Blog 2

Week 4

The lesson in week 4 focuses on using the SCAMPER ideation tool to generate product designs based on the idea that our group decided to work on last week.

SCAMPER is an acronym that stands for:

S - Substitute 

C - combine 

A - Adapt 

M - modify 

P - Put 

E - Eliminate 

R - Reverse 

The SCAMPER process consists of us (my group) brainstorming as many ideas as possible under the categories of SCAMPER. The key to scamper ideation is the quantity of ideas instead of quality and this is to aid the generation of the best design for our product.

Hot water plays an essential part in our life be it cooking, showering, drinking, etc. and We feel that it is difficult to get hot water outside and many countries/people face much challenges obtaining hot water without electricity. Hence, my group decided to come up with a portable heater that will bring about many conveniences to anyone who wants to easily get hot water or for people in rural countries.Below are the ideas my group has come up with: 

S - Substitute 

- Use calcium chloride to heat up the water instead of using heating element 

- Use disposable heat packs to heat up the water 

-Replace the use of electricity with solar panels 

- Change the heating element to a coil instead of a tube - larger surface area 

C - combine 

- Combine an insulated casing to cover the heating coil when not in use 

- Solar panel + battery - portable charging battery 

A - Adapt 

- Make it with greater surface area so it can heat up food as well 

- Inspiration - kettle 

- Use the Solar panel on calculators on the heating thing 

- Like a heating probe w a solar panel that can be carried around 

M - modify 

- Use the Solar panel on calculators on the heating thing 

-Include a case to protect the solar panel : 

when charging -> open the case and let it charge under the sun 

When not charging -> close the case and let the energy be stored (case is waterproof) 

- Making it portable by making it compact 

- Make it with a greater surface area so it can heat up food as well 

P - Put 

- Heating food 

E - eliminate

- The need for a plug

- The need for electrical source

R- reverse

nil

Feasibility study - analyzing the feasibility/practicality of ideas based on project timeline, budget, and resources. We need to be able to build our product within the timeline given and with a certain budget. The resources are also to be either provided by SP or it has to be cheap/ easily obtain.

 

Our Feasibility analysis:

Idea: Calcium Chloride heating	Yes	No	Nil
Budget: <$2000	Yes
Project timeline: Completed in 1 semester	Yes
Technical Feasibility - Evaluate the technical feasibility of the project.			Nil
Is the project feasible within the limits of current technology?	Yes
Are the required utilities available?	Yes
Does the lab have necessary testing and fabrication equipment?	Yes
Does it need any computer software and hardware?	Yes
Do we possess the necessary technical expertise and skills?	Yes
Does the lab have sufficient space to support the project?	Yes
Operational Feasibility			Nil
Does the project team have sufficient manpower to carry out the project?	Yes
Is it legal to operate the project?	Yes
Is it safe to operate the project?	Yes

Idea : Solar Panel Heating	Yes	No	Na
Budget - Less than S$2000?		no
Project Timeline - Can be completed within one semester?	yes
Technical Feasibility - Evaluate the technical feasibility of the project.			na
Is the project feasible within the limits of current technology?	yes
Are the required utilities available?		no
Does the lab have necessary testing and fabrication equipment?		no
Does it need any computer software and hardware?		no
Do we possess the necessary technical expertise and skills?		no
Does the lab have sufficient space to support the project?		yes
Operational Feasibility			na
Does the project team have sufficient manpower to carry out the project?	yes
Is it legal to operate the project?	yes
Is it safe to operate the project?	yes

Idea : Using a heating probe	Yes	No	Na
Budget - Less than S$2000?	yes
Project Timeline - Can be completed within one semester?	yes
Technical Feasibility - Evaluate the technical feasibility of the project.			na
Is the project feasible within the limits of current technology?	yes
Are the required utilities available?	yes
Does the lab have necessary testing and fabrication equipment?	yes
Does it need any computer software and hardware?		no
Do we possess the necessary technical expertise and skills?	yes
Does the lab have sufficient space to support the project?	yes
Operational Feasibility
Does the project team have sufficient manpower to carry out the project?	yes
Is it legal to operate the project?	yes
Is it safe to operate the project?	yes

Idea : Using a portably charged probe	Yes	No	Na
Budget - Less than S$2000?	Yes
Project Timeline - Can be completed within one semester?	Yes
Technical Feasibility - Evaluate the technical feasibility of the project.			Na
Is the project feasible within the limits of current technology?	Yes
Are the required utilities available?	Yes
Does the lab have necessary testing and fabrication equipment?	Yes
Does it need any computer software and hardware?	Yes
Do we possess the necessary technical expertise and skills?	Yes
Does the lab have sufficient space to support the project?	Yes
Operational Feasibility			Na
Does the project team have sufficient manpower to carry out the project?	Yes
Is it legal to operate the project?	Yes
Is it safe to operate the project?	Yes

This is my group's COWS decision matrix for our product:

COWS decision matrix

Criteria	Weightage	Options
		Use a heating probe		Solar panel heater		Magnetic heater
		Raw score	Weightage	Raw score	Weightage	Raw score	Weightage
Cost-effectiveness	25	2	50	0	0	2	50
Availability of parts	25	3	75	1	25	2	50
Ease of use	25	2	50	3	75	0	0
Ease of maintenance	15	2	30	2	30	2	30
Maximum temperature	10	2	20	3	30	0	0
Score	100%		225		160		130

After using the COWS matrix, we have decided to choose the design with the heating probe as it is the most feasible in terms of cost, resources, usage, maintenance, and maximum temperature.