project. These aspects include sensor placement, sensor type, notification system, and much more. This list may not contain every possible solution we could have, but is something to build off of. This list would later be used into a selection matrix in order to decide in the most optimal solution, after the use of feasibility questions as well as a morphological chart. Below is the Concept brainstorming document, and then the information reorganized into a table format.A link to the full document can be found here for the List Form as well as the Table Form.
Morphological Chart
For the working document Morph Chart.
Feasibility: Prototyping, Analysis, Simulation
With the rise of possible solutions for a design layout, certain questions arise as to what roadblocks and unknown factors will play into the chosen solution. A strategic option is to brainstorm possible issues and determine solutions to them before they arise. Aspects for this project such as a poor placement, dead battery, or a force big enough to break the sensor. Below are a few key aspects of the project that must be questioned and solved when choosing a solution.
The full list of Feasibility Questions are written and answered here.
Concept Selection
With the use of the morphological chart as well as the brainstormed concepts, a selection matrix was used in order to find the optimal solution to continue with. The real value in this step of the process is not the comparison matrix you generate to compare your concepts, but the analysis and discussion you do to support your evaluation. Below is the selection matrix used for the concepts.The full link to the selection matrix can be found here.
Concept Improvement
The chosen concept based on the criteria matrix is a helmet with sensors built inside towards the crown or the sides. Data collected from this will be sent out to a collector once a concussion has been detected. This core idea can be paired with several of the concepts listed in the matrix to increase the awareness on the field, making it easier to show when a potential concussion has happened.
- LEDs or an alarm can be paired with the collector and display once a concussion has been detected. This gives the operator an immediate visual and/or audio queue that can indicate the severity of a hit.
- Multiple sensors can be added if time, money, and space constraints allows to increase the amount of readings and data sources.
- Additional accessories like the bracelet can be given to the athlete so that they will be aware of when they have been flagged by the concussion, in addition to the operator on the sideline.
Systems Architecture
Sensor Location:
Survivability information required. Likely to be placed on the inside of helmet. Additional information and experimental test data on the exact force difference felt by the head compared to the helmet also required for force calculations. If we can determine a general head to helmet impact difference equation we can separate the sensor from the head.
Survive Impact:
Additional Testing Required. Will use ASTM 1405 Ice Hockey Helmet - Shock Test to test different locations, casings, and attachment methods for survivability analysis.Battery Power Required:
Additional Testing and Calculations Required.Database Push/Pull:
The application will push max G force, direction of impact, as well as player name / sensor ID to the database. This data will be pushed every time a G force over a certian threshold is measured. The data will be pulled from the database when the user of the application wants to look at historical data for a certian player.Designs and Flowcharts
The use of flowcharts provide a "big picture" view of how our systems and subsystems will work. They can help inform and organize our decision making for the future. These charts are likely to change as we refine our ideas over time. Below are several of the key flowcharts that have been designed beginning with the sensor's basic functions. After that it is followed by flowcharts of the usage of the smart phone, how the device will gather data, and finally the testing protocols for the device. The current testing protocols are vague as more specific methods will arise with the creation of a prototype.
All of these flowcharts can be found in the Photo Gallery Directory.
Risk Assessment
Updated to include any new risks or details. Also created owners for each risk.
For a full list of Risks, click here.
Bill of Materials
The BOM can be found here.
Design Review Materials
While the review of the Systems Level Design will be done completely from this site, there is also a pre-read document for personal reading as well as some additional information. This document can be found herePlans for next phase
- Current plans for the next phase are shown in our wrike account. The link to the wrike account is shown here
- For a list of the individual three week plans, click here.
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