Engineering Design Process Research Articles

Simulation device for shoulder reductions: overview of prototyping, testing, and design instructions

BackgroundShoulder dislocations are common occurrences, yet there are few simulation devices to train medical personnel on how to reduce these dislocations. Reductions require a familiarity with the shoulder and a nuanced motion against strong muscle tension. The goal of this work is to describe the design of an easily replicated, low-cost simulator for training shoulder reductions.Materials and methodsAn iterative, stepwise engineering design process was used to design and implement ReducTrain. A needs analysis with clinical experts led to the selection of the traction-countertraction and external rotation methods as educationally relevant techniques to include. A set of design requirements and acceptance criteria was established that considered durability, assembly time, and cost. An iterative prototyping development process was used to meet the acceptance criteria. Testing protocols for each design requirement are also presented. Step-by-step instructions are provided to allow the replication of ReducTrain from easily sourced materials, including plywood, resistance bands, dowels, and various fasteners, as well as a 3D-printed shoulder model, whose printable file is included at a link in the Additional file 1: Appendix.ResultsA description of the final model is given. The total cost for all materials for one ReducTrain model is under US $200, and it takes about 3 h and 20 min to assemble. Based on repetitive testing, the device should not see any noticeable changes in durability after 1000 uses but may exhibit some changes in resistance band strength after 2000 uses.DiscussionThe ReducTrain device fills a gap in emergency medicine and orthopedic simulation. Its wide variety of uses points to its utility in several instructional formats. With the rise of makerspaces and public workshops, the construction of the device can be easily completed. While the device has some limitations, its robust design allows for simple upkeep and a customizable training experience.ConclusionA simplified anatomical design allows for the ReducTrain model to serve as a viable training device for shoulder reductions.

Improving Executive Functions Using the Engineering Design Process: A Peer-Mediated Problem-Solving Approach for Autistic Adolescents

Executive functions-specifically, problem-solving skills-are crucial for school success. Challenges in these functions faced by autistic adolescents are often unrecognized or viewed through a behavioral lens that requires correction or normalization. A lack of development of higher order problem-solving skills leads to increased instances of secondary mental health issues, creating further behavioral and social challenges. We propose using the Engineering Design Process (EDP), a flexible, cyclical, top-down, self-sustaining approach that uses peer mediation to teach group problem-solving skills. We then position this cycle within existing occupational therapy models to demonstrate its adaptability and flexibility, describe the distinct features of this problem-solving strategy, and present a real-world case study in which the EDP is used as a problem-solving approach in an after-school program. The EDP develops crucial social and interpersonal skills using interest-driven occupations and can be organically used as a group strategy. This article uses the identity-first language autistic people. This nonableist language describes their strengths and abilities and is a conscious decision. This language is favored by autistic communities and self-advocates and has been adopted by health care professionals and researchers (Bottema-Beutel etal., 2021, Kenny etal., 2016).

“What did you learn?” Emergent Bilingual Students Write Their Understandings about Sinking and Floating

Leveraging translanguaging and novel engineering, this article examines how first-grade emergent bilingual students engaged in expansive literacy practices throughout the engineering design process.

Lessons learned from failures

In certain communities of engineering education, especially where intersections with entrepreneurship shape the discussion, “Learning from Failure” has become a catch phrase. Usually these refer to pedagogical approaches in which students recognize the benefits of trying, failing, reflecting, and trying again. This iterative process also describes a teacher’s journey over a decade, learning to implement and practice research-based educational techniques with patience and a focus on the students. However, the stakes can be much higher when teachers try and fail! Examples from an elective course designed for a wide engineering audience, Acoustics in the Human Environment, will trace its evolution. It began as an experiment in a studio classroom format and became an asynchronous online class intended to mirror an engineering work environment. Milestones marking the steps of this journey: parallels to iteration involved in the engineering design process; suggested elements that provide a safety net for teaching failure, and other lessons learned along the way.

Biomathematical analysis on mechanical engineering during COVID-19 pandemic

In mechanical engineering research and design process will involve a large number of mathematical applications. In order to analyze the significance and application of mathematics in the research and design of mechanical engineering, this paper lists and analyzes the basic mathematical equations, mathematical models and finite element related problems in some fields of learning. The results show that the application of mathematics in mechanical engineering is not limited to higher mathematics, but also covers the related knowledgeof numerical processing, matrix theory and other coursesduring COVID-19 pandemic.

System integration based on packing, piping and harness routing automation using graph-based design languages

The implementation of a fully instrumented, automated and simulation-enabled engineering software platform capable of automating the currently still manual model-based systems engineering (MBSE) design process for physical systems architecture generation and optimization in an aircraft wing is presented. The software platform uses graph-based design languages to integrate and entirely automate the mainly manual packing, piping and harness routing design. This design automation and optimization is achieved by a novel software stack of an optimization software coupled with a design compiler. It is shown that through rule-based model generation by a design compiler in the form of a design graph as a central data model, a cross-domain data consistency is achieved. This allows for automated execution and coupling of engineering tasks over several different domains such as packing, piping and routing design to converge to an optimized wing physical architecture design variant in agreement with given predetermined design constraints.

Experiments on the dynamic Poisson's ratio of PUR foams

AbstractPolyurethane (PUR) foams are used in various industrial applications, including vibration damping and noise reduction. Because the effective mechanical properties are needed for the engineering design process, this work presents a method to measure the dynamic Poisson's ratio for the typical range of sound frequencies. A hydraulic pulse testing machine is used to apply the harmonic displacement excitation of the cylindrical specimens for 1 − 100 Hz. The analysis of the time‐dependent deformation data is based on video recordings of a high‐speed camera and a specially derived image processing algorithm.For the Poisson's ratios of the measured foams no significant frequency dependence was found. For PUR foam with an open‐cell or mixed‐cell microstructure the dynamic Poisson's ratio is approximately 0.3. Poisson's ratios of about 0.4 were measured for PUR foams with a high density and a closed‐cell microstructure.

Seabed morphology characterization for Indonesian cable-based tsunameter route in Cilacap Segment, Indonesia

The Indonesian government has initiated a program for Ina Tsunami Early Warning System by the development of sea level monitoring systems including a Cable-Based Tsunameter. Seabed feature characterization is a critical part of the engineering design process as well as for the understanding of environmental impacts. This study aims to characterize the seabed morphology along the cable route plan at the Cilacap segment by analyzing the seafloor mapping and identifying of any existing hazards. A series of marine surveys for the data acquisition hydro-acoustic and geophysics was conducted by RV Baruna Jaya IV, in December 2020. The analysis and interpretation of seabed geomorphology were conducted using qualitative methods on four Blocks. Results indicate anthropogenic objects (debris, wreck, and scars), while the features of ripples, and pockmarks. Furthermore, sediment layers which are interpreted into four units from the top to bottom shows fine grained sediment towards the top. Finally, the hazard assessment denotes that there are three hazard categories (low, medium, and high), of which the highest category is located in the pockmark cluster (Block 4). The existing CBT cable route place is faced with geomorphological obstacles and environmental threats, so it’s recommended to change the route as far as 50meters.

Methodology for creating parametric models of parts for automated design of technological processes

Methodology for creating parametric models of parts for automated design of technological processes

Enhancing Creative Thinking And Communication Skills Through Engineering Design Process (EDP) Learning Model: A Case Study

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of the Engineering Design Process (EDP) learning model in improving 21st Century skills, students' creative thinking and communication skills on the subject of basic concept of genetics. Using a mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) approach, the authors aimed at identifying the effect of the EDP learning model implemented on Science Education undergraduate students, Manado State University. Our proposed learning model developed students’ creative thinking and communication skills in one class with 20 participants who enrolled in a course in General Biology I. Data collection techniques were used to assess creative thinking and communication skills, using written test data and observation data, respectively. The effectiveness of the EDP learning model is confirmed by calculating the average overall score of students' creative thinking assessment of 88,44% with an excellent category. Similarly, the results of student collaboration skills showed a score of 82,19% also with an excellent category. Based on these results, it was revealed that students' creative thinking and communication skills could be increased by using the EDP learning model.

Hadamard product-based in-memory computing design for floating point neural network training

Deep neural networks (DNNs) are one of the key fields of machine learning. It requires considerable computational resources for cognitive tasks. As a novel technology to perform computing inside/near memory units, in-memory computing (IMC) significantly improves computing efficiency by reducing the need for repetitive data transfer between the processing and memory units. However, prior IMC designs mainly focus on the acceleration for DNN inference. DNN training with the IMC hardware has rarely been proposed. The challenges lie in the requirement of DNN training for high precision (e.g. floating point (FP)) and various operations of tensors (e.g. inner and outer products). These challenges call for the IMC design with new features. This paper proposes a novel Hadamard product-based IMC design for FP DNN training. Our design consists of multiple compartments, which are the basic units for the matrix element-wise processing. We also develop BFloat16 post-processing circuits and fused adder trees, laying the foundation for IMC FP processing. Based on the proposed circuit scheme, we reformulate the back-propagation training algorithm for the convenience and efficiency of the IMC execution. The proposed design is implemented with commercial 28 nm technology process design kits and benchmarked with widely used neural networks. We model the influence of the circuit structural design parameters and provide an analysis framework for design space exploration. Our simulation validates that MobileNet training with the proposed IMC scheme saves in energy and in time versus the same task with NVIDIA GTX 3060 GPU. The proposed IMC design has a data density of 769.2 Kb mm−2 with the FP processing circuits included, showing a 3.5 × improvement than the prior FP IMC designs.

DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTER MODULE FOR KINEMATIC AND DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF IMPORTANT MECHANISMS OF LIGHT INDUSTRIAL MACHINES, PROGRAMS FOR ASSESSING THE TENSION OF TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES

The development of a computer module for kinematic and dynamic analysis of the lever mechanisms of light industry machines allows determining the parameters that are used in the program to assess the intensity of technological processes of the light and textile industry when determining the change in the relative tension of the thread in the filling zones of the technological equipment. Kinematic and dynamic analysis of flat mechanisms plays a significant role in the design of new mechanisms and modernization of existing ones. The results obtained during these studies can be used to calculate the strength of individual links, their inertial characteristics, optimization of structural parameters of mechanisms, and minimization of consumed energy. A sharp increase in tension leads to a violation of the normal course of the technological process of thread processing. The imperfection of the structural elements of the feed system, thread tensioning devices and thread guides on knitting, textile and sewing machines will not allow thread processing with a sudden increase in input tension. The development of new schemes of the thread feeding system requires an operational assessment of the value of the tension in front of the working zone. To do this, it is effective to use specially developed programs for performing a computational experiment. The tension of the thread increases when moving through the refueling zones of the thread feeding system on the technological equipment. This increase is due to the interaction of the thread with the guides and tension devices. The maximum tension value will be in front of the working area. The development of special computer programs for determining the tension in the working area allows you to determine the necessary technological parameters, make adjustments to both the structure itself and the components of the thread feeding system to obtain the minimum necessary tension in the working area. The objective function in the problem is the minimum necessary tension, which is the minimum sum of the angles covered by the thread of guide surfaces that have a cylindrical, elliptical shape, discrete segments of a straight line. The use of a computer program allows you to determine tensions and changes in relative tension in the filling zones of light and textile industry machines, which allows you to optimize the shape of the thread supply line even at the stage of designing the technological process. The development of application packages of computer programs allows to reduce the time for the design of technological processes in the light and textile industry as much as possible. This is due to the modernization of the thread filling line on the technological equipment, which allows to minimize thread tension in the working area. Minimization of tension is ensured by optimization of the shape of the thread filling line, in which the total angle of coverage of the guides will be minimal. Computer determination of kinematic and dynamic parameters of flat mechanisms allows to determine the parameters used in determining the intensity of technological processes.

Embedding Experiential Design Knowledge in Interactive Knowledge Graphs

AbstractKnowledge collection, extraction, and organization are critical activities in all aspects of the engineering design process. However, it remains challenging to surface and organize design knowledge, which often contains implicit or tacit dimensions that are difficult to capture in a scalable and accessible manner. Knowledge graphs (KGs) have been explored to address this issue, but have been primarily semantic in nature in engineering design contexts, typically focusing on sharing explicit knowledge. Our work seeks to understand knowledge organization during an experiential activity and how it can be transformed into a scalable representation. To explore this, we examine 23 professional designers’ knowledge organization practices as they virtually engage with data collected during a teardown of a consumer product. Using this data, we develop a searchable knowledge graph as a mechanism for representing the experiential knowledge and afford its use in complex queries. We demonstrate the knowledge graph with two extended examples to reveal insights and patterns from design knowledge. These findings provide insight into professional designers’ knowledge organization practices and represent a preliminary step toward design knowledge bases that more accurately reflect designer behavior, ultimately enabling more effective data-driven support tools for design.

Blended Engineering Design Process Learning Activities for Secondary School Students during COVID-19 Epidemic: Students’ Learning Activities and Perception

This study aims to present the teaching and learning activities of Engineering Design Processes (EDP) to secondary school students. The proposed teaching technique used was blended learning, which integrated group activities based on online learning and individual hands-on activities through independent study at home. The context of COVID-19 medical mask protection was used in comparison to the current situation. In order to test the effectiveness of the proposed learning activities, a single-group pretest–posttest design was employed to explore (a) the students’ perceptions of their problem-solving confidence before and after they underwent the proposed learning technique and (b) students’ perceptions of the designed course. After they had finished the 4 weeks of learning activities, the students were asked to complete the Students’ Perception on Problem-Solving Skill Questionnaire (SPPSS) and the Students’ Perception towards the Proposed Blended Engineering Design Process learning activities Questionnaire (SPBEDP) in order to gauge how confident they felt in their ability to solve problems and how they felt about the proposed course. There were 30 seventh-grade students enrolled in this course. An increase in the level of problem-solving confidence was found in the students after they were subjected to the proposed activities. Moreover, the students mentioned that, based on the proposed activities, “Identify Problem and Need”, “Design a Solution”, and “Developing Prototype” are the Engineering Design Process learning steps they enjoyed most since they were the steps in which they could use their creativity, and they were hands-on, fun, easy, challenging, and provided them with an opportunity to choose issues in which they are interested.

A sample STEM activity based on the engineering design process: A study on prospective preschool teachers’ views

This research aimed to introduce a STEM activity specifically prepared in accordance with the engineering design process and to examine a group of prospective preschool teachers’ views about the activity. A total of 16 prospective teachers studying in the final year of a public university in the West Black Sea Region, Turkey, during the fall semester of the 2021/22 academic year were the participants of the study. The STEM activity was based on the problem of making a fish model that can sink, swim and float in water. At the end of the activity, an open-ended activity opinion form was used to gather the prospective teachers’ views about the activity. The data were analyzed using the descriptive analysis method by taking into consideration the themes related to STEM, as specified in the theoretical framework. The results of the study show that the prospective teachers took the opportunity to experience how a STEM activity is held, that they found the activity fun and interesting, as well as conducive to learning science concepts and higher-order thinking skills. As for the negative aspects of the activity, the respondents stated that the activity was time-consuming, and that it was difficult to decide on and build the design. We believe that this study will provide theoretical and practical contributions to both researchers and preschool teachers.

Reliability Evaluation of Transmission Planetary Gears “bottom-up” approach

The reliability study is the most important part of the engineering design process, as it is the basis of analysis and assessment of future product performance in exploitation. Since performance cannot be predicted with absolute certainty, the application of reliability theory includes probability theory and unreliability modeling. The proposed approach has been applied to assess the reliability of gear planetary power transmissions. The assessment of system reliability was determined on the basis of the block diagram method, as a function of the reliability of individual components, calculated by statistical analysis. Using the Weibull model, the reliability of the planetary gear was defined on the basis of the probability of failure of the gear teeth and the results were interpreted to assess the reliability of the component and the entire planetary train. For a more precise assessment of reliability and to avoid modeling every failure and mode of occurrence, a competitive risk model was developed. The reliability assessment study was conducted with a “bottom-up” approach. Reliability has been assessed, for instantaneous, estimated and assigned failures rate of planetary train and component.

Engineering-based modelling experiences of elementary gifted students: An example of bridge construction

BackgroundIntegrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in elementary classrooms has gained more attention with the current educational reforms. In this integration, finding ways to improve STEM knowledge and develop appropriate learning activities, and instructional strategies have been a challenge for educators. Although the similarities between gifted and engineering education have been emphasized, they have been not fully considered. PurposeThis study attempted to show how STEM knowledge appears in elementary gifted students’ planning, constructing, and reflecting phases of “Bridge Construction” activity. This study also aimed to investigate the occurrences of engineering habits of mind when gifted students engaged in the activity. Design/methodThe current study employed the case study design. The data were collected through design sketches, students’ worksheets, audio and video recordings of the whole process. ResultsFindings of this study revealed that gifted students applied STEM disciplinary knowledge to plan, construct and reflect on their bridges considering the constraints of the problem. The properties of shapes and data interpretation (mathematics), stability, balance, and properties of the materials (science) and engineering techniques were apparent in their overall engineering design process. In addition, the findings from the current study revealed that gifted students displayed all aspects of engineering habits of mind when they engaged in engineering-based model eliciting activity. ConclusionsThe findings suggest that engineering-based model eliciting activity can be an effective tool to differentiate the instruction for gifted students.

The Engineering Process Design for a Dual-Axes Solar Power Generating System

The Engineering Process Design for a Dual-Axes Solar Power Generating System

Multi-disciplinary engineering design of a high-speed nature-inspired unmanned aquatic vehicle

Recently, small unmanned vehicles have increased their technological importance and practical relevance in private and public interest maritime applications. However, due to this technology's novelty and early stages, complex challenges in engineering design remain unsolved. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to demonstrate the development of an innovative high-speed Unmanned Aquatic Vehicle (UAV) with the inclusion of robust and multi-objective optimization-based methods. This work implemented four robust optimization methods (e.g., efficient low drag generation, theoretical calculation, the production of hydrodynamic forces, and fluid-structure interaction) to design, components, performance, and material optimization. Furthermore, robust computational simulations and mathematical modelling were applied during the engineering design process. The main research findings show that the version of the UAV developed is optimized and able to operate in several working conditions in oceanic applications. Findings also complement previous related studies and offer novel technological alternatives for maritime applications and species detection in complex oceanic conditions. Finally, the aspects of theoretical significance and application value of the research are discussed in the paper.

Adapting a Narrative Curriculum to a Remote Format in the Context of Socially Distanced Middle School Education Resulting from COVID-19

This paper describes the development of two versions of an NGSS-aligned principles of engineering design unit for use in middle schools. By employing a narrative framework that can help students to connect more deeply with the human contexts and consequences of the engineering design process, our goal was to enhance students’ cognitive and emotional engagement in the learning of engineering design concepts. We first detail the design of an initial version of the unit, titled The Survivorama, which used narrative to enrich a primarily traditional, in-person teaching approach. We then describe the adapted version of the unit, titled the Molasses Disaster, and the modifications we made to the stories and transmedia story elements that facilitated the creation of a fully remote version of the unit. To investigate questions related to the effectiveness of the remote curriculum in sustaining student engagement in the remote context, we carried out a mixed-methods study that looked at (1) teachers’ characterizations of the effect of the curriculum on student engagement and (2) student learning outcomes as measured by performance assessment tasks. Qualitative analysis of teacher interviews supported the notion that teachers found both versions of the curriculum to be highly engaging for their students, though with some important caveats regarding younger students and students who were less literate. Quantitative analysis comparing 2019 and 2020 student response data for students in the 2019 nontreatment, 2019 treatment, and 2020 treatment groups found statistically significant differences in the pattern of responses for both problem-solving and conceptual drawing performance assessment tasks. The pattern of responses supported the inference that student engagement was similar for students in both the 2019 in-person context and the 2020 remote context, and that both differed significantly from the 2019 nontreatment group.