Element C: Justification of Solution Design Requirements
Device Information
Name of Product: Luxauto
Designer: KIRR Tech
Target consumer: Elder drivers and individuals who tend to forget where they parked their cars.
Design Specification by Priority
- The product should be able to use GPS to provide constant live tracking of the car and should be accurate to within 30 feet. It should also be able to show the elevation of the car to help find cars in multi-level parking garages, as this functionality was lacking in the past and current solutions, which the team recently researched.
- The device's cost should be in the range of $15 to $25, as this price range appears to be the most common choice among respondents to the Lost Parking Cars survey that the team conducted recently.
- The tracker should be within 2 by 1 by 1 inches and should plug into a car's OBD II port. This size requirement, evidenced by other devices on the market such as Bouncie, is crucial to ensure that the tracker does not interfere with the driver's legs when plugged in. The tracker should weigh less than or around 100 grams.
- The device should be comfortable to use and pleasant to view, so it should have a rectangular form with curved edges because, according to scientific research by the Barrow Neurological Institute cited in the Medium article, “the sharper the corner, the brighter it appears and the harder it is to look at.”
- To serve the same goal, the surface of the device should be smooth. The device will eventually have several color options ranging from red to black to appeal to different tastes, but the first devices would have green/blue case, as they should be distinguishable from the surroundings and be easy to find while having pleasant for eye color, which does not distract or irritate most of the users (Home & Garden).
- The device should be created from plastic like Polycarbonate because of the material attributes such as flexibility, strength, and cost. This material is also often used for electronic enclosures. (A&C Plastics Inc.)
- The product would have a simple yet practical design, allowing it to work in various environments regardless of temperature, weather, humidity, or noise pollution. This would ensure it has better performance compared to other car-finding devices like Spytec, which may have reduced performance in high-temperature environments (SpytecGPS). Also, since this device is electronic, it would be susceptible to gradual wear and tear, particularly involving water.
- The product will include 3 to 4 years of service life, which is the average lifespan of a GPS device (“How long is the life of the GPS tracking device?”, Eelink)
- The product should operate without regular maintenance throughout its service life. However, after several years of use, it may require replacing a battery, which is planned to be easy, requiring only a simple instrument that every household has, without the need for specialized knowledge. The new battery could be easily purchased from any store. This design requirement would ensure that the device not only matches but exceeds the performance of other devices for finding parked cars, such as the ATIVOS Key Finder Locator, in aspects such as parts replacement process ("ATIVOS Key Finder Locator Tracker Device - User Manual and Battery Replacement Guide").
Works Cited
“Bouncie - GPS Car Tracker [4G LTE], Vehicle Location, Accident Notification, Route History, Speed Monitoring, GeoFence, No Activation Fees, Cancel Anytime, Family or Fleets.” Amazon.com.
Dickson, Chiana. “What is the most eye-catching color? For creating a bold statement in your home |.” Homes & Gardens, 26 September 2022.
Guide, Step. “ATIVOS Key Finder Locator Tracker Device - User Manual and Battery Replacement Guide.” Device.report.
“How long is the life of the GPS tracking device?” Eelink
“Plastic Electrical Enclosures | A Guide to Plastic Electronic Enclosures.” A&C Plastics.
“Rounded Corners” vs “Sharp Corners” | by Yuliana Z.” Medium, 2 December 2016.
“Where should I place my GL300 for use on a vehicle?” Spytec GPS, 13 September 2022.
