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Engineering Desing Project - COU
The Module

Engineering Design Project focuses on holistic design processes applied to an engineering design problem. The course takes you through an engineering design problem from user requirements through to final prototype and manufacturing. 

The Task

The task at hand was to design and engineer a battery-powered tool that not appeals to the mass market but also meets the needs of a specific underserved user group. As a group, we had to deliver a compelling and commercially viable product design solution, based on genuine user insights, realised to fully working prototype, supported by a detailed production data package.

The Final Product

COU targets the issue of neck strain in vocational drivers, caused by long shifts in the discomfort of their vehicle environment. We have designed a vibrating neck massager that is sleek and stylish and will integrate seamlessly into the car environment. 

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Video summarising our design journey and what our product does.

Design Process

The design process was split into three different phases

Phase 01

Our target market was vocational drivers in London, which include Ambulance drivers, Uber drivers, Taxi drivers, etc.

Through intensive primary research, we discovered that a lot of drivers suffer through muscle pain and this restricts their work. Therefore we decided to make a product that would somehow alleviate this pain.

 

We then received a donor product from the lecturers to better understand the products in the market.

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Phase 02

To broaden our research, we contacted the NHS and had a primary Uber driver as a contact.

 

After the primary research, we created four different products that fit best with our product opportunity. I created a comfortable and easy to use shoulder brace for drivers. This product would massage the drivers so that whilst they drive, their muscles can destress, and no pain is generated.

 

As a conclusion of phase 02, we presented our research to the class and chose a final product. 

Phase 03

We incorporated the four different products from Phase 02 and made a product that was targeted to relieve neck pain. 

 

We went to Natura Bissé, a professional massage treatment company, to speak to a trained masseuse and get feedback.

 

For our final design, we used a MarkForged 3D Printer. We soldered the final components by hand and programmed the device using an Arduino.

Phase 03

We also generated an appropriate eco-friendly packaging for our product along with its product compliance and labelling.

Finally, we created Technical Drawings and a Bill of Materials using SolidWorks for future production.

We made a business model canvas and a business case with Porter's Five Forces to see how our product fit in the market. 

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