To design a land-vehicle, you start with an existing design, study its design parameters such as weight, dimensions, speed controls, manoeuvrability, ergonomics and aerodynamics. You test the operating characteristics of the design. Then you identify what you would change in that design and go through the process of creating a new design. This process involves creating an operational prototype, testing it, modifying it and then iterating these 2 steps. A design tool can be used to design and describe the operational prototype.
This iPhone app will connect to an external screen for its display, use the iPhone for it's touchscreen input and Apple Bluetooth keyboard for text input.
We are initially using an HP G14 E4 portable monitor (16:9 FHD) and targeting the iPhone 15pro.
This app will be used to specify a design as part of a design process for a land-vehicle. The app initially targets non-motorised land-vehicles, as these are easier to specify.
A design specification facilitates the production of a physical design both at prototype-test stage, when it is used by a fabricator or an assembler, and at production stage, when it used by a factory.
How do you describe the design of a wheel-barrow?A bicycle
motorcycle carA wheelbarrow is easy to describe. Its construction is simple. 2 wheels, a container. 2 handles to push the wheelbarrow.Then if you want someone to build you that design, you have to get into details and that is a process of specification. The wheels have to roll around an axle. The axle has to be attached to the container. The handles have to be attached to the container. This is structural specification. Then you have to choose the width and diameter of the axle. The material to be used (solid steel, heavy gauge iron pipe etc). Then you to specify the wheel geometry and Its hub characteristics. This is all structural specifications. Then there is construction specification. How the axle will fit through the hub, how the wheel will be prevented from moving across the axle. How friction at the wheel-hub axle interface will be handled.How will you attach the container frame which is likely made of flat or angled iron strips to the circular cross-section axle. Similarly how you will attach the handles to the container. Their choice of material (e.g. wooden holding sections attached to iron angled strips.This could still be called structural specification but relates more to the construction process and less to the resulting structural form.Then you might specify surface materials and how they are to be affixed to the frame. Such rubber coatings for the wooden handles. The material to be used for the bed of the container and the one for the side walls.Then you might specify tolerances. If there are threads cut onto the outer surface of the axle, how closely should they be spaced which effects the ease of tightening or loosening the nuts (1mm per turn, 1.5mm, 2mm). How well do you ensure the axle is perpendicular to both handles. How wide apart are the handles, what is their length -- both factors effect how easy the wheelbarrow is to turn.Approximately, the process of specifying a design involves describing the final structure and how it will be built -- structural specification and construction process specification.Design and construction/production are related to each other in the following way: the ability of the designer to predict the produce-ability of a design improves over time. Once this ability is good enough, design iterations are efficient. Design iterations mostly involve making adjustments to the tolerances in the design.
This app will enable a designer to specify, not only the structure of the design and its tune-able parameters, but also its construction process — its assembly, disassembly and packaging.
A visual representation of the built-up structure of the object
Assembly
A description of each of the parts in the structure, how they are to be produced (if not off the shelf), their order of assembly and the method to be used in each step of the assembly process (including the tools).
Dis-assembly
Packaging