Marketable, Stackable Seed Starter Kit Senior Design Project 16419 Team Members : Cheyo Rogers (ME), Stephen Piatkowski (ME), Chidum Okoye (ME), Muhamad Sohimi Ibrahim (IE) Faculty Guide : Sarah Brownell Problem Statement Rochester Roots, a local non-profit organization, in conjunction with the Montessori School requested a seed starter kit to be built to help educate students on the life cycle of plants. A seed starter kit is a semi-enclosed unit that allows the user to place sees inside the unit and monitor aspects of their growth with the goal of planting during the harsh winter and transplanting them outside in the spring. Key Objectives 1. Design a smaller frame that can be stackable and fit on countertops in the classroom and at homes. 2. Add a light source to provide energy for plant growth and sensors to measure the light intensity, soil moisture, and temperature. 3. Display the sensor readings to allow for students and teachers to monitor the conditions. Project Timeline November – Concept Selection Engineering and Customer Requirements Benchmarking Brainstorming Concepts Evaluation of concepts Selecting the concept December – Sub-System Level Design Frame Lights Sensors and Display Validation of each subsystem Bill of Materials Risk Management January – System Level Design System level validation Putting sub-systems together Attaching lights, sensors, and displays to frame February – System Building Complete the building process Purchase any other parts missed Problem tracking March – Testing and validation Completion of test plans Reviewing test results Confirm results and progress with Customer April – Documentation Assembly Instructions Drawing Package Paper and Poster May – Finished Model Complete working model Deliver to customer Imagine RIT Visual and Audio Feedback Display Telescoping Seat Height w/ Pin-lock Pivoting Arm w/ Locked Positions Pillow Block Ball Bearing To Allow Lateral Tilt (X2) Pedal With Built In Resistance Knob (Purchase) Wheels For Portability Spring compression adjusted with Winch Winch Placement Pulley Mechanism Pin-lock control for upright “Locked Position” Winch Remote Control Design Specifications and Test Results *values highlighted in yellow are the values achieved on the final prototype Specification Number Customer Need Number Design Specification Importance To Customer Unit of Measure Marginal Value Ideal Value Test Result Most Important 1 3,10,22, 7 Safe 9 Binary Pass All foreseeable hazards in the FMEA have been counteracted. 2 1,2,5,16,18,19 Tilt Range Degrees 0 - 8 0 - 15 Usable range for patients was determined to be 10.5 degrees. 3 Levels of Tilt Levels Infinite Inifnite levels of tilt with winch control. 4 10,22 Upright Locked Position Force test passed. 5 Tilt Resistance Range Lbs 0 - 150 0 to >150 6 3,21 Auditory Feedback of Tilt Decibels 50 - 80 25 - 80 Piezo audio indicators range from 60 dB to 81 dB. 7 4, 17 Non-alternating Handle Bars Traditional handlebars used. 8 10, 12 Seat Height Range (pedal to seat) Inches 27 - 34 <27 to >34 Actual range: 26 - 36 inches. 10, 13 Handlebar Height (vertical dist. - seat to handlebar) 9 - 10 <9 to >10 Actual range: 0 - 10 inches at each seat height 10 10, 14 Handlebar Reach (horizontal dist. - seat to handlebar) 15 - 19 <15 to >19 Actual range: 8 - 23 inches. 11 Cross member height 0 - 24 <12 Actual Height: 5 inches 12 13 Bike Capacity 90 - 300 Capable of withstanding atleast 310 lbs. Visual Feedback of Tilt Fail Survey test passed. 14 7, 14 Portability - Force needed to transport bike 51 <51 Max force needed to lift rear of bike: 50 lbs 15 Pedal Resistance Ft-Lbs Constant Variable Pedal resistance is variable with friction knob adjustment. 16 9, 12 Seat Size >10 10 - 12 Seat width: 12 inches 17 Adjustment Tools - Basic Tools Hand All adjstments can be made by hand. 18 7, 20 Force needed to bring patient to Upright Locked Position No manual force required. Winch can be used to upright patient. 19 Service Intervals Frequency Once/year Never Bearings and pulleys must be greased once per year. Least Important 20 Color   Potential Future Improvements 1) Integrate winch with feedback system to automatically adjust level of tilt, and eliminate the need for the therapist to manually adjust range of tilt. 2) Use magnetic resistance pedal assembly in place of friction resistance assembly. 3) Construct frame from lightweight aluminum. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. BES-0527358. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.