KIRR TECH

Element H: Prototype Testing and Data Collection Plan

Introduction & Background Information

In Southern California, a significant number of drivers face challenges locating their parked cars in large or unfamiliar parking lots, with around 80% reporting difficulty due to forgetfulness and limited cost-effective solutions. This issue is underscored by survey data showing repeated instances of car misplacement among respondents, prompting the need for an accessible and efficient solution. Existing products addressing this problem are often costly, exceeding the desired price range of most drivers. To tackle this widespread frustration, the KIRR Tech team is developing a device aimed at simplifying locating a car in complex parking environments. Targeting specific demographics such as older individuals, young drivers, and those with mental disabilities, the project aims to alleviate the impact of forgetfulness on parking experiences. Scholarly articles further justify the need for innovative solutions to aid memory and navigation in parking lots. The project strategy includes gathering insights from parking attendants and industry experts to tailor the device to consumer needs effectively. Ultimately, the goal is to offer an affordable and practical solution to a prevalent and frustrating problem experienced by many drivers.

In order to test this solution, the team will employ a series of tests meant to evaluate the effectiveness of the team's product. The four main design requirements that will be tested are the following: performance and user-friendliness. Though not explicitly tested, the team will ensure that the device meets their cost requirements and size constraints. The team will be testing performance by analyzing the accuracy of the device. By comparing the device's GPS location information to Google Maps' accurate location information, the team will determine accuracy by finding the error between the two locations. If the deviceєs location is accurate up to 20 feet, the device will be deemed accurate. The team will test user-friendliness using expert testimonies. The team will show the finished product, along with its accompanying app to an expert on cars and GPS, and they will determine whether the team's product is easy to use and suitable for the team's target audience of elderly people and people with disabilities.

Test #1 - Engineering Classroom

The purpose of this test will be that of a general diagnostics test. The classroomєs dimensions make it nigh impossible to truly test the full capabilities of the device. Thus, the classroom test will be a quick and easy one in order to simply make sure everything is working accordingly.

The team will test the following criteria because they determine the key functionalities and performance of the device (location tracking).

• Accuracy of the horizontal position and elevation of the car saved on the device (GPS or using UDR)
• Accuracy of the horizontal position and elevation sent to the phone
• Accuracy of the horizontal position and elevation of the phone (user) saved on the device (GPS or using systems similar to UDR)
• The accuracy of the path from the device to the car displayed

If the device shows the correct location up to a few meters, it will have passed the test, and if its location is off by more than that given amount, it will be considered to have failed and require some work. The Software Specialist, Iuliana Cherevko will determine if the test is valid.
Materials needed include Luxauto (NEO M8U, Antenna, Arduino Uno Rev3), a computer, and a phone with the mobile application.
Testing will be taken at a meter above the ground, in the center of the area outside of the UA9 classroom in Irvine High School. The weather should be sunny, without rain or strong wind.
The team will ensure that the test environment is safe and there are no moving cars nearby or other vehicles that have a risk of hurting people or damaging the device. However, they will stop the testing if the device becomes uncontrollable: for a significant amount of time, it increases temperature but does not show any results.

Data chart for collection of results:

Criteria		Actual (True)	Calculated through device/phone	Error (m)
Device	Longitude
	Latitude
	Elevation (m)
Phone	Longitude
	Latitude
	Elevation (m)
	How well is the path generated by the phone accurate? Corresponding to reality, GPS data, etc.
	Path device-to-phone

Stepwise procedure:

1. Connect all parts of Luxauto, turn on the device, and connect it to the computer. On the computer, open the Arduino IDE Application and upload a new program to the device.
2. Place the device in the center of the area outside of the UA9 classroom on a stable surface.
3. Start recording on the computer and phone screen to record all displayed information, including position values and timestamps.
4. Record the actual (true) location of the device using Google Maps.
5. Measure the location of the Luxauto using code.
6. Check that the location has been sent to the phone.
7. One team member takes the phone and goes first 10 meters from the Luxauto. User stops for 5-10 seconds, makes a path from the phone to the device, and ensures that all necessary values (distance to the Luxauto, its elevation relative to the phone, path to the device, and others) are recorded. After a 100-meter distance, the team member slowly moves towards the device.
8. Stop recording on both devices.
9. Analyze and compare values shown on both devices. Complete the testing chart and determine the average error, maximum and minimum, at which spots, etc.

Test #2 - Irvine High Parking Lot

The purpose of this test will be to determine the frameworks of the device's general range and accuracy. The larger parking lot's dimensions make it easier to truly test the full capabilities of the device. Thus, the Irvine High Parking Lot test should serve as a relatively quick and easy one in order to simply lay a solid foundation for future tests.

The team will test the following criteria because they determine the key functionalities and performance of the device (location tracking).

• Accuracy of the horizontal position and elevation of the car saved on the device (GPS or using UDR)
• Accuracy of the horizontal position and elevation sent to the phone
• Accuracy of the horizontal position and elevation of the phone (user) saved on the device (GPS or using systems similar to UDR)
• The accuracy of the path from the device to the car displayed

If the device shows the correct location up to a few meters, it will have passed the test, and if its location is off by more than that given amount, it will be considered to have failed and require some work. The Software Specialist, Iuliana Cherevko will determine if the test is valid.
Materials needed include Luxauto (NEO M8U, Antenna, Arduino Uno Rev3), a computer, and a phone with the mobile application.
Testing will be taken at a meter above the ground, in the center of the Irvine High School back parking lot, avoiding having parked cars nearby. The weather should be sunny, without rain or strong wind.
The team will ensure that the test environment is safe and there are no moving cars nearby or other vehicles that have a risk of hurting people or damaging the device. However, they will stop the testing if the device becomes uncontrollable: for a significant amount of time, it increases temperature but does not show any results.

Data chart for collection of results:

Criteria		Actual (True)	Calculated through device/phone	Error (m)
Device	Longitude
	Latitude
	Elevation (m)
Phone	Longitude
	Latitude
	Elevation (m)
	How well is the path generated by the phone accurate? Corresponding to reality, GPS data, etc.
	Path device-to-phone

Stepwise procedure:

1. Connect all parts of Luxauto, turn on the device, and connect it to the computer. On the computer, open the Arduino IDE Application and upload a new program to the device.
2. Place the device in the center of the parking lot avoiding having parked cars nearby on a stable surface.
3. Start recording on the computer and phone screen to record all displayed information, including position values and timestamps.
4. Record the actual (true) location of the device using Google Maps.
5. Measure the location of the Luxauto using code.
6. Check that the location has been sent to the phone.
7. One team member takes the phone and goes first 50 and then 100 meters from the Luxauto. At these points, the user stops for 5-10 seconds, makes a path from the phone to the device, and ensures that all necessary values (distance to the Luxauto, its elevation relative to the phone, path to the device, and others) are recorded. After a 100-meter distance, the team member slowly moves towards the device.
8. Stop recording on both devices.
9. Analyze and compare values shown on both devices. Complete the testing chart and determine the average error, maximum and minimum, at which spots, etc.

Test #3 - Spectrum Parking Lot

The purpose of this test will be to obtain a more thorough reading of the device's range and accuracy and of how it fairs dealing with multiple stories. The parking lot’s additional y-axis allows the team to test the device’s capabilities in determining its altitude. Thus, the Spectrum Parking Lot test should serve as a far more comprehensive assessment of how the device will function in the wild.

The team will test the following criteria because they determine the key functionalities and performance of the device (location tracking).

• Accuracy of the horizontal position and elevation of the car saved on the device (GPS or using UDR)
• Accuracy of the horizontal position and elevation sent to the phone
• Accuracy of the horizontal position and elevation of the phone (user) saved on the device (GPS or using systems similar to UDR)
• The accuracy of the path from the device to the car displayed

If the device shows the correct location up to a few meters, it will have passed the test, and if its location is off by more than that given amount, it will be considered to have failed and require some work. The Software Specialist, Iuliana Cherevko will determine if the test is valid.
Materials needed include Luxauto (NEO M8U, Antenna, Arduino Uno Rev3), a computer, and a phone with the mobile application.
Testing will be taken at a meter above the ground, outside of the Spectrum parking lot, avoiding having parked cars nearby. The weather should be sunny, without rain or strong wind.
The team will ensure that the test environment is safe and there are no moving cars nearby or other vehicles that have a risk of hurting people or damaging the device. However, they will stop the testing if the device becomes uncontrollable: for a significant amount of time, it increases temperature but does not show any results.

Data chart for collection of results:

Criteria	Actual (True)	Calculated through device/phone	Error (m)	Calculation Time (sec)	Details
Device	Horizontal Position (GPS)
	Elevation
Phone	Horizontal Position (GPS)
	Elevation
	How well is the path generated by the phone accurate? Corresponding to reality, GPS data, etc. Put the pictures of the Google maps-generated path and phone-generated path below.
	Path device-to-phone

Stepwise procedure:

1. Connect all parts of Luxauto, turn on the device, and connect it to the computer. On the computer, open the Arduino IDE Application and upload a new program to the device.
2. Place the device in the center of the parking lot avoiding having parked cars nearby on a stable surface.
3. Start recording on the computer and phone screen to record all displayed information, including position values and timestamps.
4. Record the actual (true) location of the device using Google Maps.
5. Place the device inside the car and make sure it has a connection to the GPS (certain values should be displayed on a computer screen)
6. Arrive at the random floor of the parking lot and park at the random place.
7. Make sure that Luxauto measures its location using code.
8. Check that the location has been sent to the phone.
9. One team member takes the phone and goes first 50 and then 100 meters from the Luxauto. At these points, the user stops for 5-10 seconds, makes a path from the phone to the device, and ensures that all necessary values (distance to the Luxauto, its elevation relative to the phone, path to the device, and others) are recorded. After a 100-meter distance, the team member slowly moves towards the device.
10. Stop recording on both devices.
11. Analyze and compare values shown on both devices. Complete the testing chart and determine the average error, maximum and minimum, at which spots, etc.

Stepwise procedure:

1. Connect all parts of Luxauto, turn on the device, and connect it to the computer. On the computer, open the Arduino IDE Application and upload a new program to the device.
2. Start recording on the computer and phone screen to record all displayed information, including position values and timestamps.
3. Record the actual (true) location of the device using Google Maps.
4. Place the device inside the car and make sure it has a connection to the GPS (certain values should be displayed on a computer screen)
5. Arrive at the random floor of the parking lot and park at the random place.
6. Make sure that Luxauto measures its location using code.
7. Check that the location has been sent to the phone.
8. One team member takes the phone and goes first 50 (inside the parking lot) and then 100 meters (outside the parking lot with connection to the GPS) from the Luxauto. At these points, the user stops for 5-10 seconds, makes a path from the phone to the device, and ensures that all necessary values (distance to the Luxauto, its elevation relative to the phone, path to the device, and others) are recorded. After a 100-meter distance, the team member slowly moves towards the device.
9. Stop recording on both devices.
10. Analyze and compare values shown on both devices. Complete the testing chart and determine the average error, maximum and minimum, at which spots, etc.

Expert Feedback

The team's expert, Mr. Campbell, the auto teacher at Irvine High School, carefully reviewed the team's testing plan and agreed that it was thorough and would produce helpful and unbiased results. He remarked how with so many differences, the team was likely to receive reliably good data that could be used for fine-tuning in the future. There were no changes to the testing plan needed, as it was already perfectly adequate. He agreed that the test would produce unbiased results, as there is little human interaction with the test since the product does most of the work.

Conclusion

Overall the tests allowed the team to get more information about how well the product works, testing it in a small local parking lot allows for baseline data such as making sure the device works. The next tests are what put Luxauto really to the test. The team plans on testing on a very large parking lot to see the maximum range of the device. The last test is in a multilevel structural parking lot, at Irvine Spectrum. By testing the device here the team can gather the most amount of data. Since the parking lot is made of cement, the team can test the connectivity of the device to the user. However, the main purpose of testing in spectrum is to test the main function of Luxauto, which is to tell the user how high up the vehicle is, or the elevation of the user’s vehicle. The team decided it was best to consult with an expert to see if there were any adjustments that needed to be made. Once the team consulted with Mr. Campbell, he was able to decide that our testing plan was good, so long as it was conducted in a reliable environment and manner.

The team's product does not mainly concentrate on durability since it is not made for rigorous durability testing. Luxauto is designed to try saving the consumer price, so many people can buy and ensure they can find their car. Since the battery may be changed and replaced to improve its performance, KIRRTech has decided against prototyping the Luxauto battery life. Rather, the company intends to incorporate car connectivity for charging, which would further prolong the battery life. In the future, the team will examine information acquired from other sources to evaluate how well the product performs the tasks for which it was designed. If the data reveals flaws, the product will be adjusted to close the gap and increase its chances of success.