Ben Salinas

CLight: Bedside Storage for Dorm Rooms

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Background

** **During Fall 2009, as a part of a class in Product Design and Development, I worked on a team of two engineering students from Olin College, two business students from Babson College, and two industrial design students from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Our team looked at storage in the college dorm room and developed a wall mounted bedside storage. This new spin on bedside storage provided space for frequently used items such as cell phones, books, glasses, and wallets. Additionally, we integrated power plugs for charging laptops and phones and dimmable reading lights.

The C-Light has been selected for the 2010 Industrial Design Senior Show at RISD.

Process

We started the semester out by visiting students from more than a dozen schools in the Boston area. During this phase, we noticed that almost every student had a bedside table and most of them had purchased something to fill this need. This table was used to hold small things like an alarm clock, a cell phone charger, a wallet, and a book. Additionally, we realized that students have several other driving factors in their choice for furniture- the importance of floor space and portability of furniture so it can be stored and used year to year.

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When visiting college dorm rooms, we consistently noticed that students used bedside storage for small, frequently used items like cell phones and keys.

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Based on this understanding of the problem space, we developed many concepts for potential products that filled the needs of college students. As we continued refining several of our concepts, we began analyzing the opportunity space from a business standpoint. Ultimately, we chose to focus on the C-Light, our wall mounted storage solution. Sketches and solid models allowed for further refinement of the concept while physical “looks like” prototypes allowed us to experiment with material selection.

Before deciding on our final concept, we developed many ideas addressing various aspects of storage in dorm rooms. </div> We then created gallery sketches of our more promising ideas to further flush them out. Sketch by A.Halaby and B.Yi Sketch models helped us choose the proper size and experiment with the look and feel of the final product. Our team’s final presentation is available here

Life Cycle Assessment of Espresso Machines

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Background

For our Sustainable Design course, my team chose to perform a product tear-down and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a commercial espresso machine. We utilized the Okala Guide’s Single Factor LCA tool for our analysis. Based on our findings, we redesigned the system to reduce environmental impact. Our resulting concept had a 4x factor of improvement while maintaining the desired experience of an espresso machine.

Results

Our project was documented through a series of four posters, shown below. The first phase focused on understanding the use context of commercial espresso machines. User studies allowed us to understand the way espresso machines are used as well as the people who use them. Based on our research, we identified the Function, Interaction, and Character of traditional espresso machines and developed a set of user personas. We also developed a framework for thinking about the role of the espresso machines in coffee shops by analyzing the interactions between the key stakeholders.

The Experience of the Espresso Machine: At the start of the project, we learned about how commercial espresso machines were used in coffee shops. By interacting with baristas and shop owners, we identified that the espresso machine is the center of the coffee shop experience. The understanding we developed of the users and use scenarios was critical in the redesign phase of the project.

With an understanding of how espresso machines were used in coffee shops, we began the tear down of our commercial espresso machine. During this phase, we disassembled the espresso machine, weighed each component, and used FT-IR and XRF lab equipment to identify the materials present in each component. This information, combined with data about the power usage and manufacturing details resulted in a full LCA of the product. Because of the long lifetime of commercial espresso machines and several usage factors, the total environmental impact was dominated by the use phase.

By taking data for power usage and disassembling and weighing each of the components in the espresso machine, we were able calculate the environmental impact of the commercial espresso machine. The key finding was that 98% of the environmental impact of a commercial espresso machine was due to electricity use.

Having identified that the power usage of the espresso machine was the key factor in its environmental impact, the team looked at how to improve the heating system. Traditional espresso machines have large copper or stainless steel boilers. Because these boilers are not insulated and machines are typically left on all day and night, there is a large amount of energy lost as heat. Our team developed the concept of a boilerless espresso machine which would use on demand heating elements to heat only the water needed for the coffee being brewed.

Based on the understanding of the context of use and the environmental impacts of the commercial espresso machine, we were able to redesign the espresso machine to minimize environmental impact while still keeping the experience intact.

By performing an LCA of our redesigned system, we were able to compare the environmental impact to the traditional espresso machine. The redesign had up to a 4x improvement over the traditional machine.

Engineering Education Tools for The MathWorks

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Background

Virtually every university use MATLAB or Simulink as a teaching tool. Students use the arsenal of advanced mathematics commands and the simple scripting interface of MATLAB to develop simulations and perform analysis. However, as engineering curricula look to integrate real-world experiments, students have to switch away from MATLAB and Simulink and move into complete different software and hardware systems. Our team is developing a product for The MathWorks which will allow students to seamlessly apply their knowledge of MATLAB and Simulink to model and control real world systems.

Process

While The MathWorks realized that they wanted to develop a hardware based teaching tool, they had not identified the specific functionality or target market. In order to identify the market to enter and the ideal product to meet the needs of that market, we developed a multi-faceted design process, illustrated below. During this process, we took into account technical possibilities, what competitors were doing, and the needs to users within the higher education industry. We synthesized the raw data into a variety of separate representations including user personas.

: A diagram of the design process we used in developing our product concept

Combining the distinct viewpoints together allowed us to develop a set of Device Profiles. These Device Profiles, presented with marketing brochures, represented potential products which had different sets of features and purposes. They ranged in target audience, target use, price point and capabilities to show different potential directions for the product. Based on feedback from The MathWorks and users we revised our design and developed a single profile with a single target audience.

At this point, we are developing a technical prototype which is scheduled to be completed in May 2010 for initial testing in classrooms in Fall 2010.

Results

Based on our research, we identified a target market of entry level engineering classes. These are classes where professors are teaching higher level concepts and are less focused on technical details. Because of this, professors and students are looking for an easy to use, versatile solution. By analyzing the competitors on the market, we realized that there was not a highly-versatile, low cost, product on the market. Because we are riding Moore’s Law, we are able to design a more versatile system for a lower price point. By leveraging the power of MATLAB and Simulink, we are able to develop a product which is also easy to use. Taking these traits as goals, we designed the specific functionality of the device.

By analyzing competitor products, we identified an opportunity space based on versatility, cost, and ease of use.

Redesign of a Robotics Platform

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Background

For our Principles of Engineering course, a sophomore level introduction to mechatronics course, our team decided to develop a robotics platform for the Olin Fire Fighting Robotics competition team. The competition consisted of having a robot find and extinguish a candle in a maze as quickly as possible.

Identify the Need

Our task was to improve upon the design for this mobile robotic platform.

The Olin Fire Fighting Robotics Team had previously competed in the competition with the robot shown on the right. Upon entering the competition, they realized that their robot was too large and heavy and thus was not agile enough to quickly navigate the playing field. Our team analyzed the existing robot to identify its strengths and weaknesses in order to develop our primary design goals of speed, compactness, and flexibility.

The Solution

Foam mockups of the individual components allowed us to prototype the layout and basic structure of the design in a low-fidelity manner. With a rough understanding of our desired positioning of components, we created CAD models of the individual components as well as the overall system. Keeping in mind the manufacturing techniques available to us, we developed a simple and compact platform which was built and integrated with the electronics system.

We developed a full CAD model before machining the final robot.

Life Cycle Assessment of Coffee Production

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Background

As part of my Sustainable Design (Fall2008) class, I interviewed Edwin Martinez, 3rd generation coffee farmer from Finca Vista Hermosa, a specialty coffee farm known for its award winning coffee. This research, combined with secondary research about coffee farming, led to a single factor life cycle assessment (LCA) using the Eco-Indicator 99 tool.

Results

The study looked at the environmental impact of growing, processing and transporting coffee from when it is planted on the farm to when it arrives at a roaster’s facilities in the United States. The results, presented in a paper, showed that more than 90% of the environmental impact of growing, processing, and transporting unroasted coffee to a roaster in Boston, MA was due to the impact of transportation. In addition to my quantitative LCA, I also performed a qualitative assessment of the local impact of coffee farms. This assessment looked at contaminants in waste water, toxins present in coffee processing techniques, and further analyzed the transportation utilized within the coffee production life cycle. The final version of my paper is available here.

In Spring 2009, the results of this study were combined with my earlier work on the environmental impact of espresso brewing and further research on coffee roasting and transportation to yield an LCA analyzing the impact from seed to cup. The results showed that for coffee grown at Finca Vista Hermosa, 95% of the environmental impact occurred in the country of consumption. While there was no single phase that accounted for the majority of the impact, it was very clear that the transportation, brewing, and roasting phases all played large roles while the Growing and Processing phase has virtually no impact (1%).

Based on looking at the overall system of coffee production, several heuristics were developed to help coffee professionals understand the impact areas. Additionally a concept for coffee roasters and importers on how to reduce the impact associated with transportation was presented. Below is the final version of the poster presented at undergraduate research conferences at Duke University and Harvard University in Spring 2009.

There are two further directions I plan to take this work. First is to add in a comparison to more traditional coffee farms, to see whether the impact breakdown greatly changes. Second is to add in the impact of to go cups in coffee shops.

Deliverables

LCA of Coffee Poster(PDF)

LCA of Coffee Production- Paper (PDF)

iPhone Interface for Bill Splitting

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Background

For the Olin course, Human Factors Interface Design (HFID), I worked on a team of 4 students to develop an iPhone interface for parties who wish to split bills at restaurants. The project took the team from broad user studies concept generation, to both low and high fidelity prototypes of the interface of our system. Throughout the process we used tools and techniques including paper prototyping, cognitive walkthroughs, and hueristic evaluations.

Results

Payr is an iPhone app which allows restaurant goers to quickly and easily split bills among friends at a restaurant. When we analyzed the needs of restaurant goers, we realized that there was a strong social aspect to paying for bills at restaurants. Some individuals would always put in extra to make up for others, while others were determined to pay their share and not a penny more. But universally, people wanted to pay their fair share and most importantly, did not want to look cheap. Users did not want a tool that would tell them they needed to pay $17.29, because this made them feel cheap. Based on this personal (but social) nature of paying for meals, we developed Payr.

While there are many tools which keep track of debts among groups of friends, in our observations and interviews, we identified that there was an opportunity that focused on the bill paying experience. Because of this, Payr is designed to do one thing- split bills at restaurant. The simplicity of the interface and the ability to lose precision makes it quick to use, and removes many of the social stigmas around someone taking a calculator out to calculate how much people owe.

The main interface for Payr is built around dragging food items to people and is designed to encourage conversations of “Who had the ___?” This basic interaction with a few sliders to add in tip and a “Round” feature which provides patrons with “nice values” calculated to the quarter or dollar. At its core, we looked to make Payr as simple as possible. We don’t allow each patron to pay a different amount for the tip because it adds unnecessary complexity.

More information about Payr and a high fidelity mockup are available here.

Appropriate Technology Design Conference

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Background

During my sophomore year, a classmate and I developed the concept of a “Flash Conference,” a weekend long International Development/Appropriate Technology design challenge where students work alongside experts to develop new solutions to age-old problems. These experts, coming from non-profit organizations provide students with a concrete problem statement with adequate background information so that student teams can hit the ground running once they arrive at the conference. By providing an environment conducive to rich design and productivity, students who have just met each other are able to rapidly iterate (with feedback from the non-profit partner) through concepts to solve a critical problem. From a design standpoint, we realized that in the early stage of the design process, there is an opportunity to have many teams of students pursue different concepts to test feasibility.

Key Results

After running the first conference (February 2007 on Sanitation and Composting Toilets in Guatemala and Haiti) which was organized in 3 weeks, I helped to organize two more such conferences (October 2007 on Pedal Powered Technologies in Guatemala and May 2009 on Home Heating in the Himalayas). Each conference had over 35 participants from the Boston region who worked closely alongside out non-profit partner organizations

Participants universally enjoyed the experience and found that it provided a good overview to the world of international development. Many participants came to the later conferences and several ended up taking time off from school to work in the field and considered careers in the field in part because of their experience at the conferences. Today, the term “Flash Conference” has become widely used within the Olin and Wellesley communities and the model has been adapted for other activities.

Ben Salinas

CLight: Bedside Storage for Dorm Rooms

Background

**Process **

Life Cycle Assessment of Espresso Machines

Background

Results

Engineering Education Tools for The MathWorks

Background

Process

Results

Redesign of a Robotics Platform

Background

Identify the Need

The Solution

Life Cycle Assessment of Coffee Production

Background

Results

Deliverables

iPhone Interface for Bill Splitting

Background

Results

Appropriate Technology Design Conference

**Background **

Key Results

Process

Background