Challenge:Design a Suspended Monorail System for a Congested Urban Area

Student Resource: 3.1.2

Design Brief

Context:

A self-propelled vehicle speeds silently through the sky carrying 300 passengers. Riding high above congested freeways or gliding over rivers and other impassable barriers, it is the last word in transit technology. This proven system is economical to install, environmentally friendly, and pollution-free. Utilizing a patented cable suspension concept, it is the only solution for certain difficult alignments. It may be configured to move people or cargo. Installations have operated safely and reliably for millions of passenger miles and have been favorably evaluated by specialists working for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Challenge:Design a suspended monorail system for a congested urban area.

Requirements – Criteria and Constraints

(Students will identify the criteria and constraints for this challenge.)

You will carry out the following steps in the technological design process. Steps 1-7,and 12

Define the problem.
Brainstorm.
Research and generate ideas.
Identify criteria and specify constraints.
Explore possibilities.
Select an approach.
Develop a design proposal, includingdrawings.
Communicate processes and results.

Resources

Research materials are available in the laboratory/classroom, media center, local libraries, and the Internet. Specific resources for this challenge will be identified by students.

Materials and Equipment

The laboratory should provide a flexible, resource-rich learning environment that includes areas for lecture and demonstrations, small-group meetings, design processes, research activities, production and fabrication, product/prototype testing and analysis.

Evaluation

The evaluation of the problem solution will be based on the criteria developed by the students. Students will develop an evaluation instrument for the challenge.

Student performance will be evaluated using the following rubrics.

Assessment Instrument – Technological Design Process

Category / Below Target / At Target / Above Target
Defining the Problem / Defines the problem with limited clarity. / Defines the problem clearly and decides whether or not to address it. / Clearly and precisely identifies the problem and presents a cogent argument regarding whether or not to address it.
Brainstorming / Contributes few or implausible ideas. / Contributes at least one plausible idea. / Contributes multiple plausible ideas.
Researching and Generating Ideas / Contributes ideas, but without documented research. Produces incomplete sketches. Does not present a design concept. / Contributes one plausible idea based on documented research. Produces marginally accurate pictorial and orthographic sketches of design concepts. / Contributes multiple plausible ideas based on documented research.Produces accurate pictorial and orthographic sketches of design concepts.
Identifying Criteria and Specifying Constraints / Identifies a few criteria and constraints but does not explain how they will affect the design process. / Identifies some criteria and constraints and attempts to define how they will affect the design process. / Identifies numerous criteria and constraints and speculates on how they will affect the design process.
Exploring Possibilities / Inadequately analyzes the plusses and minuses of a few possible solutions. / Satisfactorily analyzes the plusses and minuses of a variety of possible solutions. / Thoroughly analyzes the plusses and minuses of a variety of possible solutions.
Selecting an Approach / Fails to select a solution based on consideration of criteria and constraints. / Selects a promising solution based on criteria and constraints. / Selects a promising solution based on a thorough analysis of criteria and constraints.
Developing a Design Proposal / Does not adequately identify the nature of the problem, requirements, procedures, materials, and evaluation processes. Produces incomplete sketches. / Identifies the nature of the problem, requirements, procedures, materials, and evaluation processes. Produces fairly accurate pictorial and orthographic sketches of design concepts. / Thoroughly and creatively identifies the nature of the problem, requirements, procedures, materials, and evaluation processes. Produces accurate pictorial and orthographic sketches of design concepts.
Making a Model or Prototype / Develops a model or prototype whose performance cannot be tested. / Develops a model or prototype whose performance can be tested. / Creatively develops a model or prototype whose performance can be tested to determine how it meets requirements.
Testing and Evaluating the Design / Fails to evaluate the design or note where improvements are needed. / Evaluates the design, noting where improvements are needed. / Evaluates the design at various stages of the process, noting where improvements are needed.
Refining the Design / Does not refine the design using prototypes or models. / Refines the design using prototypes or models. / Uses a prototype or model to creatively refine the design to ensure quality, efficiency, and productivity of the final product.
Creating or Making the Product / Produces inferior products and/or fails to deliver the quantities required. / Produces adequate products in the quantities required. / Efficiently produces high quality products in the quantities required.
Communicating Processes and Results / Attempts to describe the design process but fails to address a number of critical steps. / Describes the design process using verbal, graphic, quantitative, virtual, and written means. / Thoroughly and creatively describes the design process using verbal, graphic, quantitative, virtual, and written means.

Assessment Instrument – Design Proposal

Category / Below Target / At Target / Above Target
Problem Identification / Inadequately describes the nature of the problem and fails to develop a clear and concise problem statement. / Describes the nature of the problem by providing some preliminary data and developing a clear and concise problem statement. / Thoroughly describes the nature of the problem by providing extensive preliminary data and developing a clear and concise problem statement.
Requirements—Including Criteria and Constraints / Does not state the criteria clearly, and fails to identify constraints. / States the criteria clearly and identifies several constraints. / States the criteria clearly and precisely and identifies many constraints.
Proposed Solution—Including Annotated Drawings / Does not identify a solution based on criteria and constraints. Fails to adequately convey the idea (solution) using orthographic and pictorial sketches with annotation. / Identifies a promising solution based on criteria and constraints. Adequately conveys the design solution using orthographic and pictorial sketches with annotation. / Identifies a promising solution based on a thorough analysis of criteria and constraints. Thoroughly describes the solution. Provides accurate pictorial and orthographic sketches of design concepts that include substantial annotation.
Procedures for the Development of the Problem Solution / Inadequately describes the procedures to be followed in developing the design solution. / Adequately describes the procedures to be followed in developing the design solution. / Thoroughly describes the procedures to be followed in developing the design solution.
Materials Required for the Solution of the Problem / Incompletely identifies the materials required for the solution of the problem. / Identifies the materials required for the solution of the problem. / Identifies the materials required for the solution of the problem and explains why the materials were selected.
Procedures for the Evaluation of the Problem Solution / Fails to adequately describe the procedures for the evaluation of the problem solution. / Adequately describes the procedures for the evaluation of the problem solution. / Thoroughly describes the procedures for the evaluation of the problem solution including the rationale for using the selected processes.

Assessment Instrument – Design Portfolio

Category / Below Target / At Target / Above Target
Defining the Problem / Inadequately describes the nature of the problem and fails to provide a clear and concise problem statement. / Describes the nature of the problem by providing some preliminary data and a clear and concise problem statement. / Thoroughly describes the nature of the problem by providing extensive preliminary data and a clear and concise problem statement.
Development of the Design / Inadequately describes the brainstorming process, the generation of ideas, the identification of criteria and constraints, the exploration of possibilities, the selection of an approach, and the fabrication of a model or prototype. / Adequately describes the brainstorming process, the generation of ideas, the identification of criteria and constraints, the exploration of possibilities, the selection of an approach, and the fabrication of a model or prototype. / Documents creative thinking and ingenuity in brainstorming and generating ideas, identifying criteria and constraints, exploring possibilities, selecting an approach, developing a design proposal, and making a model or prototype.
Evaluation of the Design / Fails to adequately document the testing and evaluation processes. / Adequately describes the testing and evaluation of the design and identifies weaknesses. Some suggestions for better approaches or procedures are documented. / Thoroughly describes the testing and evaluation of the design, pointing out weaknesses, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and probable sources of errors.
Refinement of the Design / Does not document modifications to the design. / Documents modifications to the design that make it a more effective solution to the problem. / Documents creative and ingenious modifications to the design so that it more effectively solves the problem.
Presentation of the Design / Inadequately describes the design process. Fails to present a comparison of the solution to the original requirements. / Presents the entire design process using graphic and written information. Presents the final product, including a comparison of the solution to the original requirements. / Creatively presents the entire design process using graphic and written information. Provides an appealing presentation of the final product, including a thorough comparison of the solution to the original requirements.

Engineering Design ProcessFolio

Name / Group
Members
Date Started / Due Date

1. Define the Problem

What need or want mustbe met bythe solution?

2. Brainstorming

In thespace provided,sketch three possible solutionstothe givenproblem.Remember tobe creative!

3. Research and Generating Ideas

In the space below, document your research.Be sure to include propercitations at the endof yournotes.

Notes:

Citations/References:

4. Identifying criteriaand specifying constraints

What are the criteria and constraints?

Materials List

5. Exploringpossibilities

Reflect on your brainstorm ideas and research notes. Generate anyadditional designs which you feel meet the criteria and constraints in the space below.

6. SelectinganApproach

a. Enter the constraints of theproject inthe first column.

b. Scoreeach sketch for each constraint. += 3pts.,√=2pts.,-=1 pt. c. Total thecolumnsand circle thehighest score.

Constraint / Sketch 1 / Sketch2 / Sketch3
Total

7. Developing aDesignProposal

Takeyour highestscoring sketch and create working drawings (sketches with dimensions,so that you could build yourproject).Attach yourworking drawingstothis sheet.

8. Making amodelor prototype

In the space below, document(usingdigital pictures) your constructionof the model/prototype. Be sure to include apictureof the finalmodel/prototype.

9. Testing and Evaluating theDesign, usingspecifications

As you create your solution,you will perform tests to make sure that the solution is meeting theneeds of the given problem. If you solutiondoesnot work,you may needto repeatthe previous steps of the Engineering Design Process, until youfind afunctional design. In the space below, document the type of test you conducted and the results.

Test Performed / Test Results

10.Refining the Design

Basedon your tests,propserefinementsto the design andconstruction of the design problem inthe space below.

11.Creatingor Making It

If time allows, modify your model/prototype as proposedinrefining thedesign. What additional steps wouldbenecessaryto produce this solution for mass market production?

12.Communicating processesandresults

Present your completed design portfolio asanoral presentation to the class.