Mock-up Dryer Panel
For this project, Our engineering design class partnered with the Human Resource Center (HRC) of Edgar and Clark counties. HRC is dedicated to help people with disabilities lead "healthier and more rewarding lives". The facilities include a commercial laundry service where HRC employees teach individuals skills to help them hold a steady job independently, among other services.
My team worked with someone who needed practice setting the industrial dryers. We decided to create a mockup dryer interface for her to practice on since the dryers were always running. We wanted to create a computer program that would be able to provide immediate feedback on whether or not they inputted the correct numbers. We quickly realized that we couldn't create a portable self sufficient practice unit. We instead chose to an entirely mechanical feedback system.
Prototype 1
This is our first prototype built entirely by Jester. It is a hollow box which has depressible buttons on springs. We were experimenting with the idea of punch cards as a method of mechanical feedback so the user can only fully push the correct buttons while the incorrect buttons are blocked.
Unfortunately we realized the punch card method wasn't feasible due to the sheer number of cards needed for setting one load. Also the more moving parts, the more likely our part will get damaged internally. Any method of automatically switching the cards was way too complicated and well out of the timeframe we had to work with. We ultimately decided to forgo any type of mechanical feedback and settled on making an instruction list.
CAD model of the top panel Two views of a button
Prototype 2
Next we built an intermediate prototype. We created SolidWorks models for the panel top and bottom as well as the buttons. The actual panels we laser cut from wood while we 3D printed the buttons. We built our prototype with cardboard between the top and bottom wooden panels because we didn't know exactly how thick the spacers needed to be for the springs.
Client Feedback and Testing
We took our prototype to HRC and they loved it. Upon closer inspection, our panel was significantly larger than the actual dryer panel, however our client preferred the larger size. The client also asked for a list of instructions so she could practice on her own. The laundry manager asked for the cancel button to be depressible and for magnets to be added to the back.
Upon return, we drop tested our prototype. The cardboard failed as seen by the photo.
We made our final product with the frame completely out of wood and 3D printed buttons incorporating all the suggestions we received. We also added screws into the frame to make sure the panels didn't split along the glue seams.
Intermediate prototype post drop test
Big Takeaways
During this Project I practiced:
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How to work remotely and communicate well with a team
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For much of this project, various team members were quarantined or had other health issues
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How to scale the project to fit time restrictions
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Scheduled for twice a week for 10 weeks
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How to effectively prototype
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How to work with and communicate to a client
The final panel magnetically hung on a surface